Leather Tattoo, that was on display at the Tanning Tech Show in Milan, will characterize the production of the Montorso Vicentino company, which in 2023 will celebrate its halfcentury milestone.
Since many years FELTRE has been offering a complete service to customers, from consultancy to installation, through design and construction, 100% made in Italy. We are talking about a complete range of stackers, drums loading and unloading systems, leather selection lines, transfer systems for all types of leather and different solutions for transport and handling leather, as well as a complete range of machinery dedicated to raw hides. In addition, the EMMEZETA and TANMAC brands, renowned for the construction of drying and conditioning systems, standard or custommade stackers, have also been added to the FELTRE family for a decade. An important range of machinery and equipment to better serve customers’ needs from all over the world.
We interviewed Domenico Feltre, Sales Director of Feltre company, during the Iultcs Eurocongress at the end of September, held at the Vicenza Fair, from whom we asked for an analysis of the current situation. “It is an important milestone, the one that FELTRE srl is going to celebrate next year. Half a century of passion and innovation. It all began in 1973 with Vittorio Feltre who makes himself available to the tanneries of the growing leather district of Arzignano, first as a maintenance service company and later became a reference for the realization of automation for tannery, thanks to consolidated and growing relationship with the homeland and its industry “.
What are the main products that defined 2022 for FELTRE?
“We continue to design and build systems all over the world, but this year at the Tanning Tech Show in Milan we will present an innovative system for marking leathers, Leather Tattoo. The leather is uniquely marked by a device that boasts a laser technology specially made for the tannery industry. It is a laser that we have developed in two models, one for marking raw hides and one for wet blue / white leathers. We have to consider, now more than ever, that industrial processes are converging on the issue of traceability, Feltre underlines. And we strongly believe that laser marking of leathers can help the sector to respond to the demands of end users in terms of transparency and traceability. Being able to identify and map the product allows you to certify its quality and value. With the marking guaranteed by our system, it is possible for the customer to trace the hides according to company needs. If implemented within the data collection system of one’s own reality, it becomes a functional tool for optimizing the production process, reading and analysing data. Not to mention the primary benefit of recognition, therefore identification of the quality of the individual product.
“ What are the main features of the Leather Tattoo?
“It is designed and built by us in the company, specifically for the tannery, a burdensome environment that we know thoroughly. The sensitive parts of the laser are completely sealed so the Leather Tattoo can be easily washed with a water jet, unthinkable with normal marking devices with laser technology. With this laser it is possible to mark a unique and indelible code on the leather.
During the various mechanical operation, the code obtained with the traditional perforation marking gets ruined and as a consequence it loses readability. Moreover, it can only be made with fixed digits, each leather has the same number imprinted, while we perform a permanent, clear and customizable Tattoo marking, which remains during the various stages of the tanning process, thus preserving the integrity and legibility of the code. The device is integrated into the process in order to uniquely identify each leather without slowing down the production line. The software supplied with the Tattoo allows you to control the speed and depth of marking.”
In this context, can we say that the future has already begun?
“I would say yes, this is one of the projects in our sector that makes us understand the dynamism and innovation applied to the demands of the market. With our system, a clear and accurate sign is marked on a very small area, thus optimizing therefore the usable profit for the final articles. Each code can be different, incremental or variable without having to interrupt the process, with the possibility of including also logos. Several customers trace the leather even with the company brand, becoming an added value for identification “ .
Another important news that characterized 2022?
“During the Fair in Milan we re-proposed the Pearl System for the Emmezeta brand, launched in 2021, an application especially indicated for drying leather after vacuum, where shrinkage control becomes an important factor. We use a magnetic ball system to fix the leather, which leave no marks after processing. These “pearls” keep the leather in tension during the drying, but when the leather shrink naturally, they allow a controlled return without intervening on the guidelines of the fibres. It is also possible to define the position of the “pearls” with software, so it will be possible to have a greater concentration in certain areas than others, to ensure the stretching of the leather and a homogeneity of the fibres. With the Pearl System we guarantee the uniformity of fibres tension, with optimal yields and improved leather quality. Obviously, all this, combined with a drying system, ZEPHYRUS type, already approved on all types of leather with great results. It is a system that offers very flexible drying thanks to an important equipment of technology, which can be used by tannery technicians to obtain the result they are looking for the final product.”
What is the fundamental part of FELTRE’s DNA?
“The passion for our work. We are always looking to adapt our technologies to different needs and applications to put the customer in the best possible condition whether it is new plant or an integration or adaptation of an existing solution. After making many machines, many systems and with 50 years of experience, we are only at the beginning of our journey. Knowledge, technicians, engineers, analysis, solutions, research…. are all components of a reality that every day makes itself available to customers to create better solutions for those who work there, and make the process more efficient. All this for the benefit of the entire supply chain, of which Feltre feels itself to be a leading actor. There are still many challenges to be overcome and projects to be implemented…. “
Anna Massignani e Domenico Feltre