Gemata, leading company in the production of tannery machines and systems, has always been committed to environmental sustainability and social responsibility, not only towards its employees but also towards the workers, the customers and partner brands: these values are passed down to the development of new machinery aiming to protect either the health of end users and the environment, always aiming at getting top performance results.
Gemata, headquartered in Trissino, in the heart of the Arzignano tanning district, stands out among the leaders in the development of leather finishing machines and systems renowned and appreciated not only in Italy, but also in Europe and worldwide, for their reliability, efficiency and durability.
With a clever strategic move, the company has recently expanded its range of action by acquiring, in the first few months of the year, the majority of COS.T.A shares, specialized in the design, construction and installation of complete lines and systems for special processes. Thanks to this operation, the company is able to further improve its range of proposals by making advantage of the reliability and experience of another well-established firm in the sector.
That of Gemata is a comprehensive range of first-rate technologies that comprises roller machines, foam generators, splitting and dedusting machines as well as drying tunnels, finishing plants, engraved rollers, spray plants, dyeing, handling and stocking machines. An ample selection of said machinery is exported worldwide, in particular two models: the splitting machine Starsplit that, thanks to the automatic feeding of tripe leather, guarantees a constant splitting thickness resulting in a marked decrease in the shaving of the grain side and Greenfinish, the innovative release paper finishing line with infrared drying tunnel. It is the first system to use the GREENSTARs roller coating machine to put the chemical product on the leathers.
We asked the company to explain in detail these two technologies, which have been meeting international success for many years now.
Gemata Starsplit
Starsplit is the Gemata splitting machine for processing cowhides, sheep, goat and pig skins in wet blue, lime, and dry. How is the range declined?
“STARSPLIT is a splitting machine with models and working widths suitable for any type of leather and processing. Currently the working widths foreseen are: 1600 – 2000 – 2400 – 3200 – 3400 – 3600”.
What innovative solutions have you used to overcome the main issues related to the use of a splitting machine in terms of productivity, operator safety and maintenance?
“The STARSPLIT splitting machines relies on innovative technologies to improve productivity, precision and safety. Through a system of independent motors that control both the transport roller and the ring roller, it has been possible to increase productivity by reducing blade change times, without disassembling any element. In addition, efficiency is improved also by an automatic hide feeding unit called Spreader which, after a series of independent belts that connect the fleshing machine to the splitting machine, allows the hides to be inserted near the conveyor roller through two motorized belts – one independent of the other, allowing a productivity of 400 whole hides/hour without operator intervention, – with a cut thickness tolerance of a few tenths. The constant thickness of the grain allows saving on shaving operations and obtaining thicker crusts, higher quality crusts, with a consequent increase in weight of about 2-3 kg per crust, that is a considerable economic advantage. The Spreader, through a simple command, in case of need allows to switch from the automatic to the manual feeding system: the Starsplit is safe thanks to the Spreader, which keeps the operators away from the splitting area.
The upper bridge of the machine, equipped with an innovative structure, also allows better accessibility to the work area for easy cleaning and maintenance and the innovative opening technology guarantees utmost safety operator. STARSPLIT is the only machine on the market whose blade is automatically and instantly protected by the blade guides when it is opened. This solution guarantees operator safety during cleaning, adjustments and maintenance. Still with regard to the blade guides, the latter open automatically for the entire width of the work area, facilitating both the blade change operations and the daily cleaning of the blade guides and blade pusher.”
Among all the other machines in the tannery, the splitting machine is considered the most complex both for its construction technology and for the difficulties encountered in the adjustment. What innovations have you introduced to simplify management by the operator?
“In addition to the aforementioned devices, the machine has been equipped with an upper roller conveyor supported by a double contrast roller, the hydraulic control of the arch of the upper cylinder which allows fine adjustment of the splitting thickness and finally an automatic device for cleaning the jointed roller scraper. It is a patented solution which allows, through hydraulic movements and water jets, to clean the scraper without moving the articulated roller. After cleaning, the scraper returns to the previously set position, avoiding adjustments and actions by the operators. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the blade change operations have been simplified thanks to the independent motors that drive the transport roller conveyor and the articulated roller.”
Gemata Greenfinish
Among all the other machines in the tannery, the splitting machine is considered the most complex both for its construction technology and for the difficulties encountered in the adjustment. What innovations have you introduced to simplify management by the operator?
“In addition to the aforementioned devices, the machine has been equipped with an upper roller conveyor supported by a double contrast roller, the hydraulic control of the arch of the upper cylinder which allows fine adjustment of the splitting thickness and finally an automatic device for cleaning the jointed roller scraper. It is a patented solution which allows, through hydraulic movements and water jets, to clean the scraper without moving the articulated roller. After cleaning, the scraper returns to the previously set position, avoiding adjustments and actions by the operators. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the blade change operations have been simplified thanks to the independent motors that drive the transport roller conveyor and the articulated roller.”
How does the low environmental impact finishing line Greenfinish work?
“Greenfinish is the low environmental impact finishing line with release paper that, thanks to the use of the GREENSTARs roller coater, instead of the spray booth, is able to deposit the chemical product on any type of leather.
The line is available in different models to satisfy any finishing and space requirement: currently the product portfolio includes the standard NO STOP line with one or two heads and production speeds of 10-12 m/min, the very compact SHORT model, the SAMPLE, ideal for creating samples, the LAB, for chemical laboratories and, finally, the HYBRID system, suitable for finishing both leather and synthetic materials in coils with the same grain as the leather”.
The tanning industry is increasingly focused on full sustainability. What role do Greenfinish play in the leather circularity and sustainability process?
“The line combines the aspects of efficiency with those of eco-sustainability because it mixes efficient and ecological performance, creates a uniform coverage effect on all types of leather and minimizes negative environmental impacts thanks to the reduction of energy waste and zero emissions into the atmosphere”.
What advantages does a ground-breaking release paper finishing offer in terms of product quality compared to traditional spray and roller systems? And in terms of energy and production efficiency?
“The system is highly appreciated because, in terms of productivity, it is able to guarantee a higher cutting percentage: the GREENFINISH lines, compared to traditional finishing systems, guarantee a higher quality and uniformity of the finishing with a consequent higher cutting yield. Also, the leather does not shrink as it is dried due to it being firmly adhered to the release paper. This lack of shrinkage of the leather surface guarantees a greater availability of finished leather equal to 1.5 – 2.5% depending on the type of article.
In addition, the line ensures low management costs and reduced chemical product consumption: as a matter of fact, only two operators and a part-time controller are enough to guarantee a production of 200-350 half cups/hour depending on the length of the drying tunnels and the number of item changes.
Finally, it is also good to point out the low energy consumption of infrared electric ovens: the lamps turn off during the plant’s inoperative times, optimizing energy consumption.”
Research and innovation require a constant commitment for the company, even in terms of investments. What is the response given by the market to your technologies today?
“Since the market launch in 2020, more than 30 systems have been sold worldwide. Many customers have invested in this system and are satisfied with a choice that allows them to get immediately tangible benefits: even the more traditional markets, such as Brazil and India, proved to be very interested in this technology during the trade fair in the first half of 2023. A sign that even in these areas the time is ripe for new, alternative and green-friendly finishing systems.”
Do you have plans to further develop both the Greenfinish finishing system and the Starsplit splitting machine?
“As far as the Greenfinish is concerned, we are developing a line with a 2400 mm working width to be able to work calves skins. Furthermore, together with the technicians of COS.T.A, whose majority was acquired in the first months of this year, we are working to launch, between the end of the year and the beginning of 2024, a new type of finishing to ennoble whole leathers without the use of release paper; it is meant for upholstery and car interiors leathers with maximum working width of 3400 mm.
As far as Starsplit is concerned, we are working on materials, various devices and management software, so to optimize and schedule maintenance.”