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The international collaborative project MELLOW is developing an AI-based assistance system to support quality assurance in shoe production. In addition to the workstations, MiniTec is contributing the MiniTec SmartAssist assistance software. The first prototype is now being tested in Portugal.
As previously reported, the project is developing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises in the footwear industry, which are increasingly facing challenges from rising production costs, a shortage of skilled workers, and more complex global supply chains.
In the case study involving Wildling, a manufacturer of barefoot shoes, the assistance system is designed to monitor production processes in real time and provide targeted support to employees in marking the sole contour on the upper and performing the associated quality control. In addition, it helps streamline workflows and enables the sharing and analysis of data generated by the assistance system throughout the value chain.
Mark the solenoid outline with a phosphorescent pen under UV light
The prototype has already been tested in practical use in collaboration with a Portuguese manufacturing partner. The goal was to improve product quality and identify sources of error early on. During a subsequent testing and feedback phase, specific suggestions for improvement and future requirements from employees were gathered. It is particularly important to increase the speed of sole marking and quality control in the future in order to integrate the assistance table into the production line in the long term.
The insights gained are now being incorporated into the further development and optimization of the system, which is currently being tested at a production facility in Portugal. Building on this, the project is developing guidelines for so-called “collaboration islands” in the value chain and demonstrators for potential use at trade shows.
Evaluation of the system using the Feedback Capture Grid
In the case at Solor, a manufacturer of uppers for orthopedic shoes, the assistance system is intended to support and simplify the scanning of last patterns, as well as improve the quality of the resulting 3D data.
As a first step, an assistance table containing a scanning device was built, and software was developed that uses AI to help process the scan data to a quality level that allows it to be reused by the modeling department.
The prototype of the workstation with a scanner
The project “Smart Collaborative Workflow Development in the Footwear Industry - MELLOW” is funded as part of the “Future of Work” program (grant numbers 02L23B040 through 02L23B044) by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus), and is managed by the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (PTKA). Responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors.
