Developing applications for the Portuguese Shoe Industry

In this paper a set of specific applications under development for the Portuguese Shoe Industry are presented. The applications include CAD/CAM, the visualisation of graphical information (related to shoe and shoe components models) and the management of production and prototyping information. Besides describing some of the R&D details of the applications developed by the authors, this paper aims to present a case study of a successful technological application. It is part of a more general process for the introduction, in this industrial sector, of new production, management and administrative working philosophies, which are based on the centralisation of information and integrated global solutions.