Vapesol, Portugal’s leading manufacturer of footwear soles, which recently published its Sustainability Report in collaboration with the Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre (CTCP), has signed a commercial agreement with Tecnirolo/Lary Portugal to establish an SBR rubber sole production unit. The agreement includes an investment of €1.5 million, which will enable the company to produce 5,000 pairs of SBR rubber soles per day from February next year.

According to the statement FashionNetwork.com received, all of Vapesol’s rubber production “will be 100% injection moulded, whether single- or two-colour, abandoning the traditional compression moulding method”. This will be achieved using innovative methods that “meet the requirements for full monitoring, in line with the principles of Industry 4.0”, the statement continued.

This is a phased process, and Vapesol has already begun production, with further improvements to be implemented gradually through to mid-February next year.

“This will be a major new development at the largest international trade fair for footwear components,” said Décio Pereira, CEO of Vapesol.

According to APICCAPS (Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Calçado, Componentes, Artigos de Pele e seus Sucedâneos): “With two decades of experience in the rubber market, the company’s partner is a leader in implementing this advanced technology, guaranteeing greater production efficiency and lower scrap rates”.

Similarly, APICCAPS also pointed out that this technology, led by Tecnirolo/Lary Portugal, will substantially reduce labour during rubber preparation and injection.