Tamicare launches first 3D printed garments
10/01/2014
Tamar Giloh, Tamicare founder and inventor of the Cosyflex 3D printing process, started working on the project in 2006. The first products could be available in mid 2014. Tamicare would like to launch the concept on the premium market and with a big brand: “We have a lot of experience in innovation, and need a partner with a strong background in marketing,” she said.
Tamicare’s garment manufacturing method is designed for mass production: a panty is sprayed onto a mould in just 3 seconds, and speeds along a conveyor belt. The material sprayed is a combination of “purified” latex (natural rubber) with cotton or viscose fibres. Different polymers can be combined and assorted ingredients or elements added during the process (cosmetic, medical or even electronic). “The options are virtually unlimited,” said Ms Giloh.
Like most 3D printing techniques, the Tamicare process produces no waste. “We reclaim the material that is over-sprayed during manufacturing.”
The process does not require high temperatures, and can therefore be considered low energy. Many companies have expressed interest in the process, says Ms Giloh, who sees compression wear as possible sports application: “our material stretches in all directions and we can vary the level of compression. We could also make a fabric in which the levels of waterproofness and breathability vary in different places.”
For a closer look at developments in 3D printing for textiles, see the January/February issue of WSA, which will be published on January 16, 2014, and available on this site as an ezine for WSA subscribers.
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