Footwear manufacturing process
A method of reclaiming used tennis balls and transforming the material reclaimed from the tennis balls into soles for footwear. This multi-step process requires acquiring used tennis balls, grinding the tennis balls into ground rubber bits (usable elements) and tennis ball “fuzz” (unusable elements). The rubber and fuzz are passed through a screen which allows the rubber bits to exit the screen but retains the fuzz. The rubber is then mixed with an H 2 O and Polyurethane mixture to form a rubber mixture. This mixture is then pressed to a desired thickness in a hydraulic press, cured, and then cut out into a desired shoe sole shape and size which can be used to manufacture footwear.
1. A method of manufacturing a shoe sole, the method comprising the steps:
acquiring a plurality of tennis balls
grinding the tennis balls in a granulator, thereby generating felt fuzz and rubber granules;
passing said felt fuzz and rubber granules through a screen, thereby separating said rubber granules from said felt fuzz;
combining water and polyurethane, resulting in a water and polyurethane mixture;
combining said water and polyurethane mixture with said rubber granules;
mixing said rubber granules and said water and polyurethane mixture into a rubber mixture;
placing said rubber mixture into a hydraulic press;
pressing said rubber mixture into a sheet;
curing said sheet;
selecting a cut-out die, said cut-out die shaped for forming a footwear sole;
cutting a sole from said sheet with said cut-out die; and
applying said sole to a piece of footwear.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said water and polyurethane mixture comprises is 5.2 oz. of polyurethane and 0.6 oz. of water.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said rubber mixture comprises 5.2 oz. of polyurethane, 0.6 oz. of water, and one pound of rubber granules.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said rubber mixture further comprises 0.5 oz. said felt fuzz.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said hydraulic press comprises two plates, the method further comprising the step of:
lubricating said two plates of said hydraulic press.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a lubricant is selected from this list comprising: canola oil, palm oil, and coconut oil.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said screen comprises ⅛″ holes.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said screen comprises chicken wire within a frame.
9. A method of manufacturing a shoe sole, the method comprising the steps:
acquiring a plurality of tennis balls
grinding the tennis balls in a granulator, thereby generating felt fuzz and rubber granules;
passing said felt fuzz and rubber granules through a screen having ⅛″ holes, thereby separating said rubber granules from said felt fuzz;
combining 0.6 oz of water and 5.2 oz of polyurethane, resulting in a water and polyurethane mixture;
combining said water and polyurethane mixture with one pound of said rubber granules;
mixing said rubber granules and said water and polyurethane mixture into a rubber mixture and adding 0.5 oz of said felt fuzz to said rubber mixture;
lubricating two plates of a hydraulic press;
placing said rubber mixture into said hydraulic press between said two plates;
pressing said rubber mixture into a sheet;
curing said sheet for three hours;
selecting a cut-out die, said cut-out die shaped for forming a footwear sole;
cutting a sole from said sheet with said cut-out die; and
applying said sole to a piece of footwear.