CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DIVERSIFICATION OF FOOTWEAR SOLES FOR DIRECT SOLING INJECTION USING MOULDS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS

One solution for attaching soles on footwear is to inject them directly into the upper part using moulds with unique cavities. Injection moulds are manufactured for each sole design, for each foot, right and left, and for each size number. As a result of the market demand for a large number of soles designs, the execution costs of moulds for each of them are substantial. In the case of small manufacturers, injection moulds wear out morally long before they wear out physically. This paper will present some design solutions for moulds that have reusable parts that can be used from one sole design to another, without changing the entire mould. Using these moulds, soles design can be modified by interchanging some modules which are fitted into the main mould cavities. These solutions represent a cheaper and faster alternative for classic moulds, with unique single cavities.