The tanning industry has long been associated with traditional methods of leather production, which are typically challenging and wasteful. However, with the advent of digital technology, the industry is undergoing a revolution toward data-driven tannery production processes.
Data-driven analysis of tanning production is rapidly transforming leather processing into a more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable version. Through the use of advanced and intuitive tools, tanneries are able to optimize individual work steps, reducing waste and improving product quality.
This transformation benefits not only tanneries, but also customers and consumers who are demanding increasingly environmentally friendly and ethically sustainable products. Let’s explore how data analytics is changing the industry to date and in the near future.
From traditional process to innovation
The world of tanneries has evolved considerably in recent years, moving from traditional leather processing methods to new data-driven production processes.
The traditional tanning process, prior to the technological revolution that has taken place in recent decades, presupposed a great deal of effort in terms of labor, raw materials and know-how on the production steps: this was acquired empirically, through the execution of continuous trials and tests to obtain the desired product.
The most delicate stages of traditional leather production include:
- The dosing of the necessary chemicals, for example in the tanning and eventual retanning stage, which requires enormous precision depending on the type of material and treatment;
- Quality control in terms of measuring area, thickness, color or defects, which is closely related to human intervention (and consequently, error);
- The management and monitoring of environmental aspects, products and processes traceability, which are particularly prone to manufacturing errors or inadequate controls.
The collection and analysis of production data in tanneries is becoming increasingly important to obtain as much information as possible on the process’ quality, allowing problems to be identified and inefficiencies to be reduced in a timely manner.
The benefits of data analysis in the tannery
The first benefit of analyzing production data within the tannery is to know precisely the efficiency of each stage of the leather processing: from the first steps of splitting and sammying, to measuring and final packing.
Being aware of every detail of tanning production makes it possible to:
- Identify the processes or the machines that require the most resources or generate the most waste, and take action on individual steps to reduce associated costs;
- Detect and solve any leatherworking problem immediately, manage areas for improvement and make changes in the production process;
- Increase the efficiency of each work step and, consequently, the productivity and profitability of the tannery, achieving an overall better product quality.
In the long run, the benefits of production data analysis surpass the first critical issues, which for a tannery may be the investment of acquiring an advanced analysis system or the remodeling of some processes to standardize data collection.
How to analyze the production process
To assess the efficiency and quality of production processes in the tannery, some key metrics to consider in data analysis may be:
- The productivity rate;
- The waste rate;
- The processing cycle time;
- The quality of the final product.
A data analysis software allows these metrics to be analyzed in an easy and intuitive interface, structured specifically to facilitate immediate visualization of information and capable of collecting and digitizing the tannery’s production know-how.
Integration with machine learning models makes it possible to go beyond simple historical analysis, predicting production trends in case of changes in the process: ideal for making confident and reliable decisions guided by clear and certain data.
GER Elettronica machinery and software
Production data analysis is transforming the entire industry, enabling tanneries to improve production efficiency, reduce waste and improve product quality.
It is a certainty to say that, in the future, data analytics in tannery production will continue to spread and improve, helping tanneries themselves optimize their work and meet growing consumer demand for more ethical and environmentally friendly products.
As manufacturers of tannery machinery for nearly 50 years, GER Elettronica has been a participant in the evolution of the industry by supporting its digital transformation, coming to offer complete solutions for the automation and control of the tanning process.
BE.PROCESS is a Data Analysis system that through the tracking of the individual leather throughout the tanning process, as well as the analysis of the leather’s production data, allows for the optimization of the entire leatherworking process, providing useful and understandable data for the improvement of each production stage to operators, foremen and even managers. The combination with I.DATA software allows for complete management of tanning production.
Discover all the benefits that data analysis can give your tannery!
