June 17, 2020
Leather has been used for centuries for a wide variety of products (luxury goods, furniture, high-end sports equipment and car interiors). Leather is a versatile material that allows manufacturers to produce creative products with a luxurious finish. 3D-printing and digital manufacturing techniques can bring those products to an even higher level with personalization.
Twikit developed a software solution to reach this level of personalization and makes it possible at scale. With the Twikit end-to-end solution, the whole process is digitalized and automated.
How does it work?
In a first phase, Studio Twikit helps companies in designing products that are fitted for both customization and digital manufacturing. Both parties work together in defining the product and customization possibilities. In case of the leather stamping application the question is simple: ‘What do consumers want to see embossed on their leather products?’
Once the answer to this question is clear, Twikit builds an online configurator that can be implemented into the current systems of the client such as web-shops and mobile applications.
The third step is the connection with a digital manufacturing facility, where the fully personalized stamp is 3D-printed. To guarantee a very detailed embossing, the machinery used for printing the stamp is of the highest resolution. The digitally manufactured stamp is then embossed into the leather with legacy machinery such as classical leather embossing presses.
Once the configurator is live, consumers can use it to personalize the leather product. Twikit finds it of the utmost importance to make this configurator as realistic as possible to enhance the customer experience and providing a higher value perception. In this phase, the true value lies in the details.
Why change to digital?
The technique of embossed leather is not new, it’s a craft that has been around for ages. As it is a tradition, this way of working has not been updated to current digital standards. The stamp was originally made by hand out of wood or metal, making this a labor-intensive and time-consuming activity. The digital alternative made this technique more efficient and scalable while also improving the result.
To show you how this configurator works and how it’s used in a real use-case we added a configurator here. You can play around and customize this leather handbag.
Are you fascinated by how an ancient material is combined with innovative technology? Get in touch with us or go to our website to see which other applications Twikit has developed.