Carbon 3D prints a baseball glove
In the world of sports, Carbon has proven time and time again that it can provide valuable services to this industry. For example, in partnership with Adidas, the American company has participated in the creation of more than 100,000 pairs of FutureCraft 4D, a sneaker of the brand created using Digital Light Synthesis. More recently, in 2020, the California-based 3D printer maker unveiled the first 3D printed hockey helmet liner. This time, Carbon decided to take on one of America’s most popular sports: baseball. In partnership with Fast Radius, a digital manufacturing company, and Rawlings, a company specializing in baseball equipment, Carbon has developed a 3D printed glove for catchers (those who receive the ball from pitchers).
The glove is called the REV1X and took several years for engineers to develop. In its design, Carbon’s technology, the Digital Light Synthesis (DLS ™) process, was a great help. Philip DeSimone, Co-Founder and Head of Product and Business Development at Carbon, said: “The REV1X glove proves that our DLS process speeds time to market by producing working prototypes ready for series production. The mesh insert is a major step in the design of the glove and brings the latest innovations in additive manufacturing to baseball.” Before concluding : “We’re excited to be part of the process with Fast Radius and Rawlings. “
The glove designed by Rawlings, Fast Radius and Carbon. (Photo credit: Rawlings)
Features of the 3D printed glove
Digital Light Synthesis technology offered engineers the ability to design a unique 3D printed trellis structure for internal finger support. The fact of having designed this glove via additive manufacturing made it possible to create a lighter piece of equipment, with a rigidity adapted to each finger, while maintaining the protection and durability offered by traditional gloves. In addition, thanks to 3D printing, the glove is thinner than other equipment on the market and has more robust padding than average. To sum up, Carbon explains that their glove is “Ultralight, snug fit and ready to play that provides athletes with consistent playability.“
Other features of the glove, such as the pull-on tape, adaptive fit system, and leather palm padding, were not 3D printed. Finally, Francisco Lindor, a New York Mets player, will be the face of the REV1X glove, helping Rawlings, Fast Radius and Carbon demonstrate that the 3D printed glove is of high quality. Once again, 3D printing has proven that it can greatly benefit the world of sports, especially thanks to the design freedoms it offers.
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Photo credit: Rawlings