Hot Off the 3D Presses: A New Generation of Fitness Equipment

 

"Where I see 3D printing helping companies such as ours is in the initial prototyping phase of a product," explained Mark Lynskey, founder and owner of Lynskey Bicycles. "A company our size does not have a dedicated, full-time department for prototyping, so when we need a new part, we have to find a way to mix it in with our normal production needs."

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Health buffs today have no shortage of apps, gizmos, gadgets and devices promising to help them get and stay in shape. At the same time, new materials are enabling lighter, stronger and more diverse products.

The next revolution in fitness, however, could come from a technology that seems to have little to do with athletics but is already being used daily in the development of new products. It is the 3D printer, and it's a device that could change fitness.
"3D printing is perfect for sports equipment because the equipment is often rather small, of relatively uniform material or a few materials, and would indeed benefit from customization," said futurist Glen Hiemstra. "The stuff wears out and needs to be replaced."
'Some Crazy Shapes'
Numerous companies are already using 3D printing to develop prototypes, models and samples of finished products.
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Bicycle production, for example, has shifted gears from various metal frames -- including steel, aluminum and notably titanium -- to carbon fiber that allows for more aerodynamic frames. This space-age material, which offers shapes and profiles not possible with metal, benefits greatly from the use of 3D printing during the preproduction stage and allows bicycle designers to see their creations not just on the screen but in reality.

"We are using 3D printing all the time," Eric Bjorling, a spokesperson for Trek Bicycle, told TechNewsWorld. "That thing can make some crazy shapes."
Trek, which is one of the largest bicycle builders in the world, is hardly alone in using 3D printing. Other companies including American Bicycle Group and Italian Colnago also rely on 3D CAD software that can allow designers to de

'Initial Prototyping'

It is for those advantages that some "old school" companies are now considering 3D printing.
"While we have not used 3D printing to date, I have been looking at printers for some titanium accessory products and new titanium frame parts as well," Mark Lynskey, founder and owner of Lynskey Bicycles, told TechNewsWorld. "If you're developing products for an expensive material such as titanium, 3D printing can be a very efficient way to get initial prototyping done.
"Where I see 3D printing helping companies such as ours is in the initial prototyping phase of a product," Lynskey explained. "A company our size does not have a dedicated, full-time department for prototyping, so when we need a new part, we have to find a way to mix it in with our normal production needs."
That, not surprisingly, can "really hurt overall shop floor efficiency by slowing down normal production," he added. "It can take weeks to work it in with the normal shop schedule."
With 3D printing, on the other hand, "we can get initial prototype parts made without having to step foot on the shop floor," he pointed out.

Finished Products

It's not just prototyping on which 3D printing is wreaking transformation, however; finished products are being affected as well. Case in point? Athletic shoes, as companies including Brooks, New Balance and even athletic footwear giant Nike are looking to produce special shoes that can be printed as needed.
Brooks, for instance, has already developed its seamless Glycerin 11 shoe, the creation of which includes 15 to 18 layers of liquid polymer deposited over a molded mesh by a 3D printer.

Nike's Vapor Laser Talon features a 3D printed plate designed to enhance football athletes' performance.

Then there's French designer Luc Fusaro, who last year developed a technique that would allow for printing of customer-fitted track shoes. This relied on a 3D scanning system to perfectly match an athlete's foot; the shoes are then printed out via a selective laser sintering process that produces the strongest products from additive manufacturing.
Nike followed up this year with its Nike Vapor Laser Talon, an athletic shoe that can be tailored to whatever position the wearer is playing. As with other 3D printing techniques, this one utilizes the SLS process that fuses small particles to produce the finished product.
"SLS technology has revolutionized the way we design cleat plates -- even beyond football -- and gives Nike the ability to create solutions that were not possible within the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes," said Shane Kohatsu, director of Nike footwear innovation.