In my previous blog post, I was exploring the advantages of 3D printed textiles that can be used to produce different outfits, such as, for example, a dress and a pair of matching shoes. In this post, I’m taking the idea a little further. With all the advantages that 3D printing has to offer why stop at outwear? That’s right, this time I will be looking into the applications of 3D printing for producing underwear.
Turns out an Israeli couple, Tamar Giloh and her husband, has functional hardware that can spray polymers and fibers in a controlled manner to produce disposable panties, sportswear, bandages and other products. Their company, called Tamicare, has raised $10 million since it was founded in 2001. According to Gwen Ackerman’s article “The Next Revolution in 3-D Printing: Disposable Panties,” the Manchester, England-based Tamicare is in talks with Israeli contract manufacturers to assemble its fabric printers. The company, which has a dozen employees, sells its machines to cosmetic and health-care companies for about $3 million each. One unit can produce 10 million biodegradable panties a year.
Since Giloh presented the fabric-printing technology at a textile-industry conference in Denver in June, 2013, the startup has received 30 inquiries from companies interested in using the printer. A supplier for the lingerie-retail giant Victoria’s Secret visited Tamicare’s office in the U.K. recently to witness underwear being printed in three seconds. “A panty created at this speed isn’t something you see every day,” Giloh said.
The market for 3-D printing is expected to continue strong double-digit growth over the next several years, especially as new use cases such as Tamicare’s emerge.
“Making products in this way is attractive because of the design freedom it provides, but for items such as clothing, the challenge is to ensure the results are truly functional, rather than just visually appealing,” said Stephen Russell, a professor at the University of Leeds in the U.K. who specializes in textile research. Tamicare’s innovative underwear has both covered, Giloh said.
