DESMA + STOLL: footwear manufacturing with woven uppers
The new system for manufacturing woven upper shoes was recently presented in Europe following the agreement signed by DESMA, a leader in machine technology for sole injection and automation, and STOLL of the KARL MAYER Group, one of the world's largest suppliers of technology for the textile industry.
The original idea arose from the new demands of the footwear market for a greater diversity of lines, shorter delivery times and lower costs.
Thus, the two partners trusted in combining their specialties at each stage of the value chain and created an opportunity with great potential to optimize footwear manufacturing.
"These innovative models show us how we can manufacture complex products with a high degree of efficiency and sustainability, working together and harmonizing the process sequences of our companies," said Andreas Schellhammer, Head of the STOLL Business Unit.
Both companies have developed an integrated solution that allows the manufacture of innovative footwear models through a highly efficient process.
It begins with the elaboration of the seamless 3D woven uppers, which are hardened and then activated and shaped, before assembling to the sole -mono or bidensity- injected directly on the upper.
The advantage of this method is to minimize waiting times in the development and production process, allowing to adjust the configuration of the machine to obtain an optimal quality of the final product without any additional investment. The machine technologies used for the process (STOLL flat weave fabric and DESMA direct sole injection technology) are already widely used in the footwear industry, both for exclusive or massive products.
The new proposal reduces the number of time-consuming steps in production, such as manually assembling, joining and sewing the upper parts - uppers - and the preparation of soles made with different components. It is also a sustainable innovation, since the manufacturing technique is very precise, avoiding losses and waste.
The products obtained, due to their seamless 3D woven uppers, are more comfortable to wear, as they are designed to provide the perfect fit.
Finally, thanks to the STOLL flat-weft weaving machines and the efficient injection process of the sole by DESMA machines, it is now possible to manufacture high-performance footwear with custom designs through industrial processes.
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