We asked Logistics 100 member Catherine Weetman about the development of 3D printing in our industry.
Kirsty Adams: Catherine, can you provide an example of how 3D printing is developing?
Catherine Weetman: Reebok’s ‘Liquid Factory’… is quite remarkable, because the fundamental footwear business model has stayed the same for roughly 30 years, with production being systematically outsourced to East Asian countries. Reebok is now thus partially reversing that trend for a new line of sneakers, the soles of which will be 3D printed using their custom liquid material and 3D drawing approach… at anew Lincoln-based factory. Reebok’s team will not only be producing these parts, but will also experiment with other 3D printing processes and footwear customisation – doing so at a faster pace than through the current footwear mold process that is housed in China.
Catherine helps businesses develop ‘future proofed’, resilient strategies, assessing sustainability risks and value opportunities. A Visiting Fellow at Huddersfield University and Vice-Chair of the CILT Environment and Sustainability Forum, her logistics career includes Kellogg's, Tesco and DHL Supply Chain. Her Circular Economy Handbook for Business and Supply Chains, published by Kogan Page, includes a wealth of wide-ranging real examples.
To nominate a colleague or yourself for The Logistics 100 2017/2018 visit www.shdlogistics.com/logistics100
