Arkema and Carbon Extend 13-Year Partnership to Advance 3D-Printed Footwear and Consumer Products

Collaboration combines UV-curable material expertise and Digital Light Synthesis technology to develop customised products with tailored cushioning, support and energy return.

Arkema and Carbon are continuing their partnership to advance additive manufacturing applications across footwear, sporting goods and consumer products. The companies have collaborated for more than 13 years, combining material development and digital manufacturing technologies to expand the use of 3D printing in consumer markets.

The collaboration focuses on high-performance elastomeric resins developed by Carbon for its Digital Light Synthesis™ (DLS) technology, supported by Arkema's expertise in UV-curable specialty materials.

Material Development Supports Customised Product Design

Carbon develops elastomeric resins using Arkema's specialty material technologies. These materials, combined with Carbon's digital manufacturing capabilities, enable manufacturers to produce complex lattice structures for applications such as footwear and sporting equipment.

The resulting structures can be engineered with specific performance characteristics, including cushioning, support and energy return, allowing product properties to be adjusted according to application requirements.

Jason Rolland, Chief Technology Officer at Carbon, said:

“3D printing is becoming increasingly competitive with traditional manufacturing, giving brands greater freedom to rethink how products are designed and produced. Great resins start with great materials.
Arkema's material science and expertise in scaling up give our team a reliable foundation, so we can focus on developing elastomers that unlock new levels of performance, comfort and customization."

3D Printing Applications Across Footwear and Lifestyle Markets

The partnership's technologies are being applied across athletic footwear, fashion and lifestyle products. These capabilities are enabling brands to develop and bring new product designs to market faster.

One example is Vivobarefoot's custom 3D-printed sandal. The process uses individual foot scans to produce made-to-order footwear tailored to each consumer. According to the companies, this approach also helps reduce inventory requirements and material waste.

Arkema and Carbon Focus on Material Innovation

Arkema and Carbon are continuing to develop materials and manufacturing capabilities for consumer applications, with an emphasis on product performance, personalisation and material efficiency.

Julie Haevermans, Vice President of Marketing, Arkema Coating Solutions, said:

“As brands look for new ways to deliver greater performance and personalization while reducing waste, we see tremendous opportunity to rethink how consumer products are designed and brought to market. We look forward to building on our collaboration with Carbon and continuing to push the boundaries of innovative material development to support the next generation of consumer products, with performance and sustainability at the forefront."

The companies' collaboration continues to focus on developing material solutions for the next generation of 3D-printed consumer products.