UnionTech Launches Six-Laser Fuees450 for Footwear Molds in Vietnam-3DPTimes

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UnionTech Launches Six-Laser Fuees450 for Footwear Molds in Vietnam

November 2, 2026 Hardware 3DPTimes | Based on UnionTech's official announcement, November 2, 2026. 17

Unveiled in Ho Chi Minh City on October 30, the Fuees450 pairs six lasers with an exchangeable build cylinder. UnionTech also presented an automation roadmap and its Cute800 elastomer printing platform.

Fuees450 six-laser metal 3D printer for footwear molds. Image: UnionTech.

UnionTech has introduced the Fuees450, a six-laser metal 3D printer developed for footwear mold production, at a footwear additive manufacturing seminar in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on October 30, 2026. According to the company, nearly 100 customers and partners attended.

The launch focused on the production system surrounding the printer as much as the machine itself: materials, build preparation, automated handling and downstream processing. UnionTech also showcased its Cute800 elastomer platform for footwear and midsoles. The two systems address different parts of the manufacturing chain, from metal tooling to directly printed flexible products.

Photo: Footwear industry participants at the Vietnam seminar. Image: UnionTech.

Six lasers and a 15-minute cylinder exchange

The Fuees450 has a stated build volume of 450 x 420 x 330 mm and a six-laser optical arrangement tailored to footwear molds. UnionTech says the elongated build area is intended to accommodate a pair of molds in one build across a broad range of shoe sizes. Actual nesting and output will depend on mold geometry and process settings.

The company highlights a single-laser contour-scanning strategy intended to reduce visible junctions where multiple laser fields meet. An automatic exchangeable build cylinder is another central feature. UnionTech quotes a 15-minute cylinder changeover, positioning it as a way to shorten scheduling gaps and prepare the system for greater automation. The announcement does not provide an independently verified production benchmark.

On materials, UnionTech says its Al901X alloy is already being used in Vietnam. The company promotes the alloy for thermal conductivity, strength and fine mold detail, including ventilated molds. Its announcement does not publish quantified thermal or mechanical test results, so those performance claims remain manufacturer statements.

Image: The Fuees450 metal additive manufacturing system. Credit: UnionTech.

Connecting metal tooling with elastomer production

UnionTech described build-preparation tools for distortion compensation, region-specific shelling and other automated preparation steps. Its proposed metal production line connects printing with AGV/RGV logistics and post-processing, including depowdering, heat treatment and wire cutting. UT-One software and a manufacturing execution system are intended to coordinate the workflow. Continuous, unattended operation is presented as a development objective rather than an independently demonstrated factory result in this announcement.

The Cute800 addresses flexible footwear production. UnionTech specifies a build volume of 819 x 432 x 400 mm and 8K resolution. It says pairing the printer with an automated line can reduce operator requirements by two to three people per machine and raise capacity by more than 60%. The release does not define the comparison baseline, production mix or measurement period; these figures should therefore be read as company estimates, not universal production guarantees.

The broader message from the Vietnam event was a shift toward coordinated production workflows. Commercial adoption will depend on consistent part quality, repeatable post-processing and how effectively the equipment fits each customer's factory. UnionTech says it plans to expand its equipment, materials, software, process support and local services in Southeast Asia.

Photo: Participants examine footwear samples during the seminar. Image: UnionTech.

Source and dates

Source: UnionTech, official announcement of the Fuees450 launch, published November 2, 2026.
https://www.uniontech3d.cn/show-2271.html

Event date: October 30, 2026.
English report prepared by 3DPTimes: November 2, 2026.
Images: UnionTech, from the official event announcement.
Specifications and production claims are attributed to the manufacturer unless otherwise stated.