Modares Mechanical Engineering

Modares Mechanical Engineering

Design of Direct Injection Mold for Shoe Soles by Additive Manufacturing Technology

Authors
kaivan mohammadi
Hossain Minaparvar
Sharif University of Technology
10.48311/mme.2025.24044
Abstract
This study investigates the feasibility of fabricating direct-injection shoe‐sole molds using three‐dimensional printer technology, incorporating metamaterial structures. The primary objective is to evaluate the influence of lattice pattern type (including hexagonal, rectangular, and simple grids) and shell wall thickness (0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 mm) on the mechanical properties—specifically strength and energy absorption—of specimens reinforced with epoxy resin. Initially, a prototype shoe‐sole mold was printed from ABS polymer and resin; however, due to insufficient intrinsic strength, reinforcement was required. To address this, standard test specimens were designed and printed, after which their inner cavities and the outer surface of the shell were filled with epoxy resin. Metamaterial patterns (hexagonal and rectangular) were applied to the exterior walls of the shell to enhance structural strength and stability. The final specimens were subjected to impact testing and three‐point bending tests. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of lattice structures and the optimization of wall thickness significantly improved the mechanical properties. For instance, in the impact test, specimens featuring a hexagonal lattice with a 1 mm wall thickness absorbed an average of 1.46 J of energy, whereas simple and rectangular specimens absorbed 1.21 J and 1.01 J, respectively. Additionally, in the three‐point bending test, the rectangular‐lattice specimens exhibited the highest flexural strength (1129.1 MPa), indicating a pronounced effect of metamaterials in enhancing mechanical performance. These findings suggest that, by employing intelligent metamaterial design, it is possible to achieve components with high strength and performance while reducing material usage and production time

Subjects

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Modares Mechanical Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 7
July 2025
Pages 453-464