Making custom orthopedic shoes usually takes several weeks - not least because traditional shoe lasts still have to be laboriously made from wood. PROTIQ shows how it can be done faster: With the help of industrial additive manufacturing, individual lasts made of TPU can be printed virtually overnight and are on the workbench within a few days. The offer is rounded off by a free last configurator that simplifies the creation of 3D data and integrates it into the ordering process.

TPU as a material for 3D-printed shoe lasts

Conventional last manufacturing places high demands on the wood-based material used, as the material must withstand the heavy stresses it is subjected to in the shoe technician's workshop. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) has proven to be ideal for PROTIQ in the additive manufacturing of orthopedic shoe lasts. This is a synthetic plastic that advantageously combines the elastic properties of rubber with high resistance to mechanical stress. The process parameters of the TPU were adapted in close cooperation with the material manufacturer BASF so that they optimally satisfy the requirements of orthopedic shoe technology.