Demand increases for Satra cutting award

Sixteen SATRA members around the world have now gained the technology centre's Cutting Award; twice as many as six months ago. It was introduced last year to enable manufacturers to demonstrate to their markets that they have achieved a consistent SATRA approved standard of leather management The General Footwear, Kingmaker and Pou Chen factories based in Vietnam are the latest footwear manufacturers to gain the award, reflecting the growing awareness of the SATRA brand in the Far East. The award confirms that successful candidates meet the specified level of competence for managing the cutting process. It is based on verification, by a SATRA audit, of five key areas of managing the leather cutting process: Receipt and inspection of incoming materials; Storage and management of materials prior to cutting; Calculation, specification and maintenance of realistic cutting standards; Physical conditions of the cutting process; Inspection of the cut pieces and management of inspection data SATRA executive director Austin Simmons says: 'The award is helping footwear manufacturers to achieve high, consistent standards in the management of the overall cutting process. It is also a powerful and robust tool that can be used to assure customers of high levels of cutting excellence in their purchased products.'