New milling action from Smart

One of the few companies with a totally new machine at Tanning Tech were Smart Tannery Machines Srl. On display at their stand was the unconventional and radical looking Eclisse milling drum. Smart are a recently established company and they have their factory located close to Vicenza, northern Italy. Simply described, the drum profile is in the shape of a diamond overlaying a circle. The patented new design offers a totally new mechanical action when the leathers are rotating within the drum. The leather is lifted by a step inside, is dropped close to the top of the cycle of rotation and is then re-collected on the next step. Basically, the drum is broken into four parts within a single chamber. 'The compression and expansion of the leather during tumbling is different from other milling drums', says Angelo Guarise, founder and president of Smart Tanning Machines. 'The new shape shortens the milling time considerably.' The Eclisse also includes holes in the side of the drum to allow air in and holes in the floor to let air out. The stainless steel device is fully guarded and is controlled from a plc. The batch settings can be selected manually or programmed into the machine for automatic processing. It can also be connected to a pc within the factory away from the machine. Eclisse also features a large automatic door to make loading and unloading of the leather simple and quick. The door automatically stops in a set position and does not require an additional conveyor to load/unload the leather. It has a load capacity of 1,200kg and is suitable for all types of leather. Eclisse includes a dust extraction system and temperature and humidity controls. The rotation speed can be adjusted between 2-18rpm and water and chemicals can be added automatically through tanks on the side of the drum.