Stratasys desires to take shoppers’ used clothes to a different dimension.
The 3D printing firm introduced final week that it had launched a direct-to-garment answer as an addition to its present TechStyle printer, the J580. The printer will now be capable to apply colourful, 3D-printed designs onto pre-existing clothes, which Stratasys expects will entice shoppers in search of customized experiences and elegance.
The corporate introduced its City Tattoo denim assortment earlier this month at Texprocess in Germany. The gathering is supposed to “promote a deeper emotional connection” with clothes, in the identical manner that individuals really feel related to tattoos on their our bodies.
Designers like Karim Rashid, Travis Fitch and Zlatko Yanakiev helped develop the City Tattoo assortment, which Stratasys mentioned it believes will “enchantment to a number of manufacturers that attain throughout numerous socio-economic backgrounds.”
Zehavit Reisin, senior vp of business options for Stratasys, mentioned that stage of customization offers manufacturers the chance to meaningfully apply the 3D printing expertise.
“Many manufacturers are restricted in how a lot they’ll mass produce denim clothes, whereas sustaining a stage of personalization that has that means to the wearer,” Reisin mentioned in a press release. “We’re giving manufacturers the chance to do one thing exceptional, to convey extra character to their clothes line, whereas pushing a extra sustainable enterprise apply that appeals to a number of audiences throughout the patron spectrum.”
Stratsys will make the direct-to-garment printing trays in two completely different sizes, which is able to assist keep away from pointless waste and assist a variety of clothes and sizes. The system can be utilized on denim, cotton, polyester and linen, in keeping with the corporate.
The expertise’s multifaceted use circumstances may assist persuade manufacturers and shoppers alike of the artistic methods they’ll use additive design to upcycle clothes.
Based on researchers, the typical American client generates 82 kilos of textile waste yearly. Some manufacturers have already turned to restore and resale applications, whereas others have began take again applications for eventual textile recycling. But when shoppers can repurpose gadgets earlier than finish of life, they might be inclined to buy fewer clothes new.
Naomi Kaempfer, Stratasys’ artistic director, mentioned the expertise goes a step past embellishment—it provides life to clothes, which in flip offers shoppers the liberty to precise themselves by means of their clothes.
“By including layers of tales and symbolism that resonate with the individuality of the wearer, these tattoos assist shoppers promote their id, and have a good time their individuality. It’s a testomony to the transformative energy of additive manufacturing expertise in trend,” she mentioned in a press release.
