April 1, 1916.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



347 



Processes of Rubber Footwear Manufacture. 



THE India Rubber World for December, 1913, contained an 

 article on "Modern Industrial Methods in the Rubber In- 

 dustry," which attracted the attention of a well-known 

 rubber superintendent, who at once wrote the Editor of The 

 India Rubber World, commending the article, at the same time 

 suggesting that the beginning of efficiency was in the arrange- 

 ment of the factory. He submits the general plan or layout, 

 shown in the adjoining column, outlining the general flow of 

 materials. In this instance it applies to the manufacture of 

 rubber footwear which affords a typical opportunity for co- 

 ordinated systems of cost accounting and efficient operation. Cer- 

 tain of the departments named would require ' sub-division in 

 actual operation to take care of special features of stock prepara- 

 tion and other work preliminary to actual shoe making. The plan 

 is actually a basic one and with modifications could be utilized 

 for a variety of lines of rubber manufacture. 



MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. 



The general process of rubber footwear manufacture are 

 briefly described below in the order indicated in the departmental 

 plan, omitting all details descriptive of machiner\-, tools or appli- 

 ances necessary to the work : 



W.^SHING. — Crude rubber is softened by soaking in warm 

 water; cut and washed for removal of soluble and mechanical 

 impurities. It is delivered in rough sheet form to the drying 

 department. 



Drying. — Washed rubber is prepared for further treatment 

 by air or vacuum drying. 



Milling. — The dry rubber is masticated on warm mills to av- 

 erage its quality. 



Weighing. — Rubber, reclaimed rubber and mineral ingredients 

 are weighed for mixing in standard lots or batches. 



Mixing. — Standard batches are mixed, and refined as rubber 

 stocks. 



F.-^BRics. — Fabrics are machine dried and rolled on shells pre- 

 liminary to calender coating. 



Warming. — The refined mixed rubber stocks are softened 

 on warming mills preparatory to calendering. 



Calendering. — Rubber stocks are sheeted for uppers, soles and 

 heels. 



Fabrics are coated with rubber to prepare them for use as 

 linings, stay pieces or outside finish for shoes. 



Cutting. — Calendered materials are cut by hand or machine 

 to specified patterns. 



Sorting. — The various shoe parts of rubber and rubberized 

 fabrics are counted and grouped in parcels by shoe makers' num- 

 bers, in accordance with printed tickets of instruction, proceed- 

 ing from the order department. 



Construction. — The rubber and rubberized parts are built in 

 proper sequence on w-ooden or metal lasts, into boots and shoes. 



Varnishing. — The unvulcanized goods are varnished either 

 by hand or by dipping machine. Dull surfaced goods proceed 

 direct from making to vulcanizing department. 



Vulcanizing. — Goods, racked in cars, arc vulcanized in cham- 

 bers heated by dry steam heat or by various pressure cure 

 systems. 



Packing. — Goods are removed from the lasts, paired, marked, 

 inspected and boxed. The lasts are returned to the making de- 

 partment if needed immediately; otherwise they are stored until 

 required. 



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Dri/ing 



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M/xing 



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Manufacturing Plan for Rubber Footwear, Showing Stor.'^ce 

 AND Flow of Materials. 



Auxiliary to this plan there are required the following de- 

 partments : 



1. Pow-er. light and heating. 



2. Designing department for goods, patterns and lasts. 



3. Press department for molding boot heels. 



4. Cement making department. 



5. Varnish making department. 



6. Dye house for coloring linings. 



7. Printing office for tickets, labels and factory forms. 



8. Repair department, including machine, roll engraving, 

 carpenter, pipe-fitting, blacksmithing and electrical shops. 



9. Last making department. 



10. Box making department for wood and paper boxes. 



11. Rubber reclaiming department for waste. 



