An injection molding method includes providing a molding device including a first mold, a second mold over the first mold and a first mold cavity defined by the first mold and the second mold; injecting a first material into the first mold cavity; forming a first layer from the first material; replacing the second mold by a third mold, injecting a second material into a second mold cavity defined by the first mold and the third mold; and forming a second layer from the second material, wherein the second layer at least partially contacts the first layer. The first material is same as the second material.

A system of manufacturing equipment including molds for a direct injection production of footwear. The system includes a design facility that provides a design. A mold manufacturing facility manufactures a mold for the design for molding a sole of the footwear. A last manufacturing facility manufactures a last of the design. A footwear manufacturing facility manufactures footwear according to the design. The last corresponds to the footwear design and the mold corresponds to the footwear design. The mold is a basic direct injection mold and at least partly channels injection material to a mold cavity and further accommodates direct injection mold inserts. Mold descriptive data of the mold inserts is communicated to the footwear manufacturing facility to manufacture the mold inserts, or the mold inserts are manufactured at the mold manufacturing facility based on the mold descriptive data and transported to the footwear manufacturing facility.

A system for manufacturing equipment for a direct injection production of footwear. The equipment includes molds for direct injection production of footwear. The system includes a design facility that provides a footwear design. A mold manufacturing facility located manufactures a mold corresponding to the footwear design. The mold is for direct injection molding of a sole part of the footwear. At least one footwear manufacturing facility manufactures footwear according to the footwear design, utilizing a last corresponding to the footwear design and the mold corresponding to the footwear design. Last descriptive data relating to said last corresponding to said footwear design is provided. The last descriptive data is communicated to the footwear manufacturing facility for manufacturing the last at the footwear manufacturing location or the last is manufactured at a last manufacturing facility, based on last descriptive data, and transported to the footwear manufacturing facility.

A molding system for direct injection manufacturing of footwear. The molding system includes a mold cavity for receiving injection material for molding a sole part of the footwear. The system further includes a plurality of basic direct injection molds, each of which is attachable to injection molding equipment, and a plurality of sets of direct injection mold inserts, each set of direct injection mold inserts being configured to define at least part of an inner surface of the mold cavity when inserted in one of the plurality of basic direct injection molds. At least two of the plurality of basic direct injection molds differ from each other in size, corresponding to different ranges of sole part sizes.

A footwear article forming process, and a device for the same are disclosed. The process includes: providing a forming mold set including an outer modular mold, an inner formation mold, and a footwear-forming space therebetween. The footwear-forming space comprises a footwear lower portion forming space and a footwear main portion forming space. Footwear article forming steps are as follows: injecting a pre-determined amount of a footwear main portion rubber material into a footwear main portion sprue channel, the footwear main portion rubber material being injected from a footwear main portion rubber injection opening into the footwear main portion forming space via a transfer injection channel; and placing a footwear lower portion rubber material into the footwear lower portion forming space.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.

The present invention provides a rubber injection guide plate for guiding injection of unvulcanized mixed rubber, comprising a plate body, wherein the plate body is provided with: a rubber injection port to be connected with an external injection head to inject unvulcanized mixed rubber; and an annular rubber injection channel for leading the externally injected unvulcanized mixed rubber out in an annular distribution manner.

A system including an injector, a press, and a robotic conveyance is used to form a physically foamed article of footwear component from a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid. The parameters and features of the system are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner with enhanced throughput by the system.

A method and a system for manufacturing a footwear. The footwear includes a footwear upper and a sole. The footwear upper has a lower end. The sole has an upper facing surface, a ground facing surface, and a side surface. The sole side surface includes a lateral side surface and medial side surface. The footwear upper lower end is attached to the side surface of the sole at least partly by a direct injection process of the sole. The direct injection process of the sole is being provided via a mold including at least two side mold parts. method and a system for manufacturing the footwear.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.