How Is Shoelaces Made ? Braiding Machine

Braiding machine Winding machine Tipping machine

This essay will discuss the method of shoelace manufacture that uses a braiding machine to make shoelaces.

1.First, Winding the 150D96F polyester yarn on the bobbin by the winding machinethere. is a large room filled with dozens of shoelace braiding machines. Each machine resembles a horizontal circle and is equipped with 16-48 spindles that all head to the manufacture of a single shoelace.

2.Next, the braiding begins. Electric motors start the braiding machine. The bobbins start weaving the thin shoelace, with the braiding action resembling a maypole as the bobbin thread is deployed in a specific order. Side gears on the machine tell the machine how fast to take up the yarn to vary the tightness of the weave. The more quickly the yarn is taken up, the looser the braid. As the braid becomes longer and longer, it falls directly into a can that holds it there until the braid is finished. Each braiding machine can produce about a gross (75 shoelaces) every thirty minutes. The amount of braid this basket may hold varies according to thickness of the braid. Heavy sport laces, such as hockey laces.

3.The cans of braids are moved to the tipping department. braid shoelace is put into a tipping machine that performs a variety of functions. First, the automatic tipping machine immerses the braid in acetone. (The acetone will allow the braid to hold the plastic tip tightly.) Then, the braid is automatically inserted into a die that holds acetate tape. The die is heated and presses the acetate tape at specific intervals (the length of the shoelace).The automatic tipping machine can produce more than 7000 shoelaces per hour, with a production length of 1.2 meters -2.8 meters, which can meet different needs.

4.The laces move along and another die advances and cuts each band of acetate in half. Thus, each aglet is now about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide (the acetate band was about I in (2 cm) wide but was cut in half). The process of cutting the aglet in half cuts apart the shoelaces as well.

5.The laces are sucked up into this elevator at right and left, are wound around a cardboard cylinder as a pair, and are pushed through a chute for packaging.

6.The pair of laces wound on a cardboard cylinder are sent to the blister packaging machine. Cardboard is put behind the laces, polystyrene in front, and the package is heat-sealed. The pairs are sent to a cardboard shipping box for movement out of the factory.

Control of product varies by factory and method of production. However, one company that utilizes braiding machines controls quality in three ways. First, the most important way that the employees control quality is in monitoring the bobbins as they weave the braid. When the bobbin is empty it drops down and the action stops until a new bobbin is put on. However, the new yarn must be knotted into the braid to continue the weaving. The operator ties a large knot into the shoelace so that the flaw is noticeable. The operator must remove that shoelace with a knot before it moves into the automatic tipping machine, or the big knot will explode the heated metal die (it is too bulky for the die).

Also, operators inspect each and every shoelace that is produced. Some laces are dirty and if so, they are removed and considered flawed. Inspection occurs when the laces are hanging to dry and as the operator is sending them into the pairing machine.

Maintaining machinery is essential to the successful operation of the business. The older braiding machines are decades old and are still efficient and precise because they are thoroughly cleaned and oiled each week.