What does tannery automation mean
The concept of automation applied to the tanning industry involves the implementation of technologies and machinery to make leather processing more automatic, consequently reducing the need for human intervention. Taking a couple of examples:
- In the hides measurement phase, some machines use sensors to identify the quality of the hides and separate them according to their characteristics;
- In the stages of shaving or spraying leather, there are machines programmed to perform specific actions and apply precise quantities of chemical products.
Leather processing automation also involves the use of robotic systems for the management of production plants: for example, the movement of hides from one place to another, the filling of the processing tanks and the general cleaning of the machines.
The goal of tannery automation is to improve the efficiency and precision of the production process, reduce human errors and increase the quality of the finished product.
Automation or process control?
It is important to understand the differences between automation and process control: two closely related concepts within tanneries but which have different objectives.
- Automation aims to make tanning equipment more efficient, allowing jobs to be carried out automatically with the aim of minimizing times, costs and interventions;
- Process control aims at improving tannery production so that the product meets certain quality standards. This can be done manually, but in many cases the management takes place through automated control systems.
For example, an automation project may include the use of automatic leather dyeing machines, while process control may include regulating the speed of the machine and the amount of chemicals used. In this way, process control helps to obtain hides that are always uniform and of the required quality.
Automation and process control for leatherworking are two complementary systems with different purposes: the first has the objective of improving the production efficiency, while the second focuses on guaranteeing the highest quality of the finished product.
The advantages for the tanning industry
Nowadays, implementing automation and control systems on tannery machinery is essential to obtain significant advantages on the market:
- Efficiency: the leather industry automation improves the efficiency of the machines, with a consequent reduction in production costs and an increase in productivity;
- Quality: at the same time, process control ensures the highest quality of the finished hides with the consequent reduction of defects and waste in production;
- Safety: automatic systems reduce the risk of accidents and injuries at work, limiting the need for human intervention in more complex or monotonous activities;
- Sustainability: the controlled use of chemical products and the decrease in waste and waste are reflected in the environmental impact of the tanning industry, which becomes considerably lower;
- Competitiveness: automation and process control allow tanneries to be competitive in the global market in terms of efficiency, quality, prices and sustainability.
In the past, leather production was an artisanal process, which required considerable time and manpower: today however, thanks to the use of automated tannery systems, the leatherworking process is significantly more efficient, faster and more precise.
GER Elettronica: tannery machinery 4.0
The introduction of automation and process control systems has allowed the tannery industry to become more modern, productive and sustainable, while ensuring greater global competitiveness and extremely high quality of the finished product.
GER Elettronica’s mission reflects precisely this aspect: to help tanneries make their production processes more efficient, through technologically advanced solutions for leather measurement and hides quality control from an industry 4.0 perspective.
GER Elettronica’s automated leather processing machinery allows you to:
- Detect the thicknesses of entire batches with extreme precision, mapping and certifying the hides’ surface to ensure complete real-time control of splitting, setting out, staking, buffing, ironing, etc.;
- Measure leather parameters such as choice, size, surface, thickness and color in a systematic and reliable way, returning precise production data capable of quantifying times/costs and optimizing the production process as a whole;
- Automate the most delicate leather production processes, such as varnishing or rolling up the hides, in order to ensure total compliance with the required quality standards and to evaluate the yield of each tannery phase.
Digital technologies and production data to promote the tanning industry: discover all GER Elettronica solutions.
