by Kyle Ventura
Digital fabrication allows us to experiment with the way we design, produce and consume fashion introducing the participants to 3D modelling, parametric design, 3D printing, new techniques and materials. So how can we rethink textiles? Well, 3D printing could help reduce many environmental factors.
- In 2017, 11.1 million textiles were thrown into landfills.
- On average, textiles take around 200 years to break down in landfills.
- Textiles emit methane while they break down
- In regular tailoring methods, 15-30% of fabric is wasted
- On average, 2,700 liters of water are required to produce one cotton t-shirt
- An estimated 20% of overall water pollution comes from the textile industry
So how could 3d printing help? It eliminates waste and could use materials that are less water intensive than cotton for example. The material used would typically be recyclable and easily reusable, helping reduce the amount of clothing thrown into landfills. Additionally, at home printers can help reduce the impact of large factories.
Using bioplastic and cellulose based materials, Fashion designer Frances Murphy, an ambassador for CREATE Education and technology partner, Ultimaker, has used 3D print technology to interpret traditional textile structures and experiment with materials, such as silk, to develop different and new aesthetic print techniques.
Company Polymaker claims that the 3D printing of fabric is a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional weaving. They’ve partnered up with covestro to create new types of 3d printing applications.
It’s a fairly simple premise and works by first 3D printing a few 2D layers, usually only 2 – 5 layers thick, and swapping them out onto a conventional production line to be attached to other articles of clothing such as shoes, bags, and hats. The advantage is that the initially printed patch produces no excess fabric that needs to be cut off and discarded.
Furthermore, there is a speed aspect to it. Looking at the example of 3D printed shoe uppers, a complete upper can be printed in about 30 minutes. Since there are no worker’s rights currently in place for machines, a single 3D printer can output up to 48 uppers in any given day. Scaled up to a whole print farm, and it’s possible to produce several thousand highly custom, wasteless shoe uppers in a week.
researchers used 3D printing to investigate programmable properties such as deformation – one of the apparent capabilities of Polymaker’s software. The team managed to 3D print multi-material parts with multidirectional stiffness gradients using specially formulated cellulose-based filaments.
Researchers from MIT have also previously experimented with 3D printed mesh-type materials, although for academic purposes. The engineers developed a flexible, 3D printable fabric as soft as skin, with the aim of using it to support soft tissues such as muscles and tendons. They intend to develop the work further and eventually create medical devices, wearable supports, and implants.
The Stratasys Polyjet J-Series prints directly on fabric which then soaks and hardens into the material. Due to the spaces between the dome parts, the clothing is still flexible and breathable allowing for a comfortable wear. After one print is completed, the system is able to use a roll mechanism to automatically start a new sheet of fabric. This automation allows for faster production and astonishing 3D prints.