Fast Radius and Rawlings Partner to Develop Innovative Baseball Glove, the REV1X

CHICAGO, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fast Radius, a digital manufacturing company, has partnered with Rawlings and 3D printing technology 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 using the Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS™) 3D printing process, 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, Carbon Production Network partner 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 3D 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.

"The REV1X glove is validation that our DLS process accelerates time to market by producing functional prototypes that are ready for mass scale. The 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 http://www.fastradius.com.

About Fast Radius
Fast Radius is a leader in digital manufacturing technology and end-to-end product development and production. The Cloud Manufacturing Platform™ from Fast Radius is a first-of-its-kind solution that integrates design, production, and fulfillment operations through a common digital infrastructure to make manufacturing easier, more integrated, and more sustainable. Using its Cloud Manufacturing Platform™, Fast Radius supports customers to design, make, and fulfill products more efficiently using additive and traditional manufacturing methods. Founded in 2017, Fast Radius is headquartered in Chicago with offices in Atlanta, Louisville, and Singapore and micro-factories in Chicago and at the UPS Worldport facility in Louisville, KY. Visit fastradius.com for additional information.

About Rawlings
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings' unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Baseball, Helmet, Face Guard and Glove of Major League Baseball, the Official Baseball of Minor League Baseball and the Official Baseball and Softball of the NCAA and the NAIA. The company is headquartered in St. Louis. For more information, please visit http://www.Rawlings.com.

About Carbon
Carbon is a 3D printing technology company helping businesses to develop better products and bring them to market in less time. The Carbon DLS™ process combines versatile printers, advanced software, and best-in-class materials to deliver functional parts with end-use performance and aesthetics, helping engineers and designers to create products that outperform expectations. From prototyping and low-volume production to production-at-scale, global organizations, including adidas, Ford Motor Company, and Becton, Dickinson and Company, use the Carbon process to create a wide range of functional end-use parts and print them reliably wherever and whenever they need them through Carbon's production network partners. Carbon is a venture-backed company headquartered in Redwood City, CA. To learn more, follow Carbon on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact

Kiley Ribordy, Walker Sands for Fast Radius, 312-267-0064, [email protected]

SOURCE Walker Sands for Fast Radius