Founded in 1977, Stemma is a leading Italian manufacturer of machinery for the production of polyurethane soles and footwear.
Since 2011 Stemma it has participated in the A+A international trade fair, and in this latest 2023 edition, the first after the standstill imposed by the Covid pandemic, Stemma presented its latest innovations, the result of years of research and innovation. CEO Stefano Pellizzari spoke to us about it.
“We are fond of this fair, of which I personally appreciate the international scope, the fact that it brings clients from all over the world: Asia, the United States… It is a benchmark, we believed in it from the beginning. In this particular edition, the first after Covid, we brought innovations that we had been working on for years now.
The fact that we receive visits and clients from all over the world is proof that the Security sector is growing more and more in all markets, even in those countries where it was thought that Security was not a priority and therefore were not considered as possible clients.
One of the most obvious and significant changes we are witnessing is increasingly related to innovation in products and technology. I detect a particular moment of transformation in our industry. As far as safety is concerned, it is not only holding but also growing; tangible proof of this is the steady increase in the fair itself, which grows a little bit larger every two years. It is if anything the Footwear sector in general that is suffering a bit, whether because of the market crisis or the post-Covid. It is these times when companies feel the need, the urge to innovate and move in search of new products.
As far as we are concerned, the latest innovation, the one we pushed the hardest at the fair, was definitely the RE-YU foam, the building block of a system we designed for recycling polyurethane sole production waste. RE-YU is a name composed of RE (recycling) and YU, reminiscent of polyurethane: recycling polyurethane. A dynamic name that has been well received.
Here is how the process works. Polyurethane foam is a thermosetting material, so unlike thermoplastic, it cannot be continuously heated, melted and reused. Thermoset material cannot be restored to its original condition except by chemical processes that are too costly and difficult for a footwear company at the moment. Doing the math, if a production machine produces about 50 to 60 kilograms of polyurethane waste per shift, that means it will produce 25 tons of waste in a year. With our technology we are able to reduce this waste into a very fine powder and reuse it as filler inside the soles, in turn reducing the environmental impact of the production process and operating in line with the current common commitment to sustainability. Very much a theme at the fair this year.”
Stefano Pellizzari
