When we hear the phrase, “mass production”, we usually think of one-size-fits-all, generic products. So how could a company sell custom designed footwear on a mass-market scale?
Additive manufacturing allows manufacturers to economically create individualized parts faster, without the need for molds, dies or conventional machining procedures. Couple that with an in-store kiosk that collects digital data directly from the customer’s foot without the need for an appointment, specialist or shoe last, and you see how this idea could be viable on a national scale.
One challenge facing FitStation is lowering the turnaround time. With strategic placements of the production facilities around the country, they would be able to get customers’ insoles delivered faster.
“Currently, it’s about a week,” says Sarah Clevinger, Global Lead of Business Development for FitStation. “Ideally we’re going to get that a lot faster. It just depends on where we’re placing printers, how many different pairs of insoles are being ordered, and things like that. We’re still in pilot phase (…) soon, we’ll know.”
Mass production of custom products is a dream goal in industries like footwear, and FitStation powered by HP is one company that aims to make it happen.
Check out our in-depth article on FitStation here.
How would you use 3D printing to deliver custom products? Tell us your big idea in the comments below.