Alright, so I know this might sound weird at first—when you work with footwear machines day in and day out, most folks don’t really think about “storing” them. These things are workhorses, right? They’re humming along on your factory floor 8, 10, maybe even 12 hours a day, churning out sneakers, boots, whatever your brand makes. But what happens when you need to shut ’em down? Maybe it’s a slow season, or you’re switching production lines for a new line of shoes, or hell, maybe you’ve got maintenance scheduled that’ll take a few weeks. If you just yank the plug and leave that bad boy sitting there? You’re setting yourself up for headaches later—rust, clogged parts, broken seals, even total machine failure that’ll cost you thousands when you fire it back up. As a footwear machine supplier, I’ve seen all the avoidable messes over the years, and today I’m breaking down exactly how to store these things right when they’re not in use. FOOTWEAR MACHINE
First off, let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t the same as shoving your old running shoes in the back of the closet. Footwear machines are heavy, expensive, and full of tiny, finicky parts. Skipping steps here will turn a $50k (or more) machine into a paperweight by the time you need it. I talk to factory owners all the time who say, “Oh, I just wiped it down and covered it—done.” Nah, that’s the bare minimum. We’re going deep here, like we’re prepping a race car for the off-season.
Let’s start with the prep work—this is the stuff you do the day you shut the machine down, before you even think about moving it or covering it. First, you gotta empty every single fluid line. Wait, what fluids? I’m talking hydraulic oil, lubricants, even the coolant if your machine’s got a cooling system for injection molding parts. If you leave oil sitting in lines for months? It turns gummy, clogs tiny nozzles, and then when you turn the machine back on, those lines crack under pressure. I had a customer a couple years back who forgot to drain the hydraulic system on his shoe sole injection machine over a 6-month slow season. When he fired it up, the clogged line burst all over his new mold, and he had to replace the entire hydraulic pump and mold—cost him $12k, all because he skipped draining fluids. Don’t be that guy.
Once fluids are drained, next step is cleaning every nook and cranny. Not just a quick wipe with a rag—we’re talking blowing out dust and debris with compressed air, scrubbing away glue residue (glue is the enemy here, it dries hard and gums up moving parts), and wiping down every metal surface with a rust inhibitor. Pro tip from our tech team: use a lint-free microfiber cloth, not paper towels—those leave tiny fibers that get stuck in tiny parts, and paper is abrasive, which scratches metal and can lead to rust over time. If your machine has any electronic controls (which all modern footwear machines do), don’t use harsh chemicals here—just a dry cloth, and maybe a tiny bit of isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab for the buttons, but make sure it’s completely dry before you plug it back in later.
Then, you gotta protect the moving parts. This is huge. Any part that moves when the machine is operating—rods, gears, belts, press mechanisms—needs to be coated in a light, non-toxic rust preventative. Don’t use regular motor oil, that’s too heavy and will attract dust like crazy. We sell a specific rust inhibitor for footwear machines, but if you’re grabbing it locally, ask for one that’s designed for industrial metal parts, not household stuff. And while you’re at it, make sure all the belts and hoses are slack—if they’re pulled tight for months, they’ll stretch out or crack, which means you’ll have to replace ’em before you even run a single shoe.
Okay, prep work’s done. Now, where you’re storing the machine matters just as much as the prep. A lot of small factories will stick machines in a corner of the warehouse, next to the loading dock where it’s drafty, or by an open window where moisture can seep in. Bad idea. The ideal storage space is a climate-controlled, dry area. Temperature should stay between 50-80 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity under 50%—any higher, and you’re asking for rust. If you don’t have a climate-controlled space (we get it, not every small factory can afford that), there are workarounds. First, seal the machine up airtight. We recommend heavy-duty plastic sheeting, the kind that’s used for construction, not the thin stuff from the hardware store. But before you cover it, make sure you add a few moisture absorbers—those silica gel packs you get with electronics? Grab a bunch, or buy the big bucket ones for industrial use, and tuck ’em inside the plastic cover, around the machine. Also, keep it off the ground—don’t set it directly on the concrete. Concrete has moisture that seeps up, so use wooden pallets or heavy-duty rubber mats to lift the machine at least 6 inches off the floor.
Wait, what if you have to move the machine to storage? Don’t just yank it with a forklift. Make sure it’s properly secured. All loose parts—molds, tools, accessories—should be removed, labeled, and stored in a dry bin somewhere (I always say label them clearly, because when you’re in a rush to fire the machine back up, you don’t wanna be hunting for the right mold). Then, secure all moving parts so they don’t shift during transport—lock the press mechanism in place, tie down any loose components, so nothing bounces around and gets damaged.
Once it’s safely in storage, don’t just walk away and forget about it. A lot of people think “out of sight, out of mind,” but we tell our customers to check on their stored machines every 4 weeks. What do you check? First, the moisture level under the cover—if the silica gel is turning pink (that means it’s absorbed all the moisture it can), swap it out. Then, walk around the machine and check for any signs of rust or condensation. And here’s a little trick: every 2 months, plug the machine in for 10 minutes and run the idle cycle. Just enough to warm up the internal parts, make sure no seals are drying out, and get a little lubricant moving through the lines again. Don’t run a full production cycle, just a quick idle—10 minutes is all you need. That simple step will save you so much headache when you go to use it again.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “I don’t have time for all this. My machine’s just gonna sit for a couple months, it’s fine.” But trust me, we deal with the aftermath of that all the time. Last year, a guy reached out to us because he stored his cutting machine over the holidays for 3 months. He just wiped it down and covered it with a tarp. When he fired it up, the blade was rusted, the cutting guide was gummed up with old glue, and the motor was seized because the bearings dried out. He had to replace three major parts, which cost him more than if he’d done the proper storage, and he lost 2 weeks of production waiting for parts. That’s the kind of avoidable mistake we’re talking about.
Here’s the thing about footwear machines—they’re built to run hard, but they’re not indestructible. The parts that make them work, the tiny gears, the lines, the seals, are sensitive to neglect when they’re not moving. As a supplier, we don’t just sell you a machine and disappear—we want it to last 10, 15, even 20 years, right? Proper storage is half of that.
Let me sum this up real quick so you don’t forget any steps: 1. Drain all fluids before storing. 2. Deep clean every part, get rid of glue and dust. 3. Coat moving parts in a light rust inhibitor, loosen belts. 4. Store in a dry, climate-controlled space off the ground; use plastic sheeting and moisture absorbers if you can’t control the space. 5. Check on it every 4 weeks, swap silica gel as needed. 6. Run idle cycles every 2 months to keep parts lubricated.
If you’re a factory owner, production manager, or someone in charge of footwear machine maintenance, you already know downtime costs money. Taking a few hours to prep a machine for storage will save you thousands in repairs and lost production when you need it back.
And hey, if you’re not sure about anything—what kind of rust inhibitor to use, how to drain a specific machine’s fluid lines, or even if you need extra parts for storage—hit us up. We’re not just machine suppliers, we’re here to help you keep your equipment running for years. Whether you’re storing a single cutting machine or a whole production line, we can give you tailored tips. No sales pitch, just real advice from people who work with these machines every day.
EVA Raw Material References: 1. Industrial Equipment Storage and Preservation Guide, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2022. 2. Footwear Manufacturing Machinery Maintenance Best Practices, Global Footwear Association, 2021. 3. Rust Prevention and Management for Industrial Metal Equipment, American Welding Society, 2020.
Quanzhou Bayeux Industrial Co., Ltd.
Address: ROOM 805,BUILDING 3,NO,8 XIANGSHAN ROAD, XIANGSHAN COMMUNITY, QINGYANG STREET, JINJIANG QUANZHOU FUJIAN.
E-mail: yeliqun_520@163.com
WebSite: https://www.qzbayeux.com/
