Profession footwear finishing and packing operator

Footwear finishing and packing operators apply several techniques for assuring an appropriate final appearance of the packed pairs of footwear that are going to be sold. They perform according to the information received from their supervisor about the shoes that are going to be finished, about the means and materials to be used and the sequence of operations.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Footwear finishing techniques

  The related machinery, tools, chemicals and mechanical finishing procedures applied to footwear manufacturing.

• Footwear quality

  Quality specifications of materials, processes and final products, the most common defects in footwear, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, adequate equipment for quality checks. Quality assurance of footwear production processes and fundamental concepts on quality including footwear quality framework and standards.

• Footwear manufacturing technology

  Footwear processes technology and machinery involved. The footwear manufacturing starts in the cutting/clicking room , cutting the uppers and bottom components. The upper components are joined together in the closing room by following a precise order of specific operations: skiving, folding, sewing etc. The closed upper, the insole and other bottom components are brought together in the assembling room, where the main operations are lasting and soling. The process ends with finishing operations in the finishing and packing room.

• Footwear machinery

  Tthe functionality of the wide range of machines, and the basic rules of regular maintenance.

• Footwear components

  Footwear components both for uppers (vamps, quarters, linings, stiffeners, toe puffs etc.) and bottoms (soles, heels, insoles etc.). Ecological concerns and the importance of recycling. Selection of suitable materials and components based on their influence on the footwear style and characteristics, properties and manufacturability. Procedures and methods in chemical and mechanical processing of leather and non-leather materials.

• Footwear materials

  The characteristics, components, advantages and limitations of a wide range of materials used in footwear production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, plastic, rubber etc. 

• Footwear equipments

  Functionality of the wide range of equipments and the basic rules of regular maintenance.

Skills

• Apply basic rules of maintenance to leather goods and footwear machinery

  Apply basic rules of maintenance and cleanliness on footwear and leather goods production equipment and machines that you operate.

• Apply footwear finishing techniques

  Apply various chemical and mechanical finishing procedures to footwear by performing manual or machine operations, with or without chemicals, such as heel and sole roughing, dying, bottom polishing, cold or hot wax burnishing, cleaning, removing tacks, inserting socks, hot air treeing for removing wrinkles, and cream, spray or antique dressing. Work both manually and use the equipment and machines, and adjust working parameters.

• Perform packing of footwear and leather goods

  Perform packing and expedition of footwear and leather goods. Perform a final inspection, pack, label, store the orders in the warehouse.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB