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CUSTOMISATION PROCESS
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What does the ‘Soletec System’ do ?
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Firstly, it should be noted that the ‘system’ referred to comprises many parts and not all will be either required or suitable for each customer. That is why it is essential in each case to establish what the customer wishes to do whether it be to enhance a retail operation, cut costs and time in a foot clinic or prescribe and manufacture a shoe, last or foot orthosis.
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The System has as its main core product - the 3D Foot Scanner. This scanner allows a busy practitioner to produce a 3D scan of the foot, from which a simple or complex bespoke EVA/or polypropylene orthosis can be designed and created. Alternatively in a retail environment the same device can assist is statistical data collection, identify appropriate comfort insoles from an A,B,C collection (Cione Concept) or best fit shoes. The scanner in conjunction with appropriate software can be used to design bespoke footwear.
The equipment within the Soletec Systems is described below.
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3D Scanner (ST001)
The foot scanner meets the market demands for a low cost piece of equipment with a quality image capture in a relatively short scanning time. It has a vision area of 160 x 120 mm and a scanning area of 400 mm. The foot is scanned in 8 seconds and the output file is in ASCII format containing X, Y and Z coordinates arranged in vertical sections parallel to each other with an accuracy to the nearest 1 mm.
Figure 2 shows one of the software’s screenshots.
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The whole scanning and output file generation process may take approx. 30 seconds. and the file size ranges from 500 to 700 K. The system incorporates automatic filtering and editing options (noise elimination).
It is one of the cheapest autonomous digitizers. The cheapest scanners always require a continuous link with the operator and an additional cost derived for each digitization made. Soletecs scanner is supplied in this way to the market place.
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Figure 2. 3D foot scan in 'point cloud' format
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3D Last Scanner (ST002)
The 3D last scanner is necessary to start from digital lasts for any adaptation or redesign process.
Based on high-precision laser telemetry, it features automatic calibration, a resolution to the nearest 0.1 mm and a speed of 60 mm/s. It operates with the most common CAD formats (D3D, STL, ASCII) and features a digitizing volume of:
X ( Height ) 400 mm.
Y ( Width ) 300 mm.
Z ( Depth) 180 mm.
Therefore any last, sole or any other different pieces in regard to footwear etc can be scanned. The last scanner can optionally incorporate a camera for textures.
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Foot 3D (ST061 and others)
This application allows the obtaining of the measurements of a previously scanned foot. There are two possible options to follow:
1. If the 3D geometry is already available, it will only be necessary to obtain the foot measurements, as shown.
That is to say, if the foot has been previously scanned and the 3D geometry has been generated, allowing for a list of all digitized feet to be displayed.
Therefore it only becomes necessary to choose the relevant scan - by double clicking on it - and then the selected foot scan and all its measurements will be displayed on the screen.
2. If the 3D geometry is not available, first of all it will be necessary to scan the foot so as to be able to obtain a point cloud image. But if the point cloud had been previously saved in a “.asc” file, then it will only be necessary to import the file into the application. At this stage, the 3D geometry will be generated by transforming the point cloud and finally the measurements will be obtained.
Once the foot measurements are available, whether they have been obtained starting from the 3D geometry or from the point clouds, the result obtained is a text file where all the basic measurements of the foot are listed.
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Forma 3D: ( ST052) Last measurements
The module includes the Grading Editor of the application and obtains the measurements of a certain last model. The model measurements are obtained for every length and width (chosen by the designer) of the selected grading system.
Figure 5. Module for the selection of lasts.
Once the model has been selected, it will then have to be opened, as shown in figure 5, in order to see all its measurements displayed on the left side of the screen. These measurements will be subsequently used in the foot-last matching process. Once the last model to be graded has been chosen, then the grading editor is run, as shown in figure 6. The grading editor shows all data of the selected model, such as its code, base width and base length.
Starting from this, the grading to be applied will be chosen. For this purpose, the lengths and widths to be graded will be selected from a drop-down list. For instance, in the case of length grading, if the length should embrace from
size 38 to size 45, then Length From 38 and Length to 45 should be selected from the drop-down list. The same procedure follows for the selection of widths, as from width AAAA to width EEE. Once all data have been selected, then the start button shall be pressed. The result of this grading process will be a series of files with the measurements of each last for every width and length selected during the process. Each file will bear the code of the last and the respective length and width in brackets.
Figure 6. Grading editor
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3D Software for last design (ST054)
It is a computer software package specific for last design and manufacture. It simplifies and speeds up the different tasks involved in last design. It allows the design of new lasts starting from previously digitized and parameterized lasts. The design process is based on the joint of different last sections stored in a database. Its main features are:
- Runs in any PC under Windows environment
- User-friendly system
- Adapts to different 3D digitizing systems
- Manages a graphical last model database
- Modifying tools for different grading systems
- Realistic visualization
- Automatic and customized obtaining of measurements
- Prototype manufacture
- Possibility of remote access to databases
- Dimensional quality control of lasts
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3D software for insole design – SOLETEC (CAD) Automation Sofware (ST063 and (ST064)
The system for insole design enables the ‘full’ automation ‘fast’ design (ST063) and milling (ST064) of a 3D insole – in less than 2 min starting from a set of 10-12 parameters obtained from foot digitization or foot measurements, as shown in Figure 7.
This process relieves the operator from designing (by hand) a tailored insole. All competitor software relies on a manual input into the design process – Soletec Automation software removes this need immediately. The designed insole can also be subsequently machined using the SOLETEC (CAM) automation software package without any manual input.
Both systems have been developed to speed up the process of manufacturing a tailored insole – from the aspect of the design and the aspect of the setting up of the milling cutter paths. Both areas are extremely time consuming and costly to the orthotic laboratory - in labour and man hours. Soletec Automation Software, removes this cost and expense from the production equation – when manufacturing ‘FULL’ bespoke insoles.
It is this fully integratable system that offers and gives the footwear Industry a comprehensive solution for the health-care field.
Figure 7. 3D insole obtained from scanned data.
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CUSTOMIZED FOOTWEAR
When dealing with customization, different levels should be considered - according, to the measurements of a given foot. In fact, almost the same technology can be used for very different purposes, taking into account that customization should be considered at different levels and the fact that the business model used is the one that leads to the selection of a certain technology according to customer demands and the price that the customer is willing to pay for the service offered.
The different levels of use could be as follows:
- Creation of a database of standard measurements for the development of seasonal lasts.
This partly replaces the continuous trials with models wearing sample sizes each time a new last has to be created. Comparison of a given foot with a database containing available lasts, so as to be able to recommend the most suitable last that fits the foot measurements.
- Manufacture of special lasts for problematic feet.
- 3D design and machining of special insoles.
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