WE SHAPE INNOVATION

THE NEWLAST PROJECT

The modern footwear industry: automation and simplification of the production processes

Roberto Carlone – Newlast Group President

From the very beginning, Newlast Group has been developing high technology products, with the aim of achieving a fully integrated process, which, starting from the last design reaches the sale of the shoe itself, resulting in high quality products and customer-oriented service.
Since the 90’s, Newlast Group has changed, optimized and automated each phase of the shoe last production, revolutionizing a sector that has long remained anchored to obsolete and manual processing, making it capable of responding effectively to the needs of an increasingly demanding, globalized and computerized market.

Managing costs saving;
Time to market reduction;
Precision, repeatability and high quality production;
Real time data sharing;
Simplification of further processes.

According to the Founder Roberto Carlone, these are the five main goals for each Newlast innovation step. The latest technological developments are aiming these focus points:

SDF Systems for the complete production of the shoe last – patented since the early 2000;
The automatic marking machine SDMARK;
S.L.I.M. 4.0 software for the integrated management of all technical lasts production phases and laser marking steps;
Customer’s feet digitizing machines;
Right Shoes platform, which helps the Brands to create and analyse a digital customers’ feet database, in order to provide a qualified assistance to the Customer and finding the perfect shoe size during online or in store purchase.

THE NEWLAST PROJECT

The modern footwear industry: automation and simplification of the production processes

Roberto Carlone – Newlast Group President

From the very beginning, Newlast Group has been developing high technology products, with the aim of achieving a fully integrated process, which, starting from the last design reaches the sale of the shoe itself, resulting in high quality products and customer-oriented service.
Since the 90’s, Newlast Group has changed, optimised and automated each phase of the shoe last production, revolutionizing a sector that has long remained anchored to obsolete and manual processing, making it capable of responding effectively to the needs of an increasingly demanding, globalized and computerized market.

Managing costs saving;
Time to market reduction;
Precision, repeatability and high quality production;
Real time data sharing;
Simplification of further processes.

According to the Founder Roberto Carlone, these are the five main goals for each Newlast innovation step. The latest technological developments are aiming these focus points:

SDF Systems for the complete production of the shoe last – patented since the early 2000;
The automatic marking machine SDMARK;
S.L.I.M. 4.0 software for the integrated management of all technical lasts production phases and laser marking steps;
Customer’s feet digitizing machines;
Right Shoes platform, which helps the Brands to create and analyse a digital customers’ feet database, in order to provide a qualified assistance to the Customer and finding the perfect shoe size during online or in store purchase.

20 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

1996-1997

The foundation: the origin of a revolution
Newlast srl is established in Tortona, Alessandria, Italy, in February 1996.
After the first successful tests on older machines, the Newlast CNC, Easylast2, comes true.
The very first CNC Newlast machine, SF6 with a buit-in mechanical copying digitser, hits the market in 1997 and the historic italian lasts producer Fioretti Group embraces it immediately.
1998-1999

A persisting growth: significant acquisitions
At the end of the 90’s the Newlast Board decides to undertake a policy of strong expansion: in a few years Supermatic and Donzelli join the Group.
The technical knowledge together with the know-how will start the true revolution of the whole sector: the complete last turning in one working cycle.
However, to the fulfilment of this technological process, some crutial points are still missing.
2000-2001

The technological developments: roots for the future
A new system for optical, contactless lasts and shoes scanning (NL-DIGISCAN) is born. Together with Inescop, Newlast develops an updated version of CAD/CAM Newlast software and all the machiens are equipped with CNC Easylast2001.
Newlast Group, which started as a small company in Piedmont, at the beginning of the new Millennium, has turned into an international enterprise. In 2001, the subsidiary Newlast International SA is established in Switzerland.
2002-2003

Digiscan2: the right introduction to the SDF project
In the early 2000s the turnover is around 17 Mio. Euros: V2 Elettronica, a famous company in Tortona specialized in the production of precision electronic systems, joins the Group.
Thanks to investments in R&D, Newlast creates the new DIGISCAN2. Everything is now ready to make the idea born in 1998 a reality: the Board approves the research on SDF technology development.
2004-2006

The footwear industry deadlock: the offshoring
In the mid of the first decade of XXI century, 11th September 2001 attacks and Saasrs emergency the global market is strongly damaged. The Asian market, in particular, experiences a sudden and unexpected setback.
To effectively react to the static economic situation, Newlast Group decides to open a production branch in Guang Dong, China.
2007-2008

The complete turning of the shoe last: a Newlast patent
In 2006, in spite of the difficulties, Newlast Board reaches a decisive result: the much-dreamed technology for complete turning of the last in a single work cycle turns into reality.
Since 2007, thanks to a new patented Newlast clamping device, the SDF system becomes the perfect solution to delete all the flaws caused by manual handling during lasts production. Also shoemakers can finally equip themselves with the sophisticated modeling kit, beginning to test the benefits of this innovative technology.
2009-2010

A new chance: the cutting tables
Newlast Group launches a new series of automatic cutting machines for leather and technical materials: NL-T2400 and NL-TR1600.
The high-level perfomances of the new machineries attracts the attention of investors in the cutting sector, who decides to purchase both the technology and the related know-how.
2011-2013

Out of the crisis: the power of an idea
From 2011 to 2013 an internal beneficial rearrangement takes place. The CEO and Founder Roberto Carlone, wholeheartedly believing in the project of his Group, decides to invest again in the core business of the company, taking Newlast out of the deep international crisis.
2014-2016

New SDF High Speed line: perfection and performances
The Newlast Board focuses on the SDF machines development, in which high-quality manufacturing meets the highest production levels.
The SDF HS series forthwith gains the trust of the markets, which are now ready to invest again.
2017-2018

S.L.I.M. 4.0: the footwear industry of the future
The dream of a Footwear Industry of the Future is now near to reality. The main point is always the shoe last. The newest chance: an integrated platform to definitely make the working steps of the shoemaker easier, avoiding long, outdated and complicated productions.
The first S.L.I.M. 4.0 System Module, which matches high precision machines (as SDMC) to the most advanced softwares, meets all the shoe last makers needs for technical shoe lasts for automation.
2020

The laser marking: a new patented technology
Newlast has always been focused on the digitalization of the whole process of the shoe last production, which have always been linked to complex and manual manufacturing and have real time and precision limits for the shoe last maker.
A new S.L.I.M. 4.0 module has been launched this year and it is a brand new innovation for the footwear industry: the authomatic laser marking on the shoe last is the new Newlast patented system.
2022

A new support for modeling
The new DIGISCAN.SL/evo is developed, even faster and more precise, integrated into the S.L.I.M. 4.0.
The new Digiscan offers better details detection, allowing you to expand scannable shoe last and objects range. Only two positions are enough to guarantee a complete shoe last 3D, with significant reduction in scanning times.
Digiscan.SL/evo is managed through the new S.L.I.M. 4.0 DIGITIZING MODULE.
The COMPARISON MODULE software is also developed to support the modeling department for the control and verification of turned models.