Methods and systems for customizing hides are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning control system that improves profitability and customer satisfaction by facilitating the customization of hides according to customer orders. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning control system to improve efficiency and responsiveness by producing packages of hides that exactly match customer orders. Additionally, one or more embodiments enhance the traceability of hides by capturing data related to the customization of hides.

A system for processing a work-piece including a sheet of material into pieces includes a production environment configured for collecting data characterizing the work-piece and for subsequently cutting the work-piece into a plurality of products; and a development environment separate from the production environment, the development environment configured for receiving characterization data from the production environment, developing a nesting strategy for cutting the work-piece and providing the nesting strategy.

A method and apparatus for grading leather based upon the size and spacing of the breaks in the leather. All or a portion of a hide is fed to a fixture that compresses a local area of the hide into a concave shape. The outer side of the hide is compressed and the inner side of the hide is expanded to cause breaks to be manifested in a local area. The local area of the hide is scanned with a digitizing profilometer that measures the depth of the breaks as the hide is fed through the fixture. The depth data measured by the digitizing profilometer is recorded by a controller. The depth data is then correlated with location data representing the local area scanned to develop a map of the break.

A diagnostic support for a skin includes a radio-transparent structure that defines a folding surface of the skin and on which the skin may be stretched and consequently folded, thereby defining folded, mutually superimposed portions spaced apart from each other. The support may be used for radiographic inspection of a folded animal skin.

Methods and systems for sorting hides are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning control system that enhances the traceability of hides by capturing and utilizing data related to the unloading, tanning, sorting, and packaging of hides. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning control system to improve efficiency by sorting hides based, at least in part, on data generated during prior tanning processes. Additionally, one or more embodiments facilitate the tanning control system in customizing the sorting and packaging of hides based, at least in part, on one or more hide characteristics and/or customer specifications.

A method and apparatus for grading leather based upon the size and spacing of the breaks in the leather. All or a portion of a hide is fed to a fixture that compresses a local area of the hide into a concave shape. The outer side of the hide is compressed and the inner side of the hide is expanded to cause breaks to be manifested in a local area. The local area of the hide is scanned with a digitizing profilometer that measures the depth of the breaks as the hide is fed through the fixture. The depth data measured by the digitizing profilometer is recorded by a controller. The depth data is then correlated with location data representing the local area scanned to develop a map of the break.

Methods and systems for sorting hides are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning control system that enhances the traceability of hides by capturing and utilizing data related to the unloading, tanning, sorting, and packaging of hides. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning control system to improve efficiency by sorting hides based, at least in part, on data generated during prior tanning processes. Additionally, one or more embodiments facilitate the tanning control system in customizing the sorting and packaging of hides based, at least in part, on one or more hide characteristics and/or customer specifications.

Methods and systems for processing raw animal hides into leather are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning manager that directs the routing of hides to a plurality of tanning drums. This allows the tanning manager to efficiently use the capacity of the plurality of tanning drums and provides improved consistency in the tanning of the hides. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning manager to route hides to tanning drums based on various factors, such as hide type, hide weight, and hide size. In addition, one or more embodiments provide the tanning manager with greater control over the processing of hides into leather by customizing the tanning recipes applied to each batch of hides.

Described is a natural leather trimming machine including: an ironing device for stretching and removing creases and wrinkles from the leather, cutting means for cutting the leather along at least one cutting line, a detection unit configured to detect the position of the leather, the shape of at least one relative end edge, and the position of any defects close to at least one relative end edge, a plurality of conveyor belts and a first command and control unit configured to determine the cutting coordinates of the leather.

The object of this invention is an apparatus (1) for detecting defects in at least one portion of leather, and for cutting the portion, that permits to perform faster and more efficiently than with currently known systems the operations of dilating, moving and cutting said at least one portion of leather, by supporting the leather on a curved surface that is extendible and rotatable around an axis in a monitored zone by suitable display means.