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ROBO-COBBLERS
The ‘revolutions’ described so far are
fully accomplished events that we can
look at and comment on as clearly
recognisable scenarios. The last one we
want to mention here is still more a
potential than real, but signs are evident
that we are close to seeing a clear
consolidation in this trend too. We refer
to the introduction of robots in footwear
manufacturing and, last year,
World
Footwear
featured a full article on the
topic, in which a complete description
of the many different implementations
of robotised cells in shoe making was
presented.
There are in fact already dozens of
different robot applications covering
virtually all the most important steps of
the manufacturing sequence after last
pulling. The vision of shoe factories in
which robotic cobblers take care of all
the major steps of the making process,
leaving humans to perform just a few, is
still too futuristic. This is perhaps more
of a negative utopia than a goal to aim
for. Interest in these highly flexible,
versatile machines is however growing
and, with costs coming down, robots are
already present in many shoe factories,
even in the luxury sector. We will see
more and more of them in the future.
MARKET OF ONE
Since technology is a transient
definition, what might the future hold in
store? There are some clear trends and
the first is customisation or, more
precisely, mass customisation of shoes.
Personalisation
of
products
is
consolidating up to the point where a
recent study referred to personalisation
as the ‘future of products’. World
Footwear dedicated an article to this
important topic as well last year. Dealing
with individual consumers means
considering each as a market of one
with their preferences, desires and
expectations. Serving them and creating
fulfilment for them while generating
margins for the company is a challenge
both commercially and technically. It is
nevertheless a phenomenon that
shoemakers cannot underestimate.
DIRECT MANUFACTURING
Rapid prototyping technologies,
allowing designers to quickly and
simply transform their drawings and
3D digital models into physical objects
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WORLD FOOTWEAR | JULY/AUGUST 2012
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Robots in shoe making
CREDIT: BZ MODA IDEA FOOT PROJECT