A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON

SHOE-SOLE MAKING AND

SOLE-MOLD MANUFACTURING
Presented by:
A.S.M. Tahmid Reza
Raw Materials for Shoe Making
Upper Section: The upper body of a shoe is made from synthetic materials such as:

Artificial suede
Nylon weave with plastic slabs
Nylon overlay with leather attachments
Cloth is used in laces fitted through plastic eyelets
Sole: The sole can have three layers: insole, midsole and outsole or it can be a
single unit. Materials used for making soles are:

EVA (Ethylene-vinyl Acetate)

Polyurethane
Carbon rubber
Blown rubber
Making of Upper Section

Stamping Completed
(Die cutting the Stitching Upper Fitting in last
shoe parts) (Heated)
Sole-Mold Manufacturing
A mold or mould is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid or pliable material
such as plastic, glass, metal, or ceramic raw material. The liquid hardens or sets inside
the mold, adopting its shape. For manufacturing molds for sole making, these steps
are followed:

3D modelling of the sole design in designing software such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks

etc.
Making counterpart design of the main design that is going to be the mold.
Selecting the mold material (Aluminum in this case) and impressing the design into
metal block by CNC milling machine.
Sandblasting the machined mold to smooth the surface and remove contaminants.
Types of Molding

Injection molding: Used in producing midsoles and outsoles made from EVA.
Compression molding: Used in midsoles made from EVA and outsoles of rubber.
Blow molding: Used in air-bag midsole that's attached to rubber outsole.
Die-cutting: Wedge shape in EVA midsole is cut by pressing the EVA with a
profile roller while a blade splits off the bottom layers.
Characteristics of Aluminum Mold

Aluminum alloys have a Brinell hardness range of 150 to 180, and a Rockwell
hardness range of B82 to B87.
Aluminum machines 5 to 10 times faster than steel, reducing finishing costs and
lead times between 20 to 40 percent.
Aluminum offers reduced machining time due to thermal and machining
properties.
Aluminum conducts heat nearly 5-8 times faster than steel alloys, shortening
production cycle times by 20 to 40 percent. This offers a more consistent mold
temperature and resin flow equating to less warpage and higher yields, improving
the molding process.
Mold used for Sole Manufacturing

Images: Aluminum injection mold for sole-making

Manufacturing Process of a Sole

Injection
Quality
Pylon (IP) Stabilizer Washing Trimming
Check
Station

Process Parameters:
IMEVA (Injection Molding Ethylene-vinyl Acetate) is heated to around 95 degree C
before injecting into the mold.
Temp. inside Aluminum mold is kept 170 degree C for 6-9 minutes for making one pair
of sole; hydraulic pressure required is 80-100 bar.
It is desired to keep the time limited to maximum 30 seconds for a sole to reach
stabilizer after demolding.
Cooling at stabilizer occurs at 55-70 degree C.
Supply water from WASA is used for washing, temp. is kept at 35-40 degree C.
How IP Station works
Vacuum Hopper
Autoloader
EVA
compound

Electric Heater Aluminum Mold

Hopper Dryer
Injection point
Figure: Material flow in IP station

Temperature, pressure, material feed rate in the mold etc. are maintained
by PLC.
Advantages of using EVA (Ethylene-vinyl
Acetate)

Flexible even at low temperatures

Resilient
Tough at low and moderate temperatures
Crack resistant
May be processed by conventional thermoplastic techniques or by conventional
rubber processing techniques
Very durable and easy to clean
EVA Sole

Image: An outsole made from EVA

Defects in Sole Making

Various defects can be introduced during sole manufacturing such as:

Dirty: Can be caused from metal particles from new molds, handling with dirty
gloves.
Burn: If water is present in the mold, air in stuck in the compressed air channel
or moisture present in EVA compound.
Bubble: If EVA is not dried properly, releasing agent concentration is high or
non-uniform.
High feeding/low feeding: Material flow is more/less than required.
Expansion more/less: Mixing ratio of S & L compound is not ok.
Defects in Sole Making (Continued)

Tear: If releasing agent is not sprayed in a portion, sole can be torn in that
portion while demolding.
Tip problem: If releasing agent is not sprayed properly at the tip.
Twisting: Improper cooling.
Color problem: High temp. and overstay inside mold.
Color shading: Different color mix from hopper.
Flat sole: If sole is unsupported in stabilizer.
Trimming: Trimming or scissoring mistake.
Scope for Improvement

Releasing agent (Silicone i.e. polysiloxane) spray can be automated to ensure

uniform spray inside mold.
Processed water (DM water) can be used for washing to eliminate any kind of
possibility of contamination or dirt.
Conveyer system can be made continuous to ensure theres no delay from
demolding to stabilizer.
THE END
Thank You All!