After China, Türkiye is one of the world’s largest slipper producers.
In recent years, rising raw material prices have pushed polyurethane raw material producers to make great efforts to reduce density in slipper systems.
In the 2010s, reaching density values of 300–320 kg/m³ for summer slippers, which used to be produced at 320–360 kg/m³, was considered a success. Over the past ten years, the level reached has been 250 kg/m³, depending on the slipper model.
Today’s market conditions, rising costs, the growing number of competing producers and economic and financial factors have forced slipper manufacturers to look for new solutions. This search and expectation in the market led to a new project at the Kimpur R&D Centre. As a result of intensive laboratory work and prototype trials in this R&D project, which has been running for more than a year, KIMlite, the newest member of our product group, has been launched.
We are proud to offer our business partners this product, which enables the production of high quality slippers at a density of 250 kg/m3. It is the result of patient machine work, formulation trials, physical tests and customer trials, designed by our experienced team down to the finest detail.
Moving on from the idea of producing hard, high-density slippers with limited flexibility, we have developed a high-performance product with low density, elasticity, much better flex resistance, rebound and fast demoulding.
Kimpur approaches every request for a system proposal like a tailor. Our products are our fabric: we design, process and deliver it to suit our customer’s machine and process. With our expert technical support team, we offer our customers the most suitable system proposals, and in the KIMlite group we produce products in the hardness our customers require. With fast production and flexible delivery, we strive to meet expectations even sooner.
Our newly developed system will meet slipper manufacturers’ need to benefit from low density and consumers’ expectation of a more flexible, elastic and lightweight product.
Table 1 shows the reaction profile and physical properties of our system, obtained on a low-pressure casting machine.
*Values were obtained in the laboratory at 40 °C and a mixer speed of 5000 rpm.
The values given may vary depending on process conditions and mould shape.
Reduce weight and increase quality with KIMlite.
