DEAR READER | ||
Thank You for the Overwhelming Response! |
CONTENTS | |
Together with the International Shoe Competence Center gGmbH, PFI undertook an online survey in mid-Mai 2014. The goal was to establish the innovation and training needs of the German footwear and leather goods industry. The response of the companies was extremely positive: About two thirds of all German footwear manufacturing companies participated in the survey! Many thanks for this overwhelming response! Learn more about the results in the "News" section. Enjoy reading! Dr. Kerstin Schulte |
Company Survey: High Level of Participation Austrian Ecolabel – Now also for Footwear ECHA Extends SVHC Candidate List | |
NEWS | ||
Company Survey: High Level of Participation In May 2014, PFI and ISC invited the companies of the shoe and leather industry to fill in an online questionnaire on their innovation and training needs. The participation quota was gratifyingly high, ensuring that analysis of the responses gave highly significant results. The results enable PFI and ISC to deduce where present and future research priorities should be set and the direction in which training courses should develop. | ||
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Austrian Ecolabel – Now also for Footwear Germany has its Blue Angel, Austria has its Austrian Ecolabel. Our fellow Europeans have been awarding this national seal of approval for environmentally friendly products and services since 1990. As of July 2014, applications for the label can also be submitted for footwear. The guidelines for awarding the Austrian Ecolabel resemble those for Germany’s Blue Angel. Additionally, the «Restricted Substances List» issued by CADS has also been included in the award criteria. | ||
The ecolabel logo was designed by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser | ||
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ECHA Extends SVHC Candidate List In June 2014, ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) undertook its regular update of the SVHC Candidate List (List of Substances of Very High Concern) by adding further substances with carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or reprotoxic properties. New entries are cadmium chloride, sodium perborate, sodium peroxometaborate, and dihexyl phthalate (linear and branched). The list thus currently comprises 155 substances. | ||
The SVHC Candidate
List is relevant | ||
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Drop Hammer Test Machine Upgraded The FH 2014 Fall Hammer is a testing machine for determination of the resistance of protective toecaps to impact according to DIN EN ISO 20344:2004-10 and EN 12568:2010-10. This item is part of the range of test machines offered by the engineering department of PFI, which designs, builds, and supplies them directly to the customer. | ||
TIPS | ||
Rub Fastness: Slight Crocking Acceptable Crocking of footwear materials – particularly of materials used on the inside of footwear such as linings, socks, and the inward-facing sides of leather uppers in the case of unlined shoes – and the resulting complaints constitute a frequent challenge for the footwear industry. It should be noted that rub fastness is concerned not only with crocking, but also with changes to the material surface (such as the surface finish) in general. | ||
Consumers need to be
aware that | ||
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Light Fastness of Footwear Materials The undesired changes occurring in footwear materials on exposure to light may be so drastic that they lead to complaints. There is nothing new about this and yet PFI is repeatedly confronted with cases of inadequate light fastness of shoe upper materials. In particular vegetable tanned and natural leathers, but also aniline leathers as well as textiles, synthetic materials, and even sole materials should be tested prior to use for their response to light. | ||
Can your shoes cope
with the intense light | ||
RESEARCH | ||
Few people will not have suffered the painful consequences of seemingly minor shortcomings of everyday street shoes – pressure areas on the toes, blisters on the heels, the sensation of the foot slipping in the shoe with every step. The principal cause of such problems is that lasts and footwear are produced mainly on the basis of static foot measurements. However, our feet need more space when walking and performing numerous everyday activities than when standing. Solutions to this problem were sought in a research project entitled “Development of Design Guidelines for Street Shoes Considering Foot Dynamics” conducted by PFI and ISC. | ||
Comparison of pressure | ||
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MASTHEAD | ||
PFI Group Phone: +49 6331 2490 0 Chairman: Ralph Rieker Director: Dr. Kerstin Schulte Authors: Dipl.-Ing. M. Sc. Ciprian Duna, Dr. Michael Knauer, Dr. Monika Richter, Dr. Kerstin Schulte, Dipl.-Ing. Peter Schultheis, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Liselotte Vijselaar. Editor: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Elisabeth Rouiller | Translation: Anthony J. Rackstraw B.Sc. (Hons) Please send us your comments and questions: newsletter@pfi-germany.de. | ||
Link to the PFI Group Newsletter (German)
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