Fiesso d’Artico (VE), in the center of the prestigious footwear district of the Brenta River, is home to Trc Automatione, a company that is credited with having effectively invented, the conveyor system back in 1954. The system that, thanks to a series of carriages, automates in the factory the handling of footwear in the various stages of processing. For decades the conveyor system has not undergone substantial changes, and has been used with various solutions in shoe factories all over the world. We met with Federico Torresin, administrator of TRC Automation, at the headquarters.
First of all, how was Trc Automation established?
My father had a small metalworking company, and as he studied the needs of the small shoe factories that were developing throughout the region of the Brenta River, he noticed a problem that they had in common. Lack of space was not conducive to the assembly phase of the shoe, which had to be placed on the last for the so-called time to cure. We are talking about small scale workers, who perhaps worked in cellars where space was limited, and although there was little machinery in the processing stages, it was a problem to keep the product stationary in the carriage. Therefore, the idea was to find a means of automating the handling of footwear, and the first conveyor system was created. In the beginning, almost seventy years ago, it was manual, with push carts. Then, with the growth of companies and the automation of production lines, responding to the need to define production times, the first electric conveyor system was introduced in the early 1970s.
Finally arriving to the product of excellence that you present today.
After years of study and research in technology, development and materials, we have arrived at a new generation model, based on a concept of dynamism, flexibility and made with innovative materials. In fact, one of our strengths is the versatility of the carriage: until recently it was necessary to adapt the positioning of the footwear or component to the shape of the carriage, with our solution the carriage adapts to the footwear. The carriage historically used was fixed, welded, and was loaded according to its capacity. Now we are able to mount accessories on the carriage to adapt it to the type of production it needs to hold. As early as a decade ago we made and patented two lines, transforming a carriage from fixed and welded to a dynamic, hybrid carriage, where all the accessories are interchangeable. Product adaptability is very important to us. Today production is very irregular, on the production line there can be slippers to sandals, to hiking boots, to sneakers. The software that manages the line is able to recognize the product and accessorize the carriage accordingly, in the safest and most efficient way.
Another important feature of the product we offer is the scratch-resistant accessories.
Scratch-resistant accessories. What is this all about?
Italy is the country of footwear excellence, and working with the biggest names in fashion, we are required to provide a product of the highest quality. One of the problems we often had to deal with was in the shoe finishing and finishing processes. In fact, in these assembly stages, contact of the product with the carriage could be dangerous, causing marks and scratches that would ruin the product itself, making it unfit for sale. As a result, we began to focus on this problem, using the experience and expertise of our specialized technicians and the best available technology, the development led us to produce carriages with rounded corners, made with strong but soft and scratch-resistant products such as ABS, PA6, and neoprene.
In this way, our product, while retaining quality and strength, ensures the total integrity of the product being handled.
What about electronics?
We are constantly investing in technology and automation of production processes, and we have made a big leap in quality in the past for four, five years, with the application of renewed software, which allows us to control production based on the type and processing systems of items. Thanks to this software, via app, the production manager -wherever he or she is with a phone or tablet- can know all the information about the product in the conveyor system. The software is already set up for the next step, which will be to insert a kind of tag that will allow the location of each item to be tracked and kept under control.
In these times of fierce competition, business success is linked to cost containment, increased production, and controlled quality. Knowing exactly what is happening at various times in production to be able to intervene during the handling of items is a great advantage. Large companies with many branches, thanks to the digitization of the process will be able to remotely use the same production sequences and be in control of each line.
What products do you deal with, specifically, and what markets do you address?
Mainly we supply Italian and European retailers, a small part is done directly with some brands. We produce carriage conveyors for footwear of all types (shoes, sandals, boots, sneakers, hiking shoes and boots) and carriages for components (soles, insoles, heels and lasts). In collaboration with our customers, we have created carriage accessories suitable for all products, from low-end brands to the area’s top luxury brands.
What are the trends in the market?
GDP is the growing market, and we are satisfied: in the last few years we have doubled our sales. It took some time, but when customers understood the concept of the modular carriage, they began to appreciate its qualities and demand it, with the possibility of implementing it over time according to their needs of the moment. We have the big names to thank for this: they were among the first to realize the advantages of our product and request it for the excellence of their footwear.
The world of safety footwear is also developing exponentially, and in Italy representing excellence. Are you active in this area?
Yes, and with success. The same advantage that the big names find (having more products of different styles on the same conveyor system), is even more evident with regard to safety footwear. Huge quantities of footwear are produced in this sector (some companies go up to 20,000 pairs per day) In these areas, companies need to move very different footwear in size and shape, (shoe, boot, rubber boot, military boots, etc.) and our carriage technology provides them with this important advantage.
www.trcautomation.com
Federico Torresin, Chairman of the board
The integration of hot/cold machines on TRC lines
New software for managing all work parameters. It allows to set the items in production and processing recipes, to get a daily report on a 10” touch screen that can be installed on the control panel or in the office as an App for mobile phones or tablets for remote control (suitable for Android and iOS)