14 DAY TRIAL // 3D printing technology has been used in the fashion industry a few times already, but mostly for accessories and nylon-based dresses. Nothing you'd actually feel comfortable in.
The DREAMS Lab at Virginia Tech have gone one step further, though, taking what some may consider the next logical step.
Essentially, they used two additive manufacturing approaches, specifically Powder Bed Fusion Process and FDM Process, to design a new type of fabric.
In other words, they have been researching “Flexible Textile Structures with 3D Printed fabrics.”
The textile fabric is both flexible and rigid enough to be used in clothing manufacture.
The video shows the flexible textile structures to be a bit hard and thick though. So they'll probably be used only in clothing accessories and, maybe, things like curtains, draperies, rugs, mats, etc.