Rollercoating and drying

Companies from the Poletto group introduced a couple of updated and new machines at Tanning Tech. Two machines introduced from Poletto (Rotary Toggle Drier and FAST 3400 Drying Tunnel) were featured in the November edition of Leather. Travel International Travel International are based in Ponte a Egola, Tuscany. They produce driers and high chain conveyors for the transportation of the leather into the driers. They have an automatic leather conditioning machine, Ekodry, which can cope with the problems that arise during the drying phase of leather production. The machine is controlled by a powerful electronic control system that allows it to control every physical parameter of the drying process including the humidity of the leather during transit, process temperature, speed of aerial transport through the drier, quantity of air required, pressure inside the tunnel, the quantity of energy required, the quantity of fuel to be utilised and the status of each parameter. If the leathers are in the crust state the machine conditions them ready for staking and finishing. It is suitable for all types of leather, including hides and is particularly suitable for drying/conditioning vegetable leather. The electronic panel regulates the temperature, final humidity and drying time in the tunnel. The panel can be left in automatic mode and there is an extraction device fitted which regulates the humidity. When the correct humidity is reached the machine automatically switches to stand-by and checks for skins which still have extra humidity. Furthermore, thanks to the software supplied on Ekodry, the machine is able to dry leather at different conditions, with different drying programmes. The leathers can be hung together on the aerial hangers, while keeping the differing final results for the leathers unchanged. This will increase productivity and quality, combined with energy savings. Designed for large scale production, the Ekodry can be equipped with a tele-assistance system, which allows Travel International technicians to diagnose any faults. Gemata The newest machine is the Jumbostar for rollercoating full hides especially for upholstery leather. It is the only one of its type in the world that works in reverse. There is a special system for reverse automatic syncro and automatic belts, which can spread 1 to 40 grams per ft² of products for impregnation, pigment coating, fatliquoring and the application of foams on splits, corrected grain and full grain leathers. The 3400 mm Jumbostar was on display in Tanning Tech and not only does it reduce chemical consumption by 60% compared with traditional spraying machines, but better results are achieved in terms of penetration and fixing thanks to the mechanical action of the engraved rollers. The Starplus-S is useful for impregnation, pigment coating, cold and hot application of oils and waxes and the application of foamed chemicals on splits, corrected grain and full grain leathers. This can be achieved in both the forward and reverse modes. Other innovations to make operation easier include: * the speed of the engraved cylinder can be electronically set up to a maximum of 100 m/min * the doctor blade is fastened to a new rigid support with pivot mounting to ensure more precise and smooth movement and everything is pneumatically driven to compensate for the wear and tear of the blade * the working thickness is shown on a digital display and has an automatic thickness reset in the control panel. The special geometry of the belt makes up for any differences in the thickness of the leather so that the coating remains even * the belt is fitted on a special rack structure for easy removal from the front of the machine Both systems were displaying an updated conveyor system, with new belts. The set-up means that the conveyor is pulled through the machine rather than pushed and this allows the rollercoating to be smoother and give a better covering of the leather.