Peça del mes

Piece of the month (April 2019): Circular pressing machine

This mid-20th century machine was manufactured by Siemens Industria Eléctrica. It was used to cut leather heels. The operator would place a die on the base and press the pedal in order to bring down the upper platform and firmly hit the die. As a result, a heel would be obtained from hitting the die. This device was power-operated with power transmission by belt drive.
This model in particular was used in the former Can Melis factory, which opened in the late 1920s and became one of the most important plants in Inca in terms of workers and production.
These parts of the shoe were produced in factories in the beginning. However, supply factories emerged in the 1950s for the exclusive manufacture of heels, soles, clumps or insoles.