A leading company in the field of thermoplastic adhesives for footwear present in over 86 countries worldwide, this year Essebi srl celebrates 45 years of history and innovation.
Founded in 1978, it revolutionised the market and the technology of shoe lasting machines by introducing, in place of the old traditional adhesives, the thermoplastic adhesive thread, a system that has made a significant change to the production process in various footwear sectors, from sports and work shoes to high-end clothing. With modern headquarters of over six thousand square meters located in Solbiate Olona and sales offices in Vigevano, Essebi offers a wide range of products for different applications, starting from the thermoplastic thread for pre-assembly and assembly, granules for folding, up to reactive polyurethane adhesives for gluing heels for high-end footwear.
We had the opportunity to interview Renzo Sormani of Essebi, who told us about the success of his company and its new perspectives.
We can say that Essebi was a pioneer in the footwear industry with its thermoplastic adhesive. Would you tell us about this revolutionary system?
“The thermoplastic thread is a thermoplastic adhesive produced with an extrusion process which finds application in the footwear sector through the use of automatic machines for the assembly – pre-assembly of the shoe; this technology has several advantages compared to traditional adhesives: the rapidity of application, the high reliability and repeatability of the process, absence of critical issues in storage (the product is non-flammable, non-toxic and non-harmful and the shelf life of the product, of at least one year, avoids any possible problem in the management of warehouse stocks). The thermoplastic yarn is produced using copolyester-based resins or copolyamide-based resins, depending on the requirements of resistance, elasticity and flexibility, thanks to the close relationship with the main manufacturers of footwear machines and above all to a continuous and profitable feedback established with the users of our products.”
Essebi has over the years also expanded its activities into the safety and trekking footwear sector, is this correct?
“Yes, for several years now we have been dedicated to these sectors by proposing the thermoplastic copolyester-based RTF63 thread, characterised by extraordinary adhesion and a very short setting time. This is particularly advantageous when working with shoes with heavy uppers or oily leathers, as it does not slow down the assembly phase and helps increase the efficiency of production lines. Furthermore, the quality bonding obtained responds optimally to the requirements of the safety and trekking sectors, that have always placed great emphasis on the light weight and comfort of the shoes produced.”
You mentioned the reduction of environmental impact. How is this technology more sustainable than traditional ones?
“The products do not contain solvents, they are applied hot with low electricity consumption, the product packaging is recyclable. Our production process is highly automated and efficient in energy terms (also thanks to the self- production of part of the required electricity).”
Let’s talk about new projects. What are the new challenges you are working on?
“We have recently entered the high-end sector of 3D printer threads, an innovative technology that makes it possible to create three-dimensional objects from digital models using a printer. The 3D printing process made with thermoplastic polymers finds by its nature application in niche sectors, where the best advantages, both economic and qualitative, are found in the printing of objects that require high characteristics of precision and accuracy, which work in limited quantities or on unique pieces. ESSEBI has an exclusive relationship with an important multinational company in the 3D technology sector, for which it produces the range of threads dedicated to 3D printing technology.”
What is the relationship between the chemical property of the polymer and the quality of the wire extrusion process you produce?
“Both phases are very important; companies that invest in automatic machines, to optimize the investment, must have the certainty that the entire supply chain behind the product is extremely performing and reliable, in order to avoid problems, reduce waste in the production phase and get the expected result in terms of finished product performance. From this point of view, there are elements of evaluation that can be overlaid between the application of thermoplastic threads for the production of footwear and those produced for the 3D printer sector. Thermoplastic threads for footwear and threads for 3D printing are aimed at very demanding and competitive markets, and we can say we are proud to have reached an important milestone in terms of business and to have contributed to giving an important turning point to the production cycle in the different sectors in which we work.”