Method of manufacturing at least a part of a sports article
Described are methods of manufacturing at least part of a sports article. The method includes determining a set of physical parameters of the sports article, wherein the set including a first group and a second group. The method further includes determining a set of constraints for the first group of physical parameters, wherein the set of constraints is intended to achieve at least one objective function. Moreover, method further includes determining an optimum for the at least one objective function, which is determined by optimizing the second group of physical parameters and manufacturing the part of the sports article according to the set of constraints and the second group of optimal physical parameters.
1 . A method of manufacturing at least a part of a sports article, comprising the steps:
a. determining a set of physical parameters of the sports article, the set comprising a first group and a second group that is different from the first group, wherein the first group comprises (i) an indication of a type of three-dimensional lattice family selected from a plurality of types of three-dimensional lattice families, wherein the type of three-dimensional lattice family comprises an indication of a lattice structure of the part of the sports article with two or more intersecting lattice planes and (ii) an indication of a number of three-dimensional voxels into which a printable volume of the part of the sports article is divided, and wherein the first group of the set of physical parameters is used to define a set of constraints;
b. determining the set of constraints for the first group of the physical parameters, wherein at least one objective function is achievable via the set of constraints;
c. determining an optimum for the at least one objective function, wherein the optimum is determined by optimizing the second group of physical parameters, wherein the step of determining the optimum of the at least one objective function comprises a step of using an iterative process that estimates the optimal physical parameters of the second group by a set of successive function evaluations of the at least one objective function, wherein a first subset of the set of successive function evaluations is based on at least one heuristic that provides estimates for the function evaluations, wherein a second subset of the set of successive function evaluations is based on printability evaluations obtained by a finite element analysis, wherein the second subset of the set of successive function evaluations are performed after the first subset of successive function evaluations;
d. creating a digital model by:
providing a mesh structure comprising mesh cells; and
deforming the mesh structure, such that an outer boundary conforms to a shape of the part of the sports article; and
e. manufacturing the part of the sports article according to the set of constraints, the second group of optimal physical parameters, and the digital model.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heuristic is based on the digital model of the part of the sports article, wherein the digital model is based on the set of physical parameters.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mesh structure comprises a first plurality of mesh cells.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first plurality of mesh cells comprises hexahedral cells.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the mesh structure comprises a second plurality of mesh cells, wherein the first plurality of mesh cells are different from the second plurality of mesh cells.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the second plurality of mesh cells comprises tetrahedral cells.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of mesh cells is surrounded at least in part by the second plurality of mesh cells.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each mesh cell is populated with a lattice stencil that forms a portion of the part of the sports article to be manufactured, wherein the lattice stencil comprises a lattice structure of the type of three-dimensional lattice family selected from the plurality of types of three-dimensional lattice families.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the finite element analysis is based on a production file, wherein the production file is based on the digital model of the part of the sports article, wherein the digital model is based on the set of physical parameters.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of manufacturing the part of the sports article comprises using an additive manufacturing method.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sports article is a shoe and the part is a midsole of the shoe.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sports article is a shoe and the part is an upper of the shoe.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of manufacturing the part of the sports article comprises:
providing a blank; and
placing at least one patch on the blank.
14 . A part of a sports article which is manufactured according to claim 1 .