Project co-financed by the TUSCANY REGIONAL PROGRAM
PR FESR 2021-2027 OP1 OS1 Action 1.6.2 "Research and development for companies, including in collaboration with research organizations"”
Call for Proposals No. 1 "Strategic Research and Development Projects"“
Footwear Soles with Intelligent Robotic Technology Oriented to New Materials
Partnership:
The project SUOLUTION intends to develop an innovative production line for sneaker soles based on the integration of the molding and gluing phases, which are currently separate production processes. SUOLUTION It integrates various innovative technological aspects compared to the international state of the art.
The new injection process will consist of a carousel of open, tilting, and closed molds for pressure injection (patented HYBRID technology). A new pressure injection process will be developed based on the use of CO2 as a blowing agent, aided by new biobased polyols and specific additives that increase its solubility in precursors. The new soles will also be made from recycled TPU and PUF scraps to reduce raw material consumption.
The gluing process will be fully automated using robotic systems for glue application and drying. To further reduce operator safety risks, specific non-toxic and biobased solvents will be used.
The entire integrated process will be managed by governance software with a specific application for controlling energy and product consumption, capable of calculating the environmental impacts associated with the production of finished soles.
Leader
- Robot System Automation srl (www.rsarobot.it/)
Partner
- Tre Zeta Group SpA (www.trezetagroup.com/)
- TAIP Automation srl (www.taipautomation.com/)
- Roboris srl (www.roboris.it/)
- ETT Impianti srl (www.ettimpiantisrl.com/)
- ISAC srl (https://isacsrl.eu/)
Suppliers
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa (www.dcci.unipi.it/)
- ARCHA srl (www.archa.it)
Project period: September 2024 – November 2026
Total budget: €3,000,000
Co-financing from the Tuscany Region: €1,140,000
