An upper for a sports shoe may include a component such as a vamp or a rear portion. The shoe component may include a UV curable microlattice structure with a plurality of regions such that each region has a different density. In some cases, the microlattice structure may include a high density microlattice structure, a mid-level density microlattice structure, and a non-structural region with a low density microlattice structure.

A method is disclosed for manufacturing a structured polymeric material. In the method, a body is provided comprising a substantially homogenous precursor polymeric material. An interference pattern of electromagnetic radiation is set up within the body to form a partially cross-linked polymeric material, the interference pattern comprising maxima and minima of intensity of the electromagnetic radiation, the interference pattern thereby causing spatially differential cross linking of the precursor polymeric material to form crosslinked regions having relatively high cross linking density and non-crosslinked regions having relatively low cross linking density, the crosslinked regions and non-crosslinked regions corresponding to the maxima and minima of intensity of the electromagnetic radiation, respectively. The partially cross-linked polymeric material is then contacted with a solvent to cause expansion and crazing of at least some of the non-crosslinked regions to form a structured polymeric material containing pores.

A method of manufacturing a sandwich structure having an open cellular core and a fluid-tight seal surrounding the core includes coupling a mold to a first facesheet to define a reservoir. The method also includes irradiating a volume of photo-monomer in the reservoir with a series of vertical collimated light beams to form a cured, solid polymer border extending around a periphery of the first facesheet. The method also includes irradiating a remaining volume of photo-monomer in the reservoir with a series of collimated light beams to form an ordered three-dimensional polymer microstructure core defined by a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides coupled to the first facesheet and surrounded by the cured, solid polymer border. The method further includes coupling a second facesheet to the ordered three-dimensional microstructure core and the cured, solid polymer border to form the sandwich structure.

A system and method for 3D microfabrication projects light capable of initiating photopolymerization toward a spatial light modulator that modulates light responsive to digital masks corresponding to layers of the structure. Projection optics focus the modulated light onto an optical plane within a photopolymerizable material supported on a stage. A computer controller causes the spatial light modulator to project a sequences of images corresponding to the digital masks while coordinating movement of the stage to move a position of the optical plane within the photopolymerizable material to sequentially project each image of the sequence to generate the structure by progressively photopolymerizing the photopolymerizable material.

A method of producing a relief image or mold from a liquid photopolymer resin, said method comprising the steps of: a) placing an image film onto an exposure glass; b) placing a cover film over the image film and drawing a vacuum c) placing substrate material on a bottom glass d) casting a liquid photopolymer resin layer onto the substrate material; d) laminating a flexible polyester sheet onto a backside of the liquid photopolymer resin layer as the liquid photopolymer resin layer is being cast onto the substrate material; and e) exposing the liquid photopolymer resin layer through the image film to selectively crosslink and cure the photopolymerizable resin layer and form a cured relief image, wherein said depth of the cured relief image is less than the height of the cast liquid photopolymerizable resin.

According to an embodiment, disclosed is a curing-device comprising: a stage; a light emitting module including a substrate disposed on the stage and a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on the substrate; and a plurality of transparent blocks disposed between the light emitting module and the stage, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of first sections and a plurality of second sections which are disposed in a first direction, the intervals in the first direction between the light emitting elements disposed in the first sections is smaller than the intervals in the first direction between the light emitting elements disposed in the second sections, and the plurality of transparent blocks are disposed on the first sections.

A molding method is provided for molding composite materials. The molding method molds a stack of composite materials formed by impregnating a base material with resin. The molding method includes providing a first resin with a photocuring property and providing a second resin with a thermosetting property. The first resin contained in a first composite material is cured by irradiating the first composite material with light, then the second resin is cured by heating the second resin contained in a second composite material. The curing of the first resin contained in the first composite material is completed before starting the curing of the second resin contained the second composite material that is adjacent to the first composite material of a surface layer.

An aspect of the present invention relates to a mold insert for use in a mold for the manufacture of a cushioning element for sports apparel. Further aspects of the present invention relate to a mold using such a mold insert, a method for the manufacture of a cushioning element for sports apparel using such a mold, and a cushioning element manufactured by such a method.

According to an embodiment, disclosed is a curing-device comprising: a stage; a light emitting module including a substrate disposed on the stage and a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on the substrate; and a plurality of transparent blocks disposed between the light emitting module and the stage, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of first sections and a plurality of second sections which are disposed in a first direction, the intervals in the first direction between the light emitting elements disposed in the first sections is smaller than the intervals in the first direction between the light emitting elements disposed in the second sections, and the plurality of transparent blocks are disposed on the first sections.

A system and method for 3D microfabrication projects light capable of initiating photopolymerization toward a spatial light modulator that modulates light responsive to digital masks corresponding to layers of the structure. Projection optics focus the modulated light onto an optical plane within a photopolymerizable material supported on a stage. A computer controller causes the spatial light modulator to project a sequence of images corresponding to the digital masks while coordinating movement of the stage to move a position of the optical plane within the photopolymerizable material to sequentially project each image of the sequence to generate the structure by progressively photopolymerizing the photopolymerizable material.