Automated Apparel & Footwear Manufacturing
- Exponential Industry
- Technology Area
- 7 Milestones
Robot- and software-driven production of performance footwear and sportswear, replacing traditional multi-step cut-and-sew assembly. Technologies include On LightSpray (spraying continuous filament into a one-piece upper in ~3 minutes) and Nike Flyknit (digitally engineered knitting cutting waste ~60%). Spans automated assembly, nearshore robotic micro-factories, and global OEM manufacturing networks across Vietnam, Indonesia, and China.
Exponential Industry · Hidden Factory
Automated Apparel & Footwear Manufacturing
On inaugurates LightSpray factory in Zurich
On inaugurated the first LightSpray production facility in Zurich, with four robots making performance-shoe uppers in Switzerland. Traditional uppers take some 200 steps; LightSpray uses a robot arm and 1.5 km of filament for a one-piece upper in three minutes. Co-founders Caspar Coppetti, David Allemann, and Olivier Bernhard unveiled the plant to about 100 guests. Further plants were planned worldwide /true/ /CNBC/.
On starts second LightSpray machine at On Labs NYC
On said a second LightSpray machine was fully operational at On Labs NYC, 350 W Broadway, for the New York City Marathon, and that Cloudboom Strike LS returned to members on 30 October 2024 at selected stores in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Seoul /true/.
On unveils LightSpray and Cloudboom Strike LS
On introduced LightSpray, a robot-sprayed one-piece upper made in about three minutes at On Labs in Zurich, on the Cloudboom Strike LS (170 g men's, 30 g upper, 330 USD/EUR). The company reported a potential 75% cut in upper carbon versus a conventional equivalent, excluding bottom unit, packaging, and use, and said a patent-pending thermal fuse bonds the upper without glue /true/.
Adidas announces Speedfactory closures and Asia transfer
Adidas said it would close the Ansbach and Atlanta Speedfactories within six months (by April 2020 at the latest) and use Speedfactory technology at two Asian suppliers the next year. Global operations head Martin Shankland called the plants instrumental; Oechsler CEO Claudius Kozlik said the firm understood the decision. Adidas later wrote that both plants had opened with Oechsler in 2017 /TechCrunch/ /adidas/.
Nike launches 360-degree Flyknit uppers
Nike announced a Flyknit generation that knits a closed 360-degree anatomical upper and then thermoforms it. Flyknit debuted at the 2012 London Games on the Flyknit Racer as a digitally engineered knit; Nike says it produces 60 percent less waste than cut-and-sew /Nike/.
Adidas unveils Futurecraft 4D midsoles with Carbon DLS
Adidas announced Futurecraft 4D, a shoe whose midsole is made with Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins). About 300 pairs were slated for a friends-and-family drop that month, about 5,000 pairs by end-2017, and more than 100,000 pairs by end-2018. Adidas was working with Carbon to put DLS into Speedfactory /Retail Dive/.
Adidas announces Atlanta Speedfactory
Adidas detailed a second Speedfactory in Atlanta, 74,000 square feet of robotic shoe-making with a 50,000-pair annual capacity and about 160 jobs, targeting full operations by the end of 2017. It would join the original German Speedfactory /TechCrunch/.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Automated Apparel & Footwear Manufacturing and what industrial engineering problems does it address?
Robot- and software-driven production of performance footwear and sportswear, replacing traditional multi-step cut-and-sew assembly. Technologies include On LightSpray (spraying continuous filament into a one-piece upper in ~3 minutes) and Nike Flyknit (digitally engineered knitting cutting waste ~60%). Spans automated assembly, nearshore robotic micro-factories, and global OEM manufacturing networks across Vietnam, Indonesia, and China.
What core technologies and manufacturing architectures comprise Automated Apparel & Footwear Manufacturing?
Key technical architectures and manufacturing innovations include:
- adidas Speedfactory: Adidas/Oechsler robotic near-market footwear platform tested in Ansbach and Atlanta. Atlanta was announced 2016-08-10 as 74,000 sq ft with 50,000-pair capacity and about 160 jobs. Adidas said the plants would close by April 2020 and that Speedfactory technology would move to two Asian suppliers.
- On LightSpray: Robot-sprayed one-piece performance upper. A robotic arm lays about 1.5 km of polymer filament onto a last in about three minutes, then thermally fuses the upper to the midsole without glue. On reports a potential 75% cut in upper carbon versus a conventional equivalent (excluding bottom unit, packaging, and use).
- Nike Flyknit: Digitally engineered knitting of lightweight, form-fitting, nearly seamless shoe uppers. Nike says Flyknit produces 60 percent less waste than traditional cut-and-sew. The 2018 generation knits a closed 360-degree anatomical form, then thermoforms it.
- Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS / CLIP): Continuous liquid photopolymerization process utilizing oxygen-permeable windows to maintain a non-polymerized dead zone for continuous layerless printing, combined with secondary programmable thermal curing of dual-cure polyurethane and epoxy resins.
- On Cloudboom Strike LS: First On shoe with a LightSpray upper. Men's 170 g 380 CHF at launch. Lace-free one-piece upper, Helion HF midsole, carbon Speedboard.
- adidas Futurecraft 4D: Adidas performance shoe whose midsole is made with Carbon Digital Light Synthesis. Retail Dive reported a ~300-pair friends-and-family drop, about 5,000 pairs by end-2017, and a plan for more than 100,000 pairs by end-2018.
Which companies and industrial facilities lead deployment in Automated Apparel & Footwear Manufacturing?
Leading industrial manufacturers, hyperscalers, and engineering operators include:
- On: On unveils LightSpray and Cloudboom Strike LS (Jul 15, 2024) — ZURICH, Switzerland, July 15, 2024 - Today, On, the innovative sportswear brand from Switzerland, introduced LightSpray™, a revolutionary new performance footwear upper technology.
- adidas AG: Adidas announces Atlanta Speedfactory (Aug 10, 2016) — The factory will call Atlanta home, and feature 74,000 square feet of robot shoemaking capability, with full operational status target for the end of next year.
- NIKE, Inc.: Nike launches 360-degree Flyknit uppers (Mar 26, 2018) — Nike Flyknit, which debuted at the 2012 London games with the Nike Flyknit Racer, is a digitally engineered knitting process best known for its role in lightweight, formfitting and virtually seamless shoe uppers.
- Carbon: Adidas unveils Futurecraft 4D midsoles with Carbon DLS (Apr 9, 2017) — Adidas announced the Futurecraft 4D, its latest shoe based on state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, this time using Digital Light Synthesis technology created by Silicon Valley firm Carbon.
- Oechsler AG: Adidas announces Speedfactory closures and Asia transfer (Nov 11, 2019) — An expensive experiment in global distribution has been abandoned by Adidas, which has announced that will close its robotic “Speedfactories” in Atlanta and Ansbach, Germany, within 6 months.
What are key commercial projects and milestone achievements in Automated Apparel & Footwear Manufacturing?
Major industrial breakthroughs and commercial milestones include:
- Adidas announces Atlanta Speedfactory (Aug 10, 2016): The factory will call Atlanta home, and feature 74,000 square feet of robot shoemaking capability, with full operational status target for the end of next year.
- Adidas unveils Futurecraft 4D midsoles with Carbon DLS (Apr 9, 2017): Adidas announced the Futurecraft 4D, its latest shoe based on state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, this time using Digital Light Synthesis technology created by Silicon Valley firm Carbon.
- Nike launches 360-degree Flyknit uppers (Mar 26, 2018): Nike Flyknit, which debuted at the 2012 London games with the Nike Flyknit Racer, is a digitally engineered knitting process best known for its role in lightweight, formfitting and virtually seamless shoe uppers.
- On unveils LightSpray and Cloudboom Strike LS (Jul 15, 2024): ZURICH, Switzerland, July 15, 2024 - Today, On, the innovative sportswear brand from Switzerland, introduced LightSpray™, a revolutionary new performance footwear upper technology.
- On starts second LightSpray machine at On Labs NYC (Oct 30, 2024): In celebration of the New York City Marathon, a second LightSpray™ machine is now fully operational at On Labs NYC, located at 350 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013.
- On inaugurates LightSpray factory in Zurich (Jul 2, 2025): Swiss premium sports brand On formally inaugurated the world’s first production facility for its revolutionary LightSpray™ technology in Zurich yesterday.
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