GROUPE GORGE : Prodways Group, a subsidiary of Groupe Gorgé, opens up new horizons for 3D-printed footwear

Prodways Group, a subsidiary of Groupe Gorgé, announces the successful commercial development of its portfolio of solutions for the footwear industry.

As sport shoe manufacturers are looking for ways to accelerate new product launches, create more versatile footwear and provide enhanced performance to their customers, Prodways Group unique 3D printing solutions open up new horizons for the industrial production of 3D-printed footwear.

Over the past few years, Prodways Group has developed proven 3D technologies and materials for faster manufacturing of final outsoles, midsoles and insoles providing higher performance, complex textures and customized design and properties across the sole that offer a competitive alternative to traditional manufacturing processes.

Enhancing sportswear mid-sole performance with TPU material

Fostering a culture of innovation, Prodways Group has developed a revolutionary elastomeric material for additive manufacturing that has already convinced many sportswear industry leaders including Nike.

Designed for use with laser sintering 3D printers, Prodways Group's proprietary thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material stands out for its superior elongation at break capacity of over 300%. This exclusive material enables the printing of ultra-flexible mid-soles with higher fatigue resistance, while eliminating the time and cost of tooling. This process also enables a high level of precision in 3D printing of lattice structures, a level that could not be reached with traditional manufacturing processes, thus saving weight and bringing higher performance to sportswear midsoles.

Mr Harleigh Doremus, Nike Rapid Prototyping, commented: “Prodways' TPU material has been an excellent addition to our Rapid Prototyping operations. The ease-of-processing of the TPU material has allowed us to consistently produce high quality flexible parts and is a key component in increasing the ‘speed-to-market' of new Nike products.”

While traditional moulding techniques limit the capacity to adjust the properties across the midsole, Prodways Group TPU's shore hardness can be varied depending on energy input, allowing variable density for each area of the midsole, providing improved performance and better addressing the needs of each sport or athlete.

In addition, Prodways Group offers a wide range of premium laser sintering printers with the largest capacities in their segment, taking the additive manufacturing of sportswear midsoles beyond small series manufacturing and up to the industrial level. Thanks to its unique 3D printing and materials offering, Prodways Group provides the sportswear industry with key differentiating 3D technologies to accelerate the path of new product launches without being limited by the time and cost of traditional tooling.

Challenging the manufacturing of outer soles to deliver productivity gains and cost savings to footwear industry players

Major footwear players bring hundreds of new sports shoes to market every year, with each new model requiring several dozen outsole patterns and moulds to fit each foot size. Prodways Group's exclusive MOVINGLight® additive manufacturing technology combined with a proprietary material is the only 3D printing technology to print resistant composite moulds to inject or compress a series of final outsoles with tailored designs and complex textures.

While traditional metal mould tooling processes are expensive and slow MOVINGLight®'s unique combination of high resolution and productivity allows to print moulds that are ready for production within a few hours. With this unique technology, Prodways Group accelerates new product market launch cycles, while delivering cost savings to its customers and allowing new designs for improved outsole performance. 

Mass production of bespoke insoles

Prodways Group has been developing an applications dedicated to bespoke insoles using 3D printing. Commercially launched in January 2017, ScientiFeet is offering podiatrists a fully integrated solution from foot scanner impression to 3D printing of the end product. Once the production has been finalised, the insoles are delivered to the practitioner's office, which delivers them to the patients.

“Being able to 3D print customized soles for specific pain relief is a game-changer for orthopaedic applications. 3D printed insoles are lighter and deliver higher precision to offer a tailor-made treatment to each patient", commented Cyrille Pailleret, General Manager at ScientiFeet.

Whether orthopaedic, in response to a medical condition, for comfort or to improve sports performance, insoles today represent a growing global market. More than 5,000 pairs of ScientiFeet insoles have already been printed.

Disclaimer

GROUPE GORGE press releases may contain forward-looking statements regarding GROUPE GORGE's targets. These forward-looking statements reflect GROUPE GORGE's current expectations. Such forward-looking statements and targets depend on known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated herein. The risks and uncertainties that could affect the Group's future ability to achieve its targets include, in addition to those indicated in the press release: the strength of competition; the development of markets in which the Group operates and notably the 3D printing division; currency fluctuations; obtaining the export authorizations that may be required for certain activities; control of costs and expenses; changes in tax legislation, laws,
regulations or their enforcement; our ability to successfully keep pace with technological advances; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and key staff; the evolution, interpretation and uniform application and enforcement of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), according to which we prepare our financial statements; manufacturing and supply chain bottlenecks; the performance of our business partners (subcontractors, agents, suppliers, etc.). Some of these risk factors are set forth and detailed in our Document de Référence (Registration Document including the annual financial report filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers), available on our website www.groupe-gorge.com. This list of risks, uncertainties and other factors is not limitative.
Other unanticipated, unknown or unforeseeable factors, such as changes in the economic situation or financial markets, could also have a material adverse effect on our targets.

This press release and the information it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or to subscribe, or a solicitation to purchase or subscribe shares or securities in GROUPE GORGE or in its listed subsidiaries in any country whatsoever.

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About Groupe Gorgé

Groupe Gorgé is an independent group that specializes in high-tech industries. Today, the Group is active in the fields of security and protection in extreme environments, as well as in the 3D printing sector. It employs around 1,700 people, is located in eight countries and directly exports around 40% of its activity. In its more than twenty-five year history, Groupe Gorgé has always developed and driven the latest technological and industrial innovations.

Smart Safety Systems:

Developing complete, innovative technological solutions for complex missions in hostile and confined environments.

Protection of High-Risk Installations:

Protecting people and ensuring the active and passive protection of installations for energy markets and industrial and tertiary sectors in France. Ensuring the maintenance of these protection systems.

3D Printing:

Enabling major industry players to find new routes to successful innovation and production processes by providing systems, 3D printers and new premium material.

In 2016, the Group reported revenue of €281.2 million. It is backed by 1,800 employees and operations in over ten countries.

More information available on www.groupe-gorge.com

Groupe Gorgé is listed on Euronext Paris and on the US OTC market in the form of ADR.

Euronext Paris:

Compartment B.

ISIN code: FR0000062671

Ticker code: GOE

US OTC market:

CUSIP NUMBER: 399451 103

ISIN NUMBER: US3994511034

Ticker Code: GGRGY / GGRGF

Contact

Groupe Gorgé - Raphaël GORGÉ – CEO & Chairman - Tel.: +33 1 44 77 94 77 - E-mail: [email protected]

Finance News – Natacha MORANDI – Analysts/Investors Relations - Tel.: +33 1 53 67 36 94 - E-mail: [email protected]

Finance News – Jean-Michel MARMILLON – Press Relations - Tel.: +33 1 53 67 36 73 - E-mail: [email protected]

Image 7 – Lauranne Guirlinger – Press relations – Tel: +33 1 53 70 74 18 – E-mail: [email protected]

Source: Actusnews