The marathon, a race of 26.2 miles, is always a challenge for Maximilian Peter, Ph.D., a process engineer at Wacker Chemie. Besides being physically fit, it’s also necessary to have the right gear, in particular well-fitting running shoes. That gave him an idea: shock-absorbing insoles, custom-made to conform to his feet. “There’s nothing like that available yet,” says Peter.
So, together with his colleagues at Wacker Silicones and engineers at Enders Ingenieure GmbH, a product development and prototyping company based in southern Germany, Peter developed a solution: 3D printing of silicone.