MAIN GROUP: FOCUS ON AUTOMATION APPLICATIONS

For Main Group, automation is a key element of all the future projects in the footwear sector. In fact, cutting-edge automation solutions have significantly increased the quality of finished products, thus achieving results that the manual production process cannot accomplish.

Moreover, the latest-generation automation systems have boosted the plant effectiveness index – OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), ensuring an increase in the machinery productivity.

Thanks to the internal research and development department, Main Group is creating various solutions for cutting-edge automation systems.

ABB robots, for example, feature new software and a much more user-friendly operator interface to carry out the following operations:

• Extremely accurate carding, with automatic tool changes, for the processing of all the types of leather
• Specifically designed silicone coating process for any requirement, mould or processing.
• Automatic mould change system on rotary machines, to speed up the operation and increase the OEE as much as possible
• Cooperation in automation lines for the production of finished shoes to reduce the manual processing and triple the quality of each process.

The new vision systems also allow the operators to monitor the quality of the finished product and the special events that occur during the production process: the system constantly records and processes all the data necessary to ensure the immediate quality of the finished product and provides essential elements for the production diagnostics, which is essentially interfaced according to the industry 4.0 model.