Material Innovation Empowers Manufacturing Upgrades: From 3D-Printed Footwear to the Evolution of Humanoid Robots—Additive Manufacturing Frontier Applications Forum
2026-02-06
Recently, at the Forum on Additive Manufacturing Technology Innovation and Cutting-Edge Applications, seasoned industry experts, Suzhou Bolii Founder Wang Wenbin At the Forum on Additive Manufacturing Technology Innovation and Cutting-Edge Applications, industry veteran Wang Wenbin delivered a speech titled “Material Innovation Empowers Manufacturing Upgrades: The Evolution from 3D-Printed Footwear to Humanoid Robots.” From the perspective of polymer material innovation, he focused on the practical implementation and industrial evolution of additive manufacturing technologies. He shared the practical pathways and future visions for how these technologies have progressed—from prototyping to mass production, and from consumer-grade products to cutting-edge intelligent equipment—providing a highly valuable reference model for the industry’s development.
At the outset of his speech, Wang Wenbin presented an inspiring perspective for the industry: During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s additive manufacturing sector will grow faster than the new-energy vehicle industry. This milestone not only marks a significant achievement for the industry but also signals that 3D printing is transitioning from the prototyping stage into a new era of mass production. “Even if it’s just a small component, once mass production is achieved, the impact on the industry’s total output value will be exponential,” he said. He predicted that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the industry’s growth figures will far exceed current forecasts—and the core driving force behind this growth will be material innovation and the successful implementation of these innovations in real-world applications.
One, Material Innovation: Laying a Solid Technological Foundation for Diversified Applications
Wang Wenbin pointed out that the 3D printing industry has long been grappling with two core pain points:
First, the printing speed is slow, making it difficult to support large-scale mass production.
Second, the materials’ performance is inadequate and cannot meet the demanding requirements for manufacturing critical parts. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in addressing the issue at its very source—by leveraging full-chain technological innovation, including molecular structure design and monomer synthesis—to develop high-performance, customized materials.
High-performance elastomeric materials with elasticity, breathability, and shock-absorbing properties are the “golden key” to unlocking a wide range of application scenarios. Not only can these materials significantly boost printing speeds, but through the synergistic optimization of material and structural design, they can also enable a qualitative leap in product functionality.
For example, elastic materials can be directly molded into elastic structures, thereby enabling functions such as breathability and shock absorption, and transforming the material from a “passively adaptive” component to an “actively empowering” one. Notably, bio-based elastomer materials—aligned with global environmental trends—have achieved breakthroughs; in some products, the proportion of bio-based ingredients can reach as high as 53%, making them the preferred choice for many brands.
II. The Path of Applied Evolution: Full-Scenario Coverage from Consumer-Grade Mass Production to High-End Smart Equipment
Wang Wenbin emphasized that the development logic of the additive manufacturing industry is “application is paramount.” Only by bringing technology into specific real-world scenarios and addressing actual needs can we truly unlock the industrial value of 3D printing. From 3D-printed footwear to humanoid robots, this represents the evolutionary journey of technology—from verification to maturity, and from single-use applications to diversified ones.
(1) Mass Production of Footwear: A Benchmark Scenario for 3D Printing in Large-Scale Manufacturing
Footwear represents the first successful application scenario for 3D printing technology, transitioning from prototyping to mass production. This field began taking shape as early as 2013, reached a peak of development in 2018, and entered a trough in 2020. It was precisely during this trough that the industry achieved a critical breakthrough—the development of the world’s first fully 3D-printed shoe, fundamentally transforming the processes and forms of traditional shoemaking.
Thanks to its groundbreaking technological advancements, this innovative product has been permanently collected by professional institutions and is hailed as a transformative milestone in the history of footwear manufacturing. At the mass-production level, 3D printing technology has successfully replaced the traditional thermoplastic outsole process, enabling collaborations with numerous century-old brands, luxury labels, and domestic brands. As a result, annual production has reached hundreds of thousands of pairs—and continues to rise steadily. Beyond just appearing on mainstream consumer platforms, these products have also captured public attention thanks to their innovative technology, ushering 3D printing from the industrial realm into everyday life.
Of even greater industry significance, the 3D-printing footwear manufacturing model is driving a human-centered transformation in the manufacturing sector. Some brands have stated that their initial motivation for adopting this technology was to move away from the traditional production model in which workers repetitively perform monotonous tasks at workstations measuring roughly one meter square, and instead leverage intelligent manufacturing methods to free up labor resources. This also confirms that 3D printing technology not only boosts production efficiency but also fundamentally reshapes the very nature of manufacturing production.
(2) Consumer-scenario expansion: Covering a wide range of daily-use products and addressing pain points in traditional offerings.
After demonstrating its mass-production capabilities in the footwear industry, 3D printing technology has rapidly expanded into more consumer-oriented applications, offering customized solutions that address pain points in conventional products.
Sports equipment field ： 3D-printed bicycle saddles, thanks to their customized elastic structures, deliver superior shock absorption and comfort. Currently, over 70% of the world’s leading bicycle brands have adopted this technology in their products.
Home textile field ： 3D-printed pillows feature an ergonomically designed, breathable structure that precisely addresses common issues with traditional pillows, such as stuffiness and insufficient support. Related products have already launched an overseas crowdfunding campaign and are attracting tremendous market attention.
Protective Equipment Field ： Addressing the common pain point of stuffy, sweaty, and smelly inner linings in traditional helmets, the 3D-printed elastic inner lining—with its porous and breathable structure—perfectly solves this issue, significantly enhancing the wearing experience. It has already been scaled up for use in categories such as safety helmets and cycling helmets.
Moreover, 3D printing technology is demonstrating unique advantages in the cultural and creative industries. Combined with AI technology, it can swiftly transform creative ideas into stress-relief toys, co-branded IP merchandise, and even innovative home furnishings such as custom-made 3D-printed bed frames. This content has garnered millions of views on social media platforms, vividly illustrating the boundless potential of technology to reshape everyday products.
(3) Breakthrough in the Smart Equipment Track: Empowering Humanoid Robots and Unlocking Cutting-Edge Application Opportunities
If consumer products are the “training ground” for 3D printing technology, then... Humanoid robots serve as a “touchstone” for technological prowess. With the rapid development of the smart equipment industry, 3D-printed high-performance elastomeric materials are demonstrating irreplaceable advantages.
In consumer-grade robotic dog products, 3D-printed components have already been scaled up for widespread use. The lattice-structured protective layer on the robot dog’s exterior body and the paw components are both manufactured using 3D printing technology. Thanks to their flexible cushioning properties, these parts significantly enhance the robot dog’s quiet operation and improve its safety for home use. This product, which can follow its owner without requiring remote control, has become a popular item in the smart equipment sector.
In terms of the future development direction of humanoid robots, the industry has proposed an innovative concept called “bone heating”: The robot’s internal “skeleton” is responsible for supporting and enabling movement, while its exterior is covered with a 3D-printed, breathable, shock-absorbing “skin.” This design not only makes the robot lighter but also equips it with cushioning capabilities when interacting with humans, thereby preventing collision injuries and removing key barriers to the robot’s integration into everyday home environments.
Meanwhile, the potential of 3D printing technology in the field of robotic electronic skin has attracted considerable attention. By precisely printing flexible skins equipped with pressure-sensing and temperature-sensing capabilities, robots can be endowed with more sensitive tactile perception, thereby driving human-robot interaction toward greater intelligence and safety.
Three, Mass-production core methodology: subtraction + automation—bridging the critical link between technology and industry.
From technology to products, from prototypes to mass production, a supporting production system is required. Wang Wenbin shared the industry-recognized methodology for mass production— “Subtraction” + “High Automation” 。
1. Focus on subtraction: Concentrate on core products and ensure stable mass production.
Mass production and prototyping have fundamentally different logics:
Prototype manufacturing can pursue diversity, whereas mass production must focus on core products—“digging a one-meter-wide track to a depth of ten thousand meters.” Before launching mass production, products must undergo rigorous, multi-dimensional, and end-to-end testing. The associated test reports often run into hundreds of pages. Only after all indicators meet the required standards can the products be put into production, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of mass-produced goods.
2. High Automation: Build an intelligent production system and enhance mass-production efficiency.
High automation is an essential path for mass production. The industry is actively building intelligent cloud factories, using central control systems to achieve unified scheduling of all 3D printers and enabling fully automated operations—including automatic material loading, unloading, and post-processing—thus aiming to create truly “dark factories.” This automated production system serves as a critical support for 3D printing technology as it transitions from a “niche technology” to “mass manufacturing.”
Four, Future Outlook: Focus on application scenarios and promote the standardized development of the industry.
At the conclusion of his speech, Wang Wenbin shared his outlook on the future development of the additive manufacturing industry. He pointed out that additive manufacturing has never been an independent industry—it is instead an interdisciplinary field intersecting multiple sectors. At the heart of the industry’s development will always lie “respecting applications and returning to specific use cases.” He particularly emphasized that even for elastomeric materials of the same type, performance parameters must be precisely tailored when applied to different scenarios.
The performance indicators for footwear materials, helmet materials, and robotic skin materials are entirely different. This calls for close collaboration among industry partners to develop tailored material, structural, and functional standards for various application scenarios, thereby promoting the standardized development of the industry. Wang Wenbin stated that with the deep integration of AI technology and 3D printing technology, the feature of 3D printing—eliminating the need for mold making—will enable everyone’s creative ideas to be swiftly brought to life.
In the future, additive manufacturing technology will unlock value in an even wider range of fields—including consumer lifestyles, smart equipment, and industrial manufacturing—truly realizing the industry’s vision of “limitless creativity, brought to life exactly as you imagine.”
This presentation has outlined a clear roadmap for the additive manufacturing industry—from material innovation all the way to practical application. From a pair of shoes to a robot, the evolutionary journey of 3D printing applications underscores a fundamental truth: material innovation is the core driving force behind manufacturing upgrades, while practical application represents the ultimate realization of technological value. In this golden age of additive manufacturing, only by taking materials as the foundation and prioritizing application can we truly seize the commanding heights of industrial development.
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