Forepart Lasting

UNIT 7 FOREPART LASTING METHODS AND Methods and

Equipment
EQUIPMENT
Structure
7.1 Introduction
Objectives

7.2 Toe and Forepart Lasting

7.3 Basic Points to Look for in Toe and Forepart Lasting
7.4 Toe and Forepart Laster-Pulling Cycle
7.5 General Setting of Toe and Forepart Laster
7.6 Important Tooling
7.7 Seat and Side Lasting
7.8 General Setting of Side and Seat Laster
7.9 Heat Setting
7.10 Recommended Heat Setting Conditions (High Velocity Air)
7.11 Summary
7.12 Key Words

7.1 INTRODUCTION
The toe and fore part lasting operation is one of the most crucial operations in the lasting
department. Most of the minor faults of the upper are manipulated both in the fore part
lasting and the seat and side lasting.
Heat setting has a very important role to play in the shape retention of the footwear.
All the stresses and the strain borne by the upper during the lasting pulls are relaxed by
means of the heat and moisture. Improper heat setting might lead to the sagging of the
shoe, which affects the saleability of the shoe.
Objectives
After studying this unit, you should be able to
• understand the toe and the fore part lasting machine,
• explain the seat and side lasting machine, and
• know the heat setting machines with their functioning.

7.2 TOE AND FOREPART LASTING

Lasting
The lasting is divided into 2 or 3 separate operations: Forepart, Side (waist) and
Seat.
Pulling Over
The upper is first pulled over the Last “to draft the Upper down to the last”.
Wiping
The edge of the upper (lasting margin) is folded under the Insole. 31
Machine Lasting Attaching
The lasting margin is fastened to the insole by means of cement, tacks or staples.
Some Toe and Forepart Lasting Machines have been designed to last behind the
ball joint making it possible to last in 2 operations only.
Some Basic Rules for Lasting
Do not over stretch Upper material over the last. Keep all strain to optimum level.
Over stretching may cause damage to upper material.
It is wrong to think necessary to “pull the shoe into shape” by over stretching to
conform to the last.
Patterns
More accurate fitting upper: Less strain needed during lasting. Better-finished
products can be achieved.
When upper is pulled over by hand ready for lasting, 3 mm should show over the
edge of the insole (toe).
Back Moulding
Consideration should be given to the “proper” use of back part moulding to assist
in the fitting of the upper to the last seat area.
The mould used for back part moulding must have the same back shape of last to
be made on.
Reminder
TOE PUFF and STIFFENERS must be properly positioned, the distance of the toe
puff from the edge of upper should be 8 mm.
Insole
Correctly moulded with SHANK “following counter of last”.

7.3 BASIC POINTS TO LOOK FOR IN TOE AND FOREPART

LASTING
Vamp
Square on the last (not askew).
Vamp Depths
Proportional and equal distance.
Backs
Straight and on back height marking.
Top Line
Tight (snappy) and balance.
Toe Shape
Conforming to that of the last.
Feather Edge
Sharp and clean (not creased).
Lasted Margin
Flat, uniform and stuck down.
Failure to achieve any of the above will lead to poor quality work.
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 Forepart Lasting
7.4 TOE AND FOREPART LASTER PULLING CYCLE Methods and
Equipment
(i) Place last with upper on last support (insole rest) and insert the upper lasting
margin into the toe pincers.
(ii) Partially depress the foot pedal, centre toe pincer grip and hold upper.
(iii) Depress the foot pedal again, rest of pincer grips and hold upper on last.
(iv) Last support plate (insole rest) rises and upper is tensioned to the last.
(v) Heel rest moves forward clamping shoe.
(vi) Press the two initiator button to start the lasting cycle.
(vii) Crown (applicator) rises injecting cement onto bottom of insole.
(viii) Wiper head moves forward and down. Toe band engages toe area.
(ix) Toe pad (hold down) applies low bedding pressure.
(x) Over wipe commences, crown and last support plate drops down.
(xi) Lasting margin wiped under shoe and material released by pincers.
(xii) Over wipe completed heavy bedding pressure is applied.
(xiii) After dwelling time, shoe is released. Machine goes back to rest.

7.5 GENERAL SETTING OF TOE AND FOREPART LASTER

(i) Turn Air “on”. Switch “on” main and cement switches (30 min. before start).
(ii) Check tooling (toe band and wipers) according to work in hand.
Pincers
(i) With the head down and wipers in the forward position, the toe pincer should
be showing just pass the edge of the wipers.
(ii) Also in the same position (head down and wipers forward) clearance
between pincers and wipers should be “020”.
Setting of Pincers (to Shape of Last)
(i) Tape one pair of last (middle size of range) place the left foot first on top
“center” of insole rest (last support).
(ii) Starting from the front and working down towards the outside waist adjust
pincers to follow contour of last.
(iii) Clearance between pincer and last should be approximately 1/8.
(iv) Then place the right foot on top “center” of insole rest (last support).
(v) Starting from the front and working down towards the outside waist adjust
pincers to follow contour of last.
(vi) Again the clearance between pincer and last should be approximately 1/8.
(vii) After the clearance between pincers setting you must assure that, the distance
of the pincers from the “Center” of the insole rest is equal and are locked in a
fixed position (with no excess free forward movement).

7.6 IMPORTANT TOOLING

Wiper Plate
Wipers and last have to be compatible with each other :
To test open the wipers plate to the normal width as when the machine is in the rest
position. 33
Machine Lasting Toe Band
(i) Hold the last into the toe band and check if the shape of toe band fits
perfectly to the toe shape of the last.
(ii) Check with toe band out of the machine, last upside down (with cone down)
and the thick portion of the band to the last bottom.
(iii) Toe band must be shaped in such a way that, when it closes into the last it
holds the upper to the feather edge.
Crown (or Applicator)
(i) The crown must be marginally smaller than the bottom of the last. (Thus
avoiding the adhesive, being injected inside the shoes.)
(ii) And it must be long enough to allow lasting up to the bail joint (preferably)
Insole Rest (Last Support) Position
(i) The insole rest in the “down position” should rest below the wipers
(about 3/8″).
(ii) In the “up position” it should protrude above the wipers by 1/8″ and parallel
on the same plane of the wipers. Use adjusting screws to set insole rest to
correct angle.
With this setting, the stress applied to the upper by the raising of the post (insole
rest) is minimized.
SAQ 1
(a) What are the basic points of toe lasting?
(b) Why is toe lasting one of the most crucial operations in the lasting?
(c) While starting any new article in a footwear, what are the toolings to be
changed?

7.7 SEAT AND SIDE LASTING

Stiffeners must be properly positioned; the distance of the stiffeners from the edge of
upper should be about 6 mm. The back part moulding must be accurate.
Insole
Must be correctly moulded with SHANK following counter of last.
Basic Points to Look for in Seat and Side Lasting
(i) Back straight and on the back height marking.
(ii) Lasted margin flat even and stuck down.
(iii) Feather edge sharp, clean and without wrinkles.
(iv) Waist tight and smooth.
(v) Top line snappy.
34 (vi) Outside quarter top line in 2 mm. Below the inside quarter top line.
[Note : In some cases the upper fixed on to the back height by using tacks on the lasting Forepart Lasting
margin on the seat area and if necessary on the heel breast area.] Methods and
Equipment
(i) Place the toe lasted upper on SPINDLE and toe on the TOE SUPPORT.
(ii) Push the spindle-toe support assembly into the machine against the heel
band.
(iii) Seat post will hold down the last.
(iv) Heel band will lock the seat portion.
(v) Pincer will pull the lasting margin at the waist portion.
(vi) Press the two side lasting activating buttons.
(vii) Side pads will come against the waist and clamp stretched upper. Heel band
will clamp the seat portion.
(viii) Pincer will release the shoe.
(ix) Nozzle applies glue throughout the seat and side portion.
(x) Seat wiper wipes seat portion and side pads wipes waist portion.
(xi) A heavy bedding pressure is then applied at the seat area.
(xii) After dwelling time shoe is released.

7.8 GENERAL SETTING OF SIDE AND SEAT LASTER

(i) Turn air “on”.
(ii) Switch “on” main and cement switches (30 mm before start).
(iii) Check tooling according to work in hand.
Side Pads
(i) Side lasting pads should be approximately 5 mm above the feather edge.
(ii) The pad fingers must follow contour of the last.
(iii) Outer pad should be 30 mm below the pad finger.
Pincers
(i) Upper should be in the same line of other pincer jaws.
(ii) With the shoe fed into the machine, about 5 mm of lasting margin should be
into the pincer jaws.
(iii) In the above position pincer should reach upper at the middle of the waist.
Nozzles
Nozzles should apply glue about 5 mm inside the feather edge on the insole around
seat and side area.
Wipers Plate
The wiper plate should wipe entire seat portion evenly, i.e. entire lasting margin
should be covered by the wiper plate.
Heel Band
Heel pad should have a snug fit all round the back of the shoe. Hence, it is
necessary to have separate heel band for ladies, men’s and children.
Toe Rest
Toe pad should be set at about 40 mm from the feather edge and should be at the
corresponding side according to the left and right last. Height should be adjusted
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Machine Lasting according to the heel height. Finally, seat portion should be parallel to the top
edge of the heel hand.
Spindle and Insole Post
Spindle should be at the same line of the other SEAT POST. Seat post height
should be adjusted in such a way that the insole stops 2-3 mm below the heel band
edge.
SAQ 2
(a) What are the general points to be considered while seat and side lasting?
(b) Name the different parts of the seat and side lasting machine.

7.9 HEAT SETTING

Leather uppers when changed from the flat skin into a three-dimensional shape by
lasting, would left long enough, naturally assume the new shape and retain it. This was
because of the inherent properties of leather.
Heat Setting serves to relax the various lasting strains within the upper and ‘set’ the
upper into its new 3-dimensional shape in a short space of time. Heat setting does not
physically ‘fix’ the upper in a given conformation: it removes the tendency of the upper
to spring back to its unstretched, unlasted size and shape.
The development of heat setting techniques has been in three main stages.
All work on the system progresses the lasted shoes through a cabinet to achieve the
necessary ‘set’ and shape retention. The systems have differed this in the way in which
the heat is used.
Infra Red
The early heat setters used only infrared heated elements. The lasted shoes were
passed by a conveyor system through the cabinet. The basic disadvantage was that,
this form of heat was very directional and certain parts of the shoe did not receive
as much heat-treated as others.
High Velocity Air Setters (Stress Relaxation)
Satra in co-ordination with machinery and footwear manufacturers did a great deal
of research into heat setting problems. The result of this work was the HVA (high
velocity air) type of heat setter.
HVA setters offer several advantages largely centred around the efficiency of the
setter in putting heat into the shoe upper.
The high air speeds, typically 12 to 14 meters per second, result in much quicker
heat transfer to the upper, allowing reduced throughput times, smaller machines
and significant savings.
The principle on which this works is that the upper has been subjected to a variety
of strains and pulls in lasting which set up stress in the material. To get the material
to lay down ‘tight-to-wood’, it would be an advantage to relax these stresses. So
HVA setters were introduced which set out to do this. The shoes pass through hot
moist air in the first section, thus serving to relax the material down to the last.
Secondly, they pass through a hot, dry air section. This removes the moisture and
sets the shoe more accurately to its new shape. In both parts of the cabinet, all
round heating is ensured by high velocity air currents being blown over all parts of
36 the shoe.
 Rapid heat setting in small machines is more important given the use of rink Forepart Lasting
systems in place of conventional making tracks. HVA setters are now available in a Methods and
Equipment
multitude of lengths, widths and heights. They can have moist setting zones
followed by a dry air zones or have dry zone only. Their function is almost taken
for granted now-a-days and then often act primarily as conveyors to move shoes
from one operations to the next in a small rink module. Here the shoe may be on
the last for half and hour or less. Hence, the setting operation must be highly
efficient as the upper will have no chance to relax of its own accord before the last
is slipped.
Typical heat setters in this category are :
(i) Cox and Wright Rotary HVA heat setter.
(ii) B. U No. 6 HVA.
Dry Heat Setting for Synthetics
It has been found in recent years that dry heat setting is advantageous for synthetic
materials.
Two main types have been developed for this purpose.
They are :
(i) B.U. No. 7 HVA (Dry air only).
(ii) Cox and Wright or Catalystic (infra red) heat setters.
(iii) Sailent Engineering.

7.10 RECOMMENDED HEAT SETTING CONDITIONS

(HIGH VELOCITY AIR)

Suede, Nubuck and most grain leathers Moist air at 120°C or,
Dry air at 120-130°C
PU coated leathers and splits Dry air at 120-130°C
PU Patent and PVC coated leathers Dry air at 100°C
PU coated fabrics Dry air at 120-130°C
PVC coated fabrics Dry air at 100°C
Fabrics Dry air at 100°C

SAQ 3
(a) What is the purpose of heat setting? What are the recommended heat setting
conditions in the heat setting conditions?
(b) What are the different types of heat setting machines?

7.11 SUMMARY
Through this unit, you have understood the various mechanisms in terms of operation
and machine functioning of the fore part lasting machine, seat and side lasting machine
and the heat setting machine. 37
Machine Lasting
7.12 KEY WORDS
Lasting : The lasting is divided into 2 or 3 separate
operations : Forepart, Side (waist) and Seat.
Pulling Over : The upper is first pulled over the Last. “To draft
the Upper down to the last”.
Wiping : The edge of the upper (lasting margin) is folded
under the Insole.
Attaching : The lasting margin is fastened to the insole by
means of Cement, Tacks or staples.
Heat Setting : It serves to relax the various lasting strains within
the upper and ‘set’ the upper into its new
3-dimensional shape in a short space of time.

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 Forepart Lasting
FURTHER READINGS Methods and
Equipment
FDDI Lasting Handouts, Volume 1, 2 and 3.
Shoe Process and Technology by Lasra.
Shoe Making Manual by Clarkes.
Swayam Siddha Manual by FDDI.
Stitched Construction by Aritra Das, Sr. Faculty Member, FDDI.

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Machine Lasting
MACHINE LASTING
Machine lasting makes a sincere attempt to expose you to latest lasting practices in
footwear industry. This block focuses on the construction and their sequence of
operations with illustrations. It involves the use of the various types of equipment, each
type being available of the various capacities.
In Unit 6, different types of construction and their sequence of operations with
illustrations are discussed in detail.
In Unit 7, fore part lasting, seat and side lasting with machine operations and different
tools used in the respective machines are introduced. Moreover, light is thrown on the
heat setting operations, machine mechanism and recommended heat setting conditions in
detail.
Solved examples and self assessment questions are included in these units wherever
necessary.

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