Compared to steel toe caps, aluminum toe caps and non-metallic composite totes are lighter, but they are usually much more expensive. However, they do have their advantages for specific applications, including in magnetic sensitive electronics and petrochemical industries. Safety shoes with synthetic toe caps and plastic toe caps are also commonly used at airports because their non-metallic properties minimize metal interference when passing through the security area. At present, there are several different test standards and certification requirements according to the specific protection performance level of safety shoes and shoes. These include Canada's CSA certification under the z195-02 standard, the US ASTM F2413-05 standard (which replaced the ANSI Z41-1999 standard in recent years), and the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive 89/686 for the European Union. /EEC related regulations. All of the above standards and regulations require the shoe toe cap to be tested as part of the finished shoe interior. Factors affecting the performance of the toe cap The performance of the toe cap may be affected by a variety of other factors. According to the principle of protective space in the work, not only the toe cap must have sufficient strength, but also the sole should be able to form the necessary supporting strength immediately under the hem of the toe cap under pressure or impact, so that the impact force can be effectively transferred. On the ground, without causing other parts such as the toe cap above the sole to sink into the sole after being stressed. European standard requirements The requirements of the CE standard for personal protective equipment include requirements for finished products such as finished shoes and garments, not for fittings, materials and parts. Therefore, it is impossible for the toe cap itself to apply for the CE standard. However, the toe cap can be tested as a component, using the requirements and test methods of the European standard EN 12568:1998 set specifically for the shoe toe cap. The test conditions for this standard are similar to the test standard EN ISO 20345 for finished shoes, but the clearance after impact compression is more demanding to offset the gap reduction that may result from the upward compression of the softer sole. The EN 12568 standard covers the impact resistance and compression resistance of the toe cap, as well as the measurement criteria for the toe cap and the corrosion resistance of the metal toe cap. The non-metallic shoe toe caps are tested for impact resistance after several different pretreatments, such as impact tests after high temperature and low temperature pretreatment, and impact tests after several different chemical treatments. For manufacturers of finished footwear manufactured in the European market, we strongly recommend that they only purchase shoe toe caps that meet the EN 12568 test standard. Where possible, suppliers of shoe toe caps are required to provide test reports issued by their third-party testing organizations (such as SATRA) that are audited by the ISO 17025 standard. For non-metallic shoe toe caps, the European safety footwear standard (EN ISO 20345 and EN ISO 20346) requires that finished shoes can only be used with footwear heads that meet the requirements of Section 4.3 of EN 12568. Regardless of the standard to be achieved, the design of the toe cap is also very important for good performance. Based on the "protective space" principle, the design of the toe cap must be such that it has sufficient strength to limit its cracking or deformation within a certain range, that is, when the impact or compression test is performed according to relevant standards, the toe cap will not be crushed or Pressure deformation. In addition to the material strength, thickness and shape of the toe cap, the width of the hem formed along the bottom edge of the toe cap is also an important factor because the hem can help the head of the shoe transfer the pressure it receives to the sole that supports it. Another important feature is the internal depth of the toe cap. The deeper the toe cap, the greater the amount of deformation of the shoe when it is impacted, and the better the protection of the wearer. Different standard compression tests (such as ASTM, CSA, EN) are very similar, and the impact test is different due to factors such as the shape of the impact head, the energy of the impact, and the minimum clearance after the impact of the standard requirements. A little change. Obviously, the size and performance of the actual use of the toe cap is a critical factor in the ability of any safety shoe to provide protection. However, the design and structure of the safety shoe itself also adversely affects the performance of the toe cap, which is why the shoe toe cap is removed from the finished shoe for testing, because only in this way can the actual protection of the wearer of the shoe to the wearer be tested. Level. Compression test of shoe toe cap For this reason, it can be said that if the formula of the sole is relatively large, it is more effective for the support of the toe cap. Another factor to consider is that the sole should be kept in line with the edge of the toe cap when designing, and the sole should have a tooth pattern. This is because the spacing between the indentation of the sole does not provide good support, so it is possible to avoid overlapping the edge of the toe cap with the interdigitated area of ​​the sole. Another design feature of the sole that may affect the protection of the toe cap is that the total thickness of the sole is gradually reduced toward the direction of the toe, which increases the toeness of the toe. Conversely, this affects the protective performance of the toe cap, and the front toe of the toe is tilted forward when subjected to an impact or impact, thereby causing the front shell of the toe cap to be lower than the trailing edge of the toe cap. Because most safety shoes and toe caps are designed to transmit impact and pressure through its front shell, if its front shell is depressed below the trailing edge of the toe cap, its force transfer mechanism will not work effectively. The trailing edge will suffer severe deformation. There is also a feature of the sole component that also affects the protective ability of the toe cap, which is the longitudinal section of the upper surface that is cut along the width of the sole and viewed from the longitudinal and transverse sections. The upper material recessed into the sole here increases the gap in the middle of the safety shoe toe cap, so the amount of deformation of the toe cap is greater when subjected to possible injury. Footbed pad Most safety shoes have a footbed pad, usually a fixed insole that fits the foot. However, if the insole covers the entire length of the sole, then it undoubtedly extends into the protective space below the toe cap. This reduces the internal clearance of the toe cap and adversely affects the protection provided by the toe cap. Therefore, it is conceivable to thin the toe portion of the insole. Once the internal clearance of the toe cap is evaluated as required, do not change the insole. Anti-puncture midsole For various reasons, the puncture-proof midsole typically does not cover the entire width of the sole, and the requirements of the EN ISO 20344 series of standards also allow for a distance of at least 6.5 mm between the edge of the puncture-resistant midsole and the edge of the midsole. However, in the case of compression, the hem of the toe cap may fall into the sole of the shoe beyond the outer edge of the puncture-proof midsole. Then the puncture-proof midsole is picked up in the toe cap and, because the puncture-proof midsole is now flat, it deforms upwards and squeezes the inner space of the toe cap. In order to improve the impact resistance and compression resistance performance, the puncture-proof midsole must be fixed to the sole so that it is completely pressed under the hem of the toe cap. Thus, at the time of testing, it becomes the base of the toe cap and prevents the toe cap from sinking into the sole when it is compressed. In addition, the hem of the toe cap is placed completely over the bottom of the puncture-proof bottom plate to prevent it from moving into the hem of the toe cap during testing. Last but not least, the shoe toe cap is correctly mounted on the last in the production process. If the installation is not good, it may cause the head of the shoe to shift, resulting in serious instability. Nowadays, the choice of the type of shoes and the materials used are much more than before. Safety shoe manufacturers must choose between the established product market and product use, and ensure that the footwear is designed to maximize its protection. 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Protective footwear toe caps are typically placed in finished footwear that provides impact and compression resistance. Traditional shoe toe caps are generally steel toe caps, and some are aluminum shoe toe caps. In recent years, plastic shoe toe caps or non-metallic synthetic shoe toe caps have gradually entered the market.