On October 23rd last year, Farsoon announced its expansion into the Southeast Asian footwear market through a partnership with Chanhon Additive Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd. (Chanhon Tech), a top-tier 3D printing solutions provider with 12 years of expertise in additive footwear technologies, including scanning, 3D printing, and data processing. Through this successful collaboration, Farsoon has supported numerous industry customers with high-productivity metal 3D printing systems for footwear manufacturing. ACMI, Indonesia’s mold manufacturer leader, operates multiple Farsoon machines and is advancing its capabilities by establishing a new AM center.
Anugerah Cipta Mould Indonesia (ACMI) started its journey in 1995 with a focus on producing shoe molds. Over the past 34 years, it has grown into Indonesia’s leading mold manufacturer, with a steadily expanding global footprint. Thanks to ACMI’s innovative approach, they’ve earned the trust of some of the world’s top footwear brands, successfully delivering a range of production parts like outsoles, midsoles, and TPU soles that meet the highest industry standards.
Figure 1: Farsoon Founder Dr. Xiaoshu Xu and Farsoon global technical team at ACMI AM Center. Image courtesy: Farsoon
“As early as 2015, we began using SLA 3D printing for casting. With the growing demand in the metal market, we invested in Farsoon’s FS200M dual-laser system in 2021, making us the first manufacturer in Indonesia to operate a metal powder bed fusion machine for shoe molds and other industrial applications,” said Min Seo Kang, ACMI’s lead manager for Metal 3D printing. “As we continue focusing on shoe mold manufacturing and future expansion to other industries, the larger FS350M quad-laser system has become our go-to solution for accelerating series production. Farsoon’s fast and professional technical support helped us master the operational processes and launch our own application projects with an impressively smooth learning curve.”
After several years of diving into metal additive manufacturing, ACMI has made the strategic decision to establish a dedicated AM Center in Indonesia. The primary goal of this center is to expand our service capabilities while showcasing the numerous advantages and opportunities that metal powder bed fusion technology offers. These include faster lead times, superior quality, innovative design possibilities, and reduced costs compared to traditional manufacturing methods. The AM Center will serve as a hub for innovation, helping us bring these benefits to the market.
“Shoe molds, in my opinion, are among the most challenging applications due to their intricate design details and the strict requirements set by manufacturers,” said Min Seo Kang. “With Farsoon’s open parameter system, we can easily customize the processing and implement improvements in real time. Many leading shoe brands have expressed great satisfaction with the quality of molds compared to traditional methods, and some have already started placing full-size production orders, including injection and compression molds for EVA and TPU molds. In addition to shoe molds, we’ve collaborated with various industries, producing spare part models for automotive, marine, and cooling channel integrated automated robots—some of which are currently in development for production. With our FS350M machines currently running production with 316L (stainless steel) and AlSi10Mg (aluminum) material, we are excited about expanding our manufacturing capabilities as we prepare for even larger orders at the upcoming AM Center.”
Figure 2: ACMI team at new AM Center. Image courtesy: ACMI
“We are thrilled to collaborate with ACMI in the footwear sector and witness how Farsoon’s metal 3D printing technology has revolutionized Indonesia’s footwear manufacturing in recent years,” says Mr. Binghua Lu, General Manager of Chanhon Tech. “With over a decade of experience in the footwear industry, we are proud to provide fast, responsive local technical support to meet the demands of series production.”
“Working with ACMI has been an incredible journey. As a machine supplier, we are deeply committed to continuously supporting our customers in achieving greater business success,” said Vince Zhao, Farsoon’s Director of Business Development for the AMEA region. “With ACMI’s strong technical expertise in the shoe mold industry and the establishment of their new AM Center, I am confident we will see them expand additive manufacturing technology into other key industries in Indonesia that stand to benefit from these innovations.”
Farsoon is committed to collaborating with industry leaders to explore how 3D printing can revolutionize footwear manufacturing. By August 2024, the adoption of Farsoon’s metal 3D printing solutions have facilitated the sustainable production of over 100 million pairs of shoes. Indonesian customers interested in shoe mold development and metal 3D printing services are encouraged to contact ACMI at: mskang@acmi.co.id.
About ACMI:
ACMI, Indonesia’s largest mold manufacturer, continues to expand its global footprint. With a team of 400 highly skilled metal specialists—many of whom have been with the company for over 20 years—ACMI boasts a strong technical foundation in application design, manufacturing, and post-processing. The new Additive Manufacturing Center at ACMI offers a wide range of advanced mold solutions for the footwear industry, including outsoles, midsoles, TPU soles, and more. For further information, contact: mskang@acmi.co.id.
About Chanhon Tech:
Headquartered in Dongguan City, China with direct operation in Vietnam, ChanhonTech developed a profound understanding of the market and demands with more than 12 years of dedication in Southeast Asia footwear industry. Since the first introduction of 3D Printing into the Southeast Asia markets in 2016, ChanhonTech has been providing comprehensive additive manufacturing solutions and services to footwear businesses in the Southeast Asia region. As the AM industry rapidly grows, we are in a position to strategically target footwear industries using Farsoon’s metal and plastic laser powder bed fusion technology to provide solutions to the challenges faced by traditional manufacturing processes. For more information please contact: luislu@chanhontech.com.
