Profession pre-lasting operator

Pre-lasting operators handle tools and equipment for placing stiffeners, moulding toe puff and other actions necessary for lasting the uppers of the footwear over the last. They make preparations for lasting-cemented construction by attaching the insole, inserting the stiffener, back moulding and conditioning the uppers before lasting.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Footwear components

  Footwear components both for uppers (vamps, quarters, linings, stiffeners, toe puffs etc.) and bottoms (soles, heels, insoles etc.). Ecological concerns and the importance of recycling. Selection of suitable materials and components based on their influence on the footwear style and characteristics, properties and manufacturability. Procedures and methods in chemical and mechanical processing of leather and non-leather materials.

• Footwear equipments

  Functionality of the wide range of equipments and the basic rules of regular maintenance.

• Footwear materials

  The characteristics, components, advantages and limitations of a wide range of materials used in footwear production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, plastic, rubber etc. 

• Footwear quality

  Quality specifications of materials, processes and final products, the most common defects in footwear, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, adequate equipment for quality checks. Quality assurance of footwear production processes and fundamental concepts on quality including footwear quality framework and standards.

• Footwear machinery

  Tthe functionality of the wide range of machines, and the basic rules of regular maintenance.

• Footwear bottoms pre-assembly

  The equipment and techniques used for the preparation of bottom components in the footwear industry, including soles, heels, insoles, etc.

• Footwear uppers pre-assembly

  The equipment and techniques used for pre-assembling operations of uppers in the footwear industry.

• Footwear manufacturing technology

  Footwear processes technology and machinery involved. The footwear manufacturing starts in the cutting/clicking room , cutting the uppers and bottom components. The upper components are joined together in the closing room by following a precise order of specific operations: skiving, folding, sewing etc. The closed upper, the insole and other bottom components are brought together in the assembling room, where the main operations are lasting and soling. The process ends with finishing operations in the finishing and packing room.

• Assembling processes and techniques for cemented footwear construction

  Technology, equipment, machines and tools for lasting and soling in case of cemented footwear constructions.

Skills

• Apply assembling techniques for cemented footwear construction

  Be able to pull the uppers over the last and fix the lasting allowance on insole, manually or by special machines for forepart lasting, waist lasting, and seat lasting. Apart from the main group of lasting operations, the responsibilities of those assembling footwear cemented types may include the following: bottom cementing and sole cementing, heat setting, sole attaching and pressing, chilling, brushing and polishing, last slipping (before or after finishing operations) and heel attaching etc.

• Apply basic rules of maintenance to leather goods and footwear machinery

  Apply basic rules of maintenance and cleanliness on footwear and leather goods production equipment and machines that you operate.

• Maintain footwear assembling equipment

  Produce plans for the frequency, operations, components and materials to be used in the maintenance of footwear. Install, program, tune and provide preventive and corrective maintenance for different machines and equipment involved in the footwear manufacturing. Assess the functionality and performance of the various equipment and machines, detect faults and correct problems, make repairs and substitute components and pieces, and perform routine lubrication as well as perform preventive and corrective maintenance. Register all technical information related to the maintenance.

• Apply footwear uppers pre-assembling techniques

  Prepare lasts and uppers, attach insole, insert stiffener and toe puffs, mould the upper on back part, and condition the uppers before lasting. Perform the above-mentioned operations both manually or by using machines. In case of using machines, adjust working parameters.

• Apply footwear bottoms pre-assembling techniques

  Split, scour surfaces, reduce sole edges, rough, brush, apply primings, halogenate the soles, degrease etc. Use both manual dexterity and machinery. When using machines, adjust their working parameters.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB