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WORLD FOOTWEAR | JULY/AUGUST 2012
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th
their use was in areas that were of
direct financial importance to the
organisation – accountancy, and
possibly sales forecasts as these were
predictable in part from values of goods
in the production chain.
But in the mid-1980s powerful desktop
computers became available at a fraction
of the cost of a mainframe. Although
slow to operate by today’s standards,
these could be programmed using off-
the-shelf spreadsheet programs that
were easy to use. They were also robust,
so it became possible to use these within
the manufacturing environment. The
outcome was an explosion of accurate
and detailed information focused entirely
upon manufacture.
Before then, instructions used at the
point of manufacture for chemical
processing and machine operations
were mostly based on handwritten
instructions. Master copies of these
details at best were typewritten, but
amendments – which were often
frequent – were slow to update, and
often actions within manufacture
varied from the masters. The
combination of microprocessor, basic
spreadsheets and fast printers changed
this situation. Every chemical process
was set down in detail, with chemical
additions calculated for each load,
controls identified, machine operations
defined, and amendments when
required were clear and immediately
available to operatives.
This ability to control events resulted
in greater consistency almost as soon
as these systems were brought into
operation. Variations and causes
became easier to identify, so the
process could be better managed and
upgraded. It was only a small step to
include costing in terms of materials
used in process, labour and allocated
overheads for each operation.
Technical manufacture became more
transparent and the outcome was
more consistent leather.
MICROPROCESSORS IN
MECHANICAL OPERATIONS
Micro-computer applications within
machine systems started at the same
time, with the first examples found in
water supply systems. Instead of
deliveries based on hand-controlled
additions of water, a simple push button
system provided water at high rate, at
the required temperature and volume to
any processing vessel. The accuracy of
these deliveries was critical, especially
in terms of temperature control, so
these systems rapidly incorporated both
the monitoring of water delivery, and
adjustment, so that water was only
acceptable within a defined range of
variance. Once established, it became
clear that other chemicals in solution
could be added to processing, and so
the possibilities of very accurate
weighing, addition and mixing of
chemicals in wet processing and the
finishing department became possible.
Similarly, the concept of using
microprocessors to manage machine
settings and to make continuous
adjustments within an operation began
to evolve. This was especially
significant in the control of the splitting
operation, being the most difficult and
skilled operation in leather processing,
but became available to all new
machinery and equipment used within
the tannery.
QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS
Comprehensive quality assurance
systems were beginning to appear 25
years ago. Originally introduced as
Quality Assurance systems for the
procurement of leathers for military use
in the 1960s, these were followed by
British Standards in the early 1980s,
then ISO Standards.
Organisations
that
sought
accreditation to these awards subjected
themselves to a detailed self
assessment. This started at the point of
materials purchased and followed
manufacture to the point of dispatch. It
required proof in the form of
documentation that processes and
operations were clearly specified, and
that these events took place in the
specified way. The systems defined and
allocated responsibilities, demanded
proof that actions set down were
enacted, and tightened all disciplines
within manufacture.
2] Rationalisation of
manufacture
The mode of leather manufacture
also began to change. It became very
clear that greater product consistency
was required, and that manufacturing
plants needed to become more
efficient across the board to satisfy
their
customers.
This
caused
rationalisation, with a rapid shift away
from a labour intensive industry,
coupled with a movement from small
batch production towards larger
batches, with faster rationalised
movement of goods.
LARGER BATCHES OF GOODS
IN PROCESSING
The processing vessel used for
chemical processing is central to
leather manufacture. Many different
types of vessels have been
investigated, but the traditional
wooden drum, with versions in
stainless steel and polypropylene, have
Wet blue hides in process in a modern tannery.