METHODS AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS AIMED AT STREAMLINING MANUFACTURING PROCESSES AT SANTONI SPA

The Smart Shoe-Manufacturing project came into being after selection at a tender procedure launched by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) “Major R&D projects in receipt of financing from the Revolving Fund aimed at sustaining enterprise and investments into research (FRI)” falling under the technological purview of Sustainable Industry.

This initiative was driven by our ever-present need to deliver not only quality, but constant innovation for products, services and, more generally, value proposition; these goals are achievable through craftsmanship, sustainability and exclusivity, amongst other things.As a company, Santoni intends to hone its ability to meet customer needs by designing and manufacturing customer-oriented products which will be offered to the market through its own exclusive sales network.

The project aims to put in place the best possible conditions for creating a lineup and manufacturing system for products to be adapted from the catalogue, thus offering bespoke items inspired by Santoni’s collection.

Product specifications (data guided by the configurator and biometrics acquired by special instruments) are then modelled using virtual prototyping and virtual-reality technology specific for the footwear industry and which are based on a thorough understanding of the product and the process. It will be possible to further personalise the various parts of the shoe with 3D printers and build prototypes which are not just geared to function but to aesthetics as well.

Customer orientation and bespoke production are two important commonalities that Santoni and future industry share. Attaining high levels of customer satisfaction and delivering made-to-measure items are Santoni’s mission and an essential part of staying competitive on the market.

This new business model will be able to integrate personalisation into the smart-factory concept, restructuring warehouses and handling systems used for goods storage but it will also contribute to a customer-centred production process. They will work towards just-in-time coordinated management, smoothly coping with orders for new materials and semi-finished products, and will be equipped with automated loading and unloading systems to narrow margins of error and cut down on handling time.

Furthermore, by merging smart technology with the lean-manufacturing approach, it will be possible to deliver an efficient personalised-production response to needs by means of production lines that can effectively construct micro batches or single pairs with optimised material, product and component flow management. The purpose is to guarantee an extremely tight lead time between the sales order and the delivery of the finished product to the customer as well as to improve the quality of operations and work.