Fast Radius, a digital manufacturing company, has partnered with Rawlings and 3D printing company Carbon to manufacture the major baseball brand’s newest release, the REV1X glove. This glove features innovative 3D-printed lattice inserts, developed with cloud manufacturing technology, for performance-enhancing capabilities.
A high-performing glove with game-changing technology was the central idea for the new REV1X: a first-of-its kind glove that uses an intricate lattice design in the pinky and thumb inserts. The lattice, made with Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) 3D printing, is lightweight and flexible without sacrificing protection or durability. The inserts don’t wear out as easily as traditional materials and therefore provide unmatched playability and improved ball handling on the field. These modernizations represent a significant evolution in glove design that goes back more than 75 years.
Rawlings had identified the Carbon DLS process as the best way to make the thumb and pinky inserts for its new glove and needed a partner who could ramp up to mass market production. As the largest, public-facing Carbon factory in North America, Fast Radius had the infrastructure, software and expert technicians to make these parts.
With Fast Radius, Rawlings was able to quickly move from prototyping to production, manufacturing the gloves at scale so baseball players anywhere – from within the Major Leagues to high school ball fields – could access the future of baseball equipment. Rawlings, known for its high-quality equipment, also wanted to ensure each glove met their standards and expectations. Fast Radius’ strength in producing repeatable, reliable and consistent parts at scale helped make that vision a reality.
“We were thrilled to help Rawlings scale production for this revolutionary glove,” said John Nanry, chief manufacturing officer at Fast Radius. “With our Cloud Manufacturing Platform and our expertise in additive, we were able to execute on a complex manufacturing process and get the REV1X gloves to market faster. Our mission is to make new things possible, and our partnership with Rawlings has allowed us to do just that for baseball players and fans everywhere.”
Fast Radius’ reputation and ability to efficiently make new, complex parts with industrial-grade quality and reliability, all while meeting tight timelines, made them an ideal partner for Rawlings. Fast Radius’ Cloud Manufacturing Platform also gave Rawlings access to the technology and expertise it needed.
“We needed someone who could make our REV1X glove design a reality, and we found that in Fast Radius,” said Ryan Farrar, senior director of ball gloves at Rawlings. “The glove is transformative for everyone in the baseball industry – both professionals and amateurs alike. Fast Radius is making it possible for us to share the REV1X with our customers across the globe.”
Fast Radius’ Cloud Manufacturing Platform, custom solutions and expertise combined with Carbon’s printing technology, enabled Rawlings to manufacture innovative lattice inserts at scale for mass production and get the glove out of development and onto the diamond as quickly as possible.
“This lattice insert is a major milestone in glove design and brings the latest in additive manufacturing to baseball,” said Philip Desimone, co-founder, chief product and business development officer at Carbon. “We’re thrilled to be a part of the process with Fast Radius and Rawlings.”
The REV1X glove is now available online from Rawlings, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and JustBallGloves.com.
To learn more about Fast Radius and how it’s helping companies like Rawlings bring new innovations to life, visit www.fastradius.com.
To read full story visit https://www.fastradius.com/news/fast-radius-rawlings-rev1x/
