Manufacturing Process of Rubber Flip Flops

Almost every person in the world wears flip-flop slippers. These lightweight and soft footwear protect your feet from dirt and calm your soles. Not just your soul, but also your soul. It is like having foot therapy through soft and flexible flip-flops. What makes them the best is their material, which is waterproof as well as shockproof. Many people start their brands by finding a reasonable manufacturer of flip-flops. It is easy to find such manufacturers since many B2B platforms are available, and there is a rising trend in wholesale supply. 

If you are in this field, you may wonder how this entire production process would take place. This might be tricky for some, but not for many. We simplified the manufacturing process for everyone below to make it easier to understand. 

Step 1: Conversion of Polymers into Rubber Compound

The first step is about the arrangement of foam polymers. EVA is a common type used in the production process because of its soft and flexible nature. Tons of polymers are arranged to create a mixture of foam and other materials. It is about forming a rubber compound, which is the base of flip-flops. The heating of polymers makes them melt into molten form for the desired shapes. Since every rubber, foam, and plastic product must go through this step, you will find the same. This is where the tiny polymers of foam or rubber go into the heating process.

Step 2: Preparation of Mixture

Then, the next step comes when the polymers of foam or rubber are combined with the adhesives and colors. Every manufacturer uses this mixture to create the raw form of the flip-flop rubber. Manufacturers prepare this mixture to create a bond between adhesives, colors, and the rubber compound. This process takes place in a mixing machine for fast and uniform mixing. A mixing machine has to ensure that the mixture is correct. 

Step 3: Conversion of Mixture into Rubber Sheets

Then comes the flattening process, where the rubber or foam mixture is placed inside the rolling machine. This machine flattens the mixture to turn it into large sheets. These large sheets get a precise thickness level according to the thickness of flip flops. The large rubber sheets come out of the machine, which is the baseline of the cutting process. These sheets have to be the same size to get equal shapes and thickness levels.  

Step 4: Cutting of Sheets into Smaller Parts

Then, the cutting process comes where the hydraulic press performs the cutting process. This cutting process is mandatory to make small parts for an easy molding process. The hydraulic press cuts them precisely and fast. Without this step, placing foam pieces in the molds will be incomplete. So, small parts must be there to allow the molding process to occur. These small pieces have to meet the minimum sizes of the target market. Since different regions have different foot sizes, a machine has to cut pieces accordingly. 

Step 5: Molding into Desired Shapes and Logo Printing

Now, the molding process takes place in a molding machine. These molds are of different shapes per the target market's requirements. Some flip-flops are slim, and some are thick. They get their shapes and styles accordingly. Some are entirely flat, and some have curves in the center. They are their separate molds, which give them the shape and style you see in the market. 

Logo printing is one of the main steps in the selection of logos. The manufacturer prints them with a printing machine according to the target market's demands. It is not only about logos but also pictures, slogans, and designs that make flip-flop slippers super cool. 

Step 6: Production of Straps

It was about the base of the flip flops, and now, a parallel process is made of straps. They have straps made of different types of rubber or plastic. Some are made of plastic, and some are made of rubber. A rubber flip-flop manufacturer has to ensure what is better for the customers. Similarly, the rubber polymers go into the same process for the mixture. Then, they get the desired colors and shapes. These straps are also manufactured in molds to get uniform size and thickness. 

Step 7: Attachment of Straps 

After a manufacturer completes the straps, they go to the following step in their attachment process. They attach straps on the bases of flip-flops. It is a manual process where workers attach the straps with their hands to avoid any errors. A punching machine is used to create holes in the bases of flip-flop slippers. These holes are there to hold the straps. The manual method is suitable because workers must push the end nodes of straps into the base foam. The base of flip flops then gets straps securely.

Step 8: Quality Inspection 

Then, the last process of production takes place before distribution takes place. That is quality inspection regarding faulty units in the process. Workers have to check each piece physically to ensure nothing is wrong with it. It concerns the flaws in edges, color issues, misalignment of straps, etc. Every rubber flip-flop manufacturer has to ensure nothing goes wrong in this process because it is the last step. All the flip flops go-ahead for the packaging process, so checking each piece is mandatory. 

Step 9: Packaging and Distribution

Then, the packaging process comes, where the flip-flops get plastic wraps and boxes. Packaging machines pack them in pairs with exact sizes as per the batch type. These boxes or bags go into large cartons for the distribution process. This step is the last one before they are dispatched to their warehouses, ships, and retail stores. 

Final Words

Countless manufacturers offer custom production. People can choose custom logos, colors, designs, and pictures for flip-flops for their branding.