At the recently held APLF fair in Dubai, we met Peter Mastelic, CEO of Hüni, who told us all about the great development of the company. The world of tannery has grown and Hüni, which is closely linked to it, has also grown over time.
Peter Mastelic, Hüni’s CEO
When was Hüni founded?
“In 1728, it was born as a tannery on Lake Zurich, but that wasn’t a comfortable location for the sector. My father-inlaw, at that time, gradually transformed the tannery into an automation company, starting to mechanize it.”
By automating his tannery and starting to offer automation to other tanneries, you have pioneered the sector.
“We approached the production of drums in the ‘80s, even if in the ‘70s when many didn’t even know what automation was in the tanning world, we’ve already switched from perforated paper to real automation; we gradually implemented our systems up to PCs and tablets with remote access. And here we are today, assisted in daily work by increasingly performing technologies.”
Thus, what in the past seemed to be truly untouchable systems have now become accessible to everyone, not only to large tanneries but also to small ones, which can today use systems to create the perfect “recipes” for leather by accurately monitoring consumption and tracking all products used.
“Yes, of course, but the big difference lies in the wet phase for which a distinction must be made, especially when it comes to process control and automation. There is often a great misunderstanding. Let’s take two examples of drum drainage and chemical management. When a tannery (and they are the majority) only controls the process in the tanning phase according to pre-established parameters, the drum activates a signal: the operator must then physically go and open the drum to carry out all the required operations. In this case, the process is not automated but only controlled. Another example is when there is a system such as the one we call Prodotracer. This software sends the recipe to a terminal, the operator must prepare and identify it with a barcode, wait for a signal that manages the weighing tolerance, and then, when it is time to add it inside the drum, physically perform the operation, validating the drum and the product. This is process control as well.
Real automation means that the drum receives input and the drain valve is activated automatically. With automation, process control is aimed at ensuring that recipes are managed by themselves. We can also automatically manage the addition of water, the temperature adjustment, and the use of the right amount of chemicals, whether they are powders or liquids. An example is our Prodomix, suitable to automatically add blends; the recipe reaches the system and the blend is sent to the destination drum.
With our DataTan system, management software for the tannery, it is possible to best control the whole plant in a simple and modular way, make the appropriate choices and monitor costs.
Furthermore, the whole process generates data that can be shared with the different tanneries of the same group, to obtain an identical product wherever it is processed.”
Why are tanneries sometimes linked to the first step, process control?
“It is often due to tradition or budget. Excellent results are achieved even just by investing in a quality process control and then making a subsequent implementation, by carrying out gradual steps.”
Automation and control are often a byword of attention to waste, is it true?
“Absolutely, the automation process is very important according to ecology, inside and outside the plant, as it has everything to do with the products and their waste as well as with the workers who handle it, considering that we’re speaking about potentially harmful substances.
From an environmental point of view, Hüni has invested considerably in R&D activities related to the sustainability of its products: our Jumbo system drums consume much less energy when compared to standard drums, featuring energy and water savings by more than 50%, as well as chemicals, which are significantly spared. This is confirmed by many customers from the fashion, automotive, and furniture sectors. We have also made enormous developments according to industry 4.0 parameters and we are able, with our DataCollect system, to connect with all the machines in the tannery and subsequently, with our DataTan system, a collector that carries and connects all the information in a file, available to those who need it.”
As for the markets, which are the reference ones?
“Obviously, we are very active in Italy, we have an office in Santa Croce sull’Arno. Then we have offices in Serbia, offices and a factory in Turkey, we also have service contracts in Mexico. As far as the Asian side is concerned, we have made many installations in China, but for the moment, for obvious reasons, this market has slowed down.”
Founded back in 1728 in Zurich, Switzerland, HÜNI has long since become a reference in the tanning industry in terms of technology and innovation. As a matter of fact, the company is constantly engaged in research, development and updating of technologies to improve and automate the various production processes that take place in the tannery. CEO and President Peter Mastelic said he was satisfied with the renewed APLF: “We had a great time at the fair, the change of location was an excellent idea as Dubai is a fantastic and futuristic city; moreover, the logistics proved to be ideal for an event like this.”
