A leather inspection apparatus is provided for detecting inconsistencies on both upper and lower surfaces of a hide. It includes a first camera assembly movably coupled to a support frame and capable of movement along the upper surface of the hide and a second camera assembly movably coupled to the support frame and capable of movement along the lower surface of the hide. A computing device is coupled to the first camera assembly and the second camera assembly, such that the first camera assembly detects the locations of inconsistencies in the upper surface of the hide and the second camera assembly detects the locations of inconsistencies in the lower surface of the hide. The computing device digitally stores the locations of the inconsistencies of the upper surface of the hide and the locations of the inconsistencies of the lower surface of the hide.

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.

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 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.

An inspecting machine for leathers includes a feeding unit for moving a leather along an advancement direction; a sensor unit for capturing images of the leather during movement and having contact image sensors arranged perpendicularly to the advancement direction of the leather; and a processing device for identifying geometrical features of the leather based on an analysis of sensor-provided images. The image sensors are staggered perpendicularly to the advancement direction of the leather so that the respective optical fields have corresponding first sections that are superimposed according to the advancement direction to capture first image portions of a same first portion of the leather at two different moments, and corresponding remaining sections for capturing second image portions of two other different portions of the leather adjacent to the first portions, the processing device combining the images captured by the image sensors based on an analysis of the first image portions.

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 process is provided for marking leather manufactured from hide with an XRF-identifiable marker, the process comprising treating a hide or processed leather with a formulation comprising at least one XRF-identifiable marker to embed said marker in the hide or processed leather, to thereby obtain a marked hide or marked leather, wherein the XRF-identifiable marker is not a native material to a hide or leather or involved in a process for its manufacturing.

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.

A Tannery System (DT), for providing a Batch (LOkr) of Hides (1ij) with a homogeneous Grade (Gkr) from multiple Tanneries (Fi), intended to undergo a Transformation Stage (Se); (i) whose size is greater than the number of Hides having a Grade (Gkr) of each Tannery; and (j) that minimizes or maximizes the statistical numeric Constraint Parameter (PN) of a global statistical technical characteristic of all Hides in the Batch. It includes (a) a Computer Network (RL) that connects an online Platform (CL) to at least two Tanneries and their two Digitizing Scanners (19i); (b) Means for Filtering (25) by the Grade (G) all the Hides (1ij) available, to select the Combined-Subset (SCkr) of the Complying Fractions (FCi) of Hides from the Tanneries having the Grade (Gkr); (c) Means of Batch Optimization (26) for (i) performing Selections of Collections of combined Complying Sub-Fractions (Sim) of Complying Fractions, (ii) for determining for each Selection, the reached value of the Numerical-constraint Parameter, and, (iii) for constituting the optimal Batch by the Selection which maximizes or minimizes the Numerical Constraint Parameter.

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.