History of the origin from the walking simulator.

After my change from Company PFAFF -Industry-sewing-machines to Company Ferdinand RICHTER GmbH, footwear industry, I have worked as the head of the department maintenance and construction of machines for the manufacturing of shoes.

1986: I visited with Mr. Staudt the footwear industry Hartjes. We informed us about a walking simulator for 2 shoes with a electronic counter for steps and 2 humid measuring points.

1989: The boss Mr. KR Herbert Richter wanted to get a walking simulator for the purpose, to demonstrate the quality assurance on fairs. The subject was interesting for me, but the time was to short, that we could build this machine and so, the walking in water couldn't be realized.

1990: Cooperation with Company SYMPATEX Technologies in Wuppertal - Mr. Haderlein. He let me have a circuit diagram with OPVs for the measuring of moisture.

1991: The main employment in my free time: the construction of a measuring device which processes several humid measuring-sensors simultaneous.

Then I constructed and produced 2 static testing instruments in cooperation with Mr. Elmecker (technical for shoes). This instrument worked without walking simulation. This testing instrument takes measuring at 8 points in a shoe. We produced humid sensors in form of a line for the humid tests in the shoe, to locate the problem zones on a greater space. We indicate the measuring and the leaking with light diodes in form of a sole.
Disadvantage of the static waterproof-test: minor problems by the processing will not be found out. This shoes has been tested until to 24 hours. The testing instruments showed the shoes waterproof. A following test with a dynamic testing instrument (a shoe which would been flexed in water) sometimes showed leaky points after only a test of 1 hour. The following careful analysing of the shoe to find out the moisture problem was a very expensive work. But this expenditure was justified. Company Richter Schuhe has been able to win more on market sequence when they have gotten a better quality. Through the high quality standard Company "Shoe and Shirt, Footwear," has gotten a low reklamation quota.

The breakthrough was been given with the development of sensors, which could locate the leaking very precise. These measuring soles have got the form of the inside sole which have 8 measuring lines. It was be able to distinguish, if the moisture comes through the leather (= the shoe is leaky) or if the water has been filled into the shoe (= the shoe is dry).

1993: From this time a cooperation with company Sympatex Technologies, Wuppertal, have been taken. A walking simulator for company Sympatex Technologies has been developed. Equipment: 256 measuring lines tested 32 shoes in the same time, with adjustable measuring time, adjustable speed, automatically saves the result from until 30 tests, the operating of the walking simulator and displaying the measuring results on a PC.

With the know about this big and expensive measuring instrument in the labor of Company Sympatex Technologies the idea about a little , portable walking simulator (Flextest machine) to a small price for the footwear production, shoe development or for trader, had been created. The bending motion should be adapted to the natural go motion and it shouldn't be done by pressing high the tip of the toe.

1996: A portable testing machine with a weight of 25 kg for 2 pair shoes has been built. The FLEXTEST machine has altogether 32 measuring-points (measuring-lines), adjustable step speed, adjustable bending angle (from 0 ° until 27 °), display the measuring resultat in a LCD-display with 2 lines. The measuring resultat also can be given out by a printer (Epson Modus) or by showing and saving the protokoll on a PC about a RS232 interface. The walking simulator saves internal automatically the last 7 measuring resultat.

After finishing of the walking simulator prototype a great number of longtime tests will be made in the laboratory by Company Sympatex Technologies in Wuppertal/Germany. Mr Ballman gave many tips to improve the shoe test machine in this time. After that the walking simulator will be tested for a long time by Company Salamander AG in Kornwestheim/Germany. We won many experience. mr. Paul Raith from Company Salamander AG gave also some tips. We realized all those tips.

1998: The operating and the display of the test resultates will be made in English. For the optimization of the machine gave Mr. DI (FH) Keidel many tips with his specialist knowledge and his experience from many Sympatex customers.

2001: The box of the walking simulator will be constructed in stainless steel.

2003: A new construction reduced the splashing at quickly flexings.

2006: We got the Celbration Certificate Nr: 17181 from the state-certified Company ISOCAL in Austria.

Use the walking Step Simulator to check the quality of army footwear.

Registration in the NATO- Codificationsystem NATO MASTER CROSS Referenz list Nr.: 2296N, Number 6635-41-000-0368.

Since a long time the portable walking simulator will be used by Company DEICHMANN SHOE to test the trade wear .

Company ROSENBAUER, producer of equipment for fire departments use also the walking simulator to check the quality of fireman footwear every day . He also show the function of the walking simulator on fairs for fire departments.

Insert at safety shoe producers to check the footwear .

Insert for quality assurance in far wage productions.