Replace the glue pot
with a tape.
Kyotex® k-System is the patented pressure-sensitive tape that fastens cleaning insoles in shoes — no solvents, no fumes, no liquid glue. One machine, one operator, every assembly line. Over 2 billion insoles bonded. 2,000+ machines running. 50 countries. Kyotex® — established 2006 and named in respect of the Kyoto Protocol — runs four business units: k-System (PSA tape bonding), k-Thermo, k-Next and k-Pads.
Italian innovation,without solvents. Kyotex® · ALC Tecnologie Adesive
Insoles bonded with k-System since 2007
Machines installed in 50 countries
Solvents, fumes and cleaning operations
Solvent glue is
decades old.
Most factories still glue insoles the way it was done decades ago. Three things go wrong every shift:
It's slow. Brush, wait for solvent to flash off, press, wait again. The line stops while glue dries.
It's harmful. Solvent fumes mean fume hoods, respirators, masks — and chronic exposure for the operator regardless.
It's messy. Smudges on the insole edge, drips on the lining. Cleanup eats hours and rejects eat margin.
Italian factories solved this in 2007.
The solution is a tape.
Process
innovation.
Two complementary tapes meet at the machine. Adhesive transfers cleanly to one face — perfectly blocked, no smudges, no waste. The bond is mechanical: the more the shoe is walked in, the stronger it gets.
k-System — the PSA business unit of Kyotex®. Paired tapes on traceable coded spools, matched to the support being glued and lab-tested for adhesion, temperature and ageing.
One film. One family
of machines and tapes.
The Kyo system is based on the combination of an innovative high-performance self-adhesive film. It consists of a series of dedicated machines and pairs of adhesive tapes specific for each support to be glued.
Characterised by great versatility and cleanliness, the Kyo system allows for higher quality and significant production increases — in footwear and sock-lining work, and equally in leather goods.
Four machines.
One tape technology.
The Kyo series machines guarantee maximum efficiency, both in continuous work and offline. Easy to use, they do not require specialised personnel: immediate startup, simplified maintenance, extremely reliable electronics, and adjustments that are quick and intuitive.
KYO101Pneumatic · up to 145 mm
Self-aligning application of Kyotex® PSA adhesives up to 145 mm wide. The standard workhorse for cleaning-insole bonding on a footwear floor.
KYO100SPneumatic · self-aligning
Self-aligning application up to 145 mm, with pneumatic pressure regulation and heated double-ramp platforms. A “Fusbet” version handles three-dimensional applications.
KYO500Electronic · leather goods
Built for leather goods: application of medium-to-large size Kyotex® PSA adhesives, with electronic control of the cycle.
KYO500SPneumatic · up to 500 mm
Self-aligning application of Kyotex® PSA adhesives up to 500 mm in width — the widest format in the range, for large panels and bag components.
Also in the family: KYO40, an electronic machine dedicated to applying the double-sided tapes used for pre-positioning hinges — plus the automatic KYOBORDER and SAFELOCK systems further down.
Films published by ALC Tecnologie Adesive · Kyotex®.
KYO100S
Machine designed for the self-aligning application of Kyotex® PSA adhesives up to 145 mm in width. Pneumatic, semi-automatic, single-phase — it sits in half a square metre and runs offline all shift.
- Pneumatic regulation ensures constant control of the pressure in coupling.
- Heated platforms in double ramp, with rapid joining of the belts.
- The “Fusbet” version allows three-dimensional applications.
- Used in footwear and leather goods to glue cleaning insoles, leather inserts, wallets, belts and accessories.
- Runs the full Kit Transfer PSA range — also compatible with KYO101, KYO500 and KYO500S.
- Dimensions W×H×D
- 550 × 1250 × 1090 mm650 × 1250 × 1090 mm with extension plan
- Weight
- 110 kg
- Power supply
- 230 V / 200 W
- Interface
- Semi-automaticPneumatic pressure control
- Max tape width
- 145 mm
- Sector
- Footwear & leather goods
Technical data as published by Kyotex® · ALC Tecnologie Adesive. Specification subject to change.
A tape for every
surface you bond.
A complete range of professional adhesive tapes for footwear, leather goods and industrial work — from the most common applications to the specialised ones. Transfer tapes, supported tapes, double-sided foams and VHB tapes are just some of the solutions in the range.
Kit Transfer PSA works on the combined effect of two films. In footwear it bonds insoles to difficult surfaces — leather, varnishes, synthetics, plastic rubbers — and performs particularly well on conformable surfaces with low roughness. The adhesive system is built on green technology.
| Code | Field of use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| KT 19000 | Shoes | Ochre |
| KT 23000 | Shoes | Purple |
| KT 14000 | Shoes | New Yellow |
| KT 2000 | Shoes | Brown |
| KT 4000 | Shoes | Red |
| KT 5000 | Shoes | Green |
| KT 11000 | Shoes | HT White |
| KT 3000 | Shoes | Yellow |
| KT 6000 | Shoes | White |
| KT 16000 | Shoes | Orange |
| KT 15000 | Shoes | Blue |
| KT 21000 | Leather goods | Violet · also 500 mm |
| KT 20000 | Leather goods | HT Black · also 500 mm |
Standard roll lengths: 250 m at 91–145 mm · 125 m at 290 mm and 500 mm.
Shoes & sock-linings.
Leather goods.
Kit Transfer PSA
Pressure-sensitive kit working on the combined effect of two films. Bonds insoles to difficult surfaces — leather, varnishes, synthetics, plastic rubbers — and excels on conformable, low-roughness surfaces.
Supported double-sided tapes
Plastic, foam or TNT backing, in low to high tack. The difference in adhesiveness between the two faces lets the last be removed without damaging the insole. 15 mm and 18 mm × 25 m.
TNT reinforcement tapes
TNT backing coated both sides with a high-performance acrylic adhesive. The KZIP grades are the zip-carrier family; TNT4135 covers general industrial lamination.
Lightweight nylon reinforcement
PSA tape on light nylon — hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, free of harmful emissions, with high tack and UV-resistant adhesion. White and black.
Tear-resistant reinforcement
High-tack PSA tape with a tear-resistant backing, UV resistant. For panels and edges that must not stretch or split in wear.
Mixed reinforcement tapes
For reinforcing straps, décolleté and every part of the upper that is later folded. Excellent adhesion on all surfaces.
“Chain-style” back-seam tapes
Reinforcement tapes for the back seams of shoes and boots, with and without sizing.
Crepe paper masking tapes
Single-sided tapes on lightly creped paper backing, straw and brown, for masking leather and synthetic products during finishing.
Tear-resistant double-resin sheets
Heat-adhesive sheets for specific reinforcement uses across footwear and leather goods, where a sheet is easier to place than a roll.
Double-sided foams and VHB tapes are supplied to order alongside the standard range. Tell us the two substrates and the load case — shear or peel — and we will specify the grade. See the full Kyotex® k-System catalogue ↗
What you get
when you switch.
| Faster production | Tape replaces brushing, drying and pressing — the line never stops to wait for glue. |
| One machine, one operator | Footprint 0.5 m². One person preps insoles for every assembly line on the floor. |
| Solvent-free, anallergic, transpirable | No fume hoods, no respirators, no occupational-health liability. The operator can simply breathe. |
| No fire risk | Liquid solvent glues are flammable. Tape isn't. |
| Pre-glue and store | Insoles bonded offline. Storable up to twelve months without losing tack. |
| Survives −40°C → +160°C | Tested across climate, transit and finishing heat — the bond stays bonded. |
| Stitchable — no sticky needles | Solid adhesive, not paste. Needles stay clean. No production stops to wipe a head. |
Rated against every
other way to bond.
A 21-question comparative survey run among customers in Italian, European and non-European markets, scoring four bonding systems side by side: k-System, double-sided tape, water-based adhesive and solvent-based adhesive.
tapeWater-based
adhesiveSolvent-based
adhesive
Scores on a 0–10 scale, indicative of the comparative ratings reported by Kyotex® from the 21-question customer survey. Applies to both shoe/sock-lining and leather-goods bonding.
Two more systems
on the same platform.
KyoBorder
An efficient system for edging leathers and fabrics across footwear and leather goods. The machine applies edge-banding tape, cutting production times sharply and letting the work happen offline. Precise and versatile, it adapts to any size and type of fabric or leather — durable, quiet, simple to use.
The tapes are formulated for edging: lines and curves at maximum precision, suitable for most natural and synthetic fabrics, temperature-resistant, repositionable, and they do not gum up the needles during sewing. Fabric characteristics stay unchanged, with no harmful fumes.
The Safelock system
Safelock fixes the insole on the last without nails or staples. The attachment is made with a double-sided acrylic adhesive designed and customised to the customer's need, and it is easily removable — the last comes away perfectly intact and reusable.
The machine pre-cuts the double-sided tape to the required shape and applies it to the last very quickly. Alongside the productivity gain it delivers an aesthetic result and a product quality nailing cannot reach — and with no nails or mechanical fasteners, the risk of injury to the end customer disappears.
Every objection,
answered.
How many people do I need to operate it?
Does the operator need specialist training?
What is the maximum insole thickness?
How long can I store pre-glued insoles?
Does the machine need cleaning at end of shift?
Will the tape survive transit and finishing heat?
Can I use k-System on leather goods, not just footwear?
ALC — Adhesives
Leading Company.
“Creators of new bonding systems, originators of solutions and partners of perfection in every detail” — a benchmark in the solid adhesives market.
ALC Tecnologie
Adesive S.r.l.
ALC serves every industry looking for innovative bonding — footwear, leather goods, garments, automotive and beyond — through dedicated business units: Kyotex, Retefix, Retelcar and Termotac. 2,500 machines installed and roughly 25% annual growth.
Kyotex®, established in 2006 and named out of respect for the Kyoto Protocol, is the unit that most clearly embodies that drive: k-System, k-Thermo, k-Next and k-Pads. k-System is its PSA arm — the tape-based bonding on this page.
Innovation with the
planet at the centre.
Innovation today cannot be separated from sustainability — and in every market there is still wide margin to intervene. Out of that conviction, and out of respect for the planet and the people on it, ALC and Kyotex® keep looking for new inputs to fold into their sustainability strategy: environmental, social and economic.
Take the solvent off your line.
Tell us your current adhesive — we’ll spec the tape and the machine and run a trial on your own line.