Automated Shoe Production Applied in Roughing Process of Safety Shoes

In PU injection of safety footwear and/or occupational footwear, the upper is bonded to the sole in a polyurethane (PU) direct injection mould. The moulding process creates a strong yet flexible shoe that can withstand over 11 million flexes without the bond failing.

To maximise the bond between the sole and the upper, the leather uppers are placed onto shaped moulds, known as ‘lasts’, which are offered upside-down to be ‘roughed’. The roughing process involves a rotating abrasive disk being guided around the area of the shoe where the upper and the sole will meet, known as the ‘bite line’. It enables the polyurethane (PU) to fully penetrate during the moulding process.

By automating the roughing process, WorkWay has eliminated the need to manually mark the bite line and rough the surface of the safety shoe, which can be time-consuming and sometimes result in potential inconsistencies in product quality.