APLF Materials, Manufacturing and Technology is the new name for APLF Raw Materials and Manufacturing which will be adopted from the APLF 2004 edition, March 29 – April 1, onwards. The change has been made to reflect the changing needs of the industry, both in the materials it uses and the way it manufactures its products.
The emphasis on materials recognises that the footwear, leathergoods, handbags and travelware employ a wide spectrum of materials, natural and man-made, as well as leather, while the addition of technology emphasises the rapid rate at which leathermaking systems and processes are evolving. It is no longer simply a question of making leather as a commodity or sector product. Rather, leathermaking is precisely tailored to impact specific attributes, both aesthetic and functional, and new environmentally sound systems are today crucial to meet legislative and other health and safety criteria.
