Leather Manufacturers Research Articles

Potential of Cactus Leather in Pakistan's Leather Industry: A Qualitative Analysis.

The rising trend of sustainability worldwide has significantly influenced various industries, transformed not only retail but also reshaped the luxury sector. One notable shift is the increasing focus on vegan leather, with cactus leather emerging as a promising alternative. This study explores the potential of cactus leather in Pakistan, particularly how it can contribute to sustainability in the country's leather industry. By introducing cactus leather, the research aims to raise awareness about sustainable practices and offer a viable alternative to traditional animal leather. The methodology employed in this study is qualitative, based on interviews with leather manufacturers, and the data was analyzed using a thematic analysis framework. The key findings highlight the potential of cactus leather as a sustainable substitute for animal leather, emphasizing its durability, aesthetic appeal, and environmental benefits. Cactus leather not only provides a cruelty-free option but also addresses issues related to pollution and water usage in leather production. The research aims to introduce cactus leather to the Pakistani market, particularly in regions like Thar and Kharan in Sindh and Baluchistan, where cactus farming could thrive and benefit local communities. Cactus leather eliminates the need for animal-based materials, allowing consumers to wear leather products without the associated guilt of animal cruelty. Additionally, the production process of cactus leather is less water-intensive and requires fewer toxic chemicals than traditional leather processing, further reducing its environmental impact. This study underscores the potential for cactus leather to revolutionize the leather industry in Pakistan, aligning with global sustainability trends and offering a practical solution to environmental and ethical concerns.

Combination of doped amorphous carbon based dispersive solid phase extraction with ionic liquid-based DLLME for the extraction of aromatic amines from leather industries wastewater; Theoretical and experimental insights

In the present investigation, combination of dispersive solid phase extraction with ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction was used for the extraction of several aromatic amines from leather industries wastewater. In this approach, initially, N and S doped carbon was used for the adsorption of the analytes from the sample solution and then they were concentrated by the subsequent microextraction step. Determination of the extracted analytes was performed using high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector. The sorbent contact area with the sample solution was enhanced by performing aspiration/dispersion cycles. In the microextraction procedure, the analytes were enriched into a few microliters of an ionic liquid. Also, interactions between some ionic liquids and the studied aromatic amines were analyzed in the light of performed density-functional theory calculations. The calculated quantum chemical parameters and binding energies for the interactions between ionic liquids of the selected amines showed that the analytes interact powerful with the mentioned ionic liquids and it favorite for the method. The optimized method validation was followed by evaluating several figures of merit and the obtained data showed that limits of detection and quantification, precision (expressed as relative standard deviation), enrichment factor, and extraction recovery were in the ranges of 0.25–0.71 and 0.86–2.4 ng/mL, 3.9–5.2%, 252–312, and 63–78%, respectively. The introduced approach was used in determination of the analytes in the wastewater samples collected from leather manufacturers and p–anisidine, p–chloroaniline, and diethylaniline were determined in them, successfully.

Effect of Exchange Rate Volatility on Exports: An Empirical Analysis of Disaggregated Data of the Indian Manufacturing Sector

The effect of real exchange rate volatility on real exports is explored empirically in this article. The study uses disaggregated Indian manufacturing sector data consisting of seven categories: leather & leather manufactures, chemicals and related products, engineering goods, electronic goods, textiles (excluding readymade garments), readymade garments and other manufactured goods. The analysis is focused on India’s quarterly data from 2004Q2 to 2018Q2 using the ARDL bound test procedure. The ARDL bound test results show that real exports are co-integrated with fluctuations in real exchange rates and world real GDP. The study also reveals that exchange rate volatility has mixed effects on manufacturing exports both in the long run and short run. The impact of real-world GDP (WGDP) on real exports has been found positive and significant in the long run except for leather and leather manufacturers where it is negative and significant. In the case of the short-run, real-WGDP has mixed effects on exports. JEL Classification: C22, F14, F31, F1

Recovery of Industrially Useful Hair and Fat from Enzymatic Unhairing of Goatskins during Leather Processing

Leather processing not only serves social needs by putting into use the meat industry’s by-products (hides and skins) but also makes a significant contribution to global economic growth through trade and job creation. In the wake of globalization, however, leather manufacturers are facing new challenges in meeting environmental imperatives and improving the utilization of wastes generated during leather processing. This study describes the recovery of hair and fatfrom fleshings obtained after enzymatic unhairing of goatskins using a protease from an isolate of Bacillus cereus Strain 1-p. The recovered hair and fats were further characterized to facilitate recommendations for different industrial applications. The following hair properties were visually examined and evaluated by hand; straight length, density and uniformity, hair strength and overall quality. The fats were analyzed by characterizing the fatty acid composition using theGas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS analysis). The recovered hair was intact and rated to be of average to good quality. The fat characterization indicated that methyl 9Z-octadecenoate (9Z-heptadecenoic acid; oleic acid) was the most abundant fatty acid with an abundance of 31.65%. The sulfide-free fats and intact hair, therefore, were recommended for use in various industrial applications such as manufacturing of poultry feedstuff, organic fertilizers, biodiesel and biofuels, fatliquoring agents, soaps and cosmetics after further purification where necessary. The hair and fats recovered from this study are particularly advantageous over those recovered from sulfide unhairing systems as they are free from any sulfides or lime contamination thus easier to purify and use. The study concluded that the use of the enzyme extract from Bacillus cereus Strain 1-p to unhair goatskins facilitated the recovery of valuable hairand fats that can be used for other industrial applications.

Assessing the awareness and readiness of the Malaysian furniture industry for Industry 4.0

The lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers is a major challenge faced by the Malaysian furniture sector. It hinders industrial productivity and its ability to move up the value-chain by adopting high technology. Therefore, in order to assess the awareness and readiness of the Malaysian furniture industry for Industry 4.0, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted with a sample of 778 large-, medium-, and small-sized furniture manufacturers throughout Malaysia. This study is part of an on-going Erasmus+ program funded by the European Commission, initiated in 2018 to develop a university-level education program to train workers capable of handling Industry 4.0 technologies for the furniture and wood industry in Malaysia. The results revealed that manufacturers of wood-based panel and metal furniture were more prepared to adopt automation and Industry 4.0 technologies compared to solid-wood and leather furniture manufacturers. The benefits from Industry 4.0 technologies include increased production capacity, product diversity, cost competitiveness, and workforce reduction. Further, the results of this study suggest that the lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers to handle Industry 4.0 technology is a concern among furniture manufacturers, and possibly the proposed university-level Industry 4.0 program may be beneficial to train workers for the future of the industry.

Plan Estratégico de Marketing para la Empresa Litargmode del Cantón Gualaceo provincia del Azuay – Ecuador

El presente artículo consiste en desarrollar un Plan Estratégico de Marketing para el posicionamiento e incremento de participación en el mercado de la empresa LITARGMODE, ubicada en la Ciudad de Gualaceo, Provincia del Azuay, considerado como un cantón turístico y en especial artesanal en la fabricación de calzado. Debido a la creciente demanda de fabricantes de calzado de cuero, el problema de la presente investigación radica en que la empresa ha disminuido notablemente sus ventas dentro de la plaza local y regional debido a la entrada de los productos extranjeros que entra sin aranceles y a un costo inferior, considerando que se hace necesario la aplicación de una herramienta de mercadeo para posicionar e incrementar la participación de mercado de la empresa en los diferentes sectores del país. El objetivo del estudio es diseñar un Plan Estratégico de Marketing con el propósito de tratar de mejorar las ventas a nivel local y regional. La metodología de la presente investigación es de tipo descriptivo con enfoque cuantitativo en donde se aplicará el método deductivo utilizando la técnica de la encuesta dirigido a los funcionarios de la Empresa, proveedores, ciudadanía y clientes potenciales. Los resultados indican que existe una alta competencia en el mercado, la publicidad para venta es demasiado baja y no promocionan el producto. Con este estudio y a través del Plan Estratégico de Marketing los directivos tomaran las mejores decisiones para mejorar este grave problema que hace daño a la empresa y así ser una marca competitiva en el mercado.

Efficacy of Citrilow and Cecure spray wash on prevalence of aerobic and Enterobacteriaceae bacteria/gram‐negative enteric bacilli and cattle hide quality

AbstractThis study investigated spray wash treatments independently with Citrilow or Cecure for their effects on microbial concentrations and leather quality. Spray washing with Citrilow reduced aerobic mesophilic recovery by 2.42–2.78 log cycles 2.78–2.95 log cycles, and 3.32–3.72 log cycles on the belly, belly, and butt regions, respectively. After washing with Citrilow, Enterobacteriaceae/related gram‐negative enteric bacilli (ENT/gnEB) recovery counts reduced by, 2.14–2.57 log cycles, 3.06–4.08 log cycles, and 4.65–4.99 log cycles on the belly, head, and butt regions, respectively. Cecure significantly lowered aerobic bacterial levels on the belly, head, and butt regions by 6.00–6.12 log cycles, 1.40–1.65 log cycles, and 4.26–3.60 log cycles, respectively. Washing with Cecure significantly lowered ENT/gnEB counts by 3.65–3.01 log cycles and 2.17–3.17 log cycles on belly and butt regions. Subjective testing, grain structure analyses, and mechanical properties of leather made from fresh hides after Citrilow or Cecure treatments revealed no difference between the treatment and their corresponding controls.Practical applicationsThe purpose of this study is to investigate the ability of two antibiotics (Citrilow and Cecure) to reduce bacteria on the outer haired surface of cattle hides which serves as a potential source of cross‐contamination of pathogens to beef. In addition, while reducing probability of cross‐contamination during cattle processing, the quality of the byproducts need to be insured. In the cattle industry, antimicrobials and surfactants applied must be food safe and limit damage to the animal byproducts, in the case of this study hides which are used to produce leather. The results from this study may be beneficial for meat processing plants, hide preparers and leather manufacturers to identify antimicrobials that may limit bacterial cross‐contamination which can lead to food related illnesses while insuring the quality of one of the cattle industries main byproducts.

The Main Approaches to the Cluster Development in the Russian Economy

Introduction The innovation clusters are a comparatively new tool of economic policy in the Russian economy. There are two approaches in the modern economic literature that can be easily singled out, the formation and support of special structures, which later on would perform the function of the so called infrastructural institutions and the maintenance of the natural development of the clusters by means of the targeted support of the institutions, which afterwards could turn into the focal cluster institutions. For instance, the policy of the 1st kind was carried out in Italy (the project of integrated laboratories). The laboratories and the network, created on their basis, are to encourage the development of the industrial enterprises in the priority sectors (new materials, biotechnologies). Another example--Iceland, where cluster network were formed around the large research institutes of Reykjavik. The policy of the 2d kind is pursued, for example, in France, where the government commission defined the 15 competitive clusters. In order to promote the development of the clusters the commission provides the financial support for the enterprises-cluster members. In Japan there is active program Knowledge cluster initiative. The assistance is provided for the joint projects, in which the regional universities make the cluster core represented by the network of the small innovative firms and the large industrial companies. This policy is pursued in Canada and Denmark. The Rationale behind Clusters The institutions, constituents of the intersectorial clusters, cooperate via vertical coordination (at the level of the intersectorial labour division) and via horizontal coordination. Hence, a complicated system, combining cooperation, competitiveness and industrial specificity, is developed. The closeness and the efficiency of this coordination are in consequence the determinants of the competitiveness and of the innovation activity of the enterprises in the cluster. The functioning of the cluster directly depends on the access to the scientific knowledge and latest technologies and on the ability of solid investment attraction as well. The clusters with a developed infrastructure of the intellectual and financial capital display greater development potential. The cluster core is considered to be represented by one or a number of the enterprises competitive in the global market, which are capable of producing the qualitative products for the needs of the majority of the companies-cluster members and for export, which hold the leading positions in the market and are capable of improving competitiveness of their products in the long-term perspective [7]. It means that the cluster core consists of the most competitive enterprises of the cluster, which are well known and, as a rule, give the name to the cluster. For example, the core of the automotive cluster in Tatarstan is its car manufacturing companies (KAMAZ, SOLLERS), although the cluster also comprises the manufacturers of the units, aggregates, components, metal constructions, composition material and others. Or another example--the footwear manufacturing cluster in Italy. Its core is the leather shoe manufacturers, but besides them there are the manufacturers of the ski boot, of the sports shoes, of the synthetic footwear, the leather bags, gloves, the manufacturers of the boot-trees and the equipment for the footwear industry and so on. The effectuation of the cluster development policy encourages the growth of the business and innovation activity in the region, the improvement of the investment climate, and the development of the social, economic and information systems. As a consequence, it results in the upgrowth of the entrepreneurship, the increase if the investment resources and the recovery of all the regional economic sectors. Hence, clusters in accordance with its economic function may serve as the institutional economic mechanism facilitating the initiation of the special measures on building of the unified policy and the agreement of the managerial decisions in the sphere of effective integration of the R&D, the production, the innovation replication in the adjacent sectors, and the modernization of the economy in whole. …

Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in leather products industry workers: cross-sectional study in a city of the state of Minas Gerais

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Musculoskeletal injuries induced by labor process and organization are relevant for health/labor relationship. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints and associated factors among leather products manufacturers. METHODS: Cross-sectional study where data were obtained by means of self-applied questionnaires to 320 workers distributed among 13 plants of the city of Cristina, MG, between February and March 2011. Nordic questionnaire of musculoskeletal symptoms was applied to measure the prevalence of complaints in different body regions. A descriptive analysis was carried out on the socio-demographic profile of the studied population. Multivariate logistic regression was used to describe the association between dependent variable, musculoskeletal complaint and the set of explanatory variables, with adjusted odds ratio calculation. Logistic regression was used with adjusted odds ratio calculation. RESULTS: The study involved 138 workers. Better adjusted multivariate model after confusion variables control was for knee pain, with prevalence of 40.0% among males and 24.1% among females. Sewing and finishing sectors behaved as protection, that is, less chance for pain as compared to the cutting sector. Age had negative association, that is, the higher the age the lower the chance of pain. In a different adjusted model for shoulder pain, workers and time working on the job showed higher chance of pain. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of complaints was higher than that found in the literature. Significant variables were identified which may subsidize the prevention of job distress, such as knee pain. Further studies are needed with the inclusion of other variables and other designs to minimize biases.

A novel approach for developing high thermal conductive artificial leather by utilizing smart electronic materials

Nowadays, artificial leather is an important commodity in daily life, especially in the fields of apparels, stationery and furniture. However, due to the maturity of producing technology and market segmentation, the industry trends to be saturated. Leather product manufacturers face intense competition and increasing production costs to survive on feeble profits. Thus, everyone is seeking a solution to break this predicament. Thanks to technical advancement and diversified intelligent electronics, a promising market opportunity has emerged that looks for innovative functional leather. This leather can exhibit high thermal conductivity and act as an essential component of electronic outside packages to prevent over-heating. This study aims to develop a high thermal conductive artificial leather (HTCAL). It incorporates smart electronic textile material (conductive yarn) into traditional artificial leather production through modifying the material and structure of its base layer. The result showed that the thermal conductivity of HTCAL was improved by 19.6% and, when wearing directly, a significant temperature gap between skin and the inner side of the leather occurred, which could offer a comfort cool feeling when worn in summer. This approach is a breakthrough to seize a new opportunity and offer an advancing direction. Further, this HTCAL can free the industry from periodical demand restriction, that is, seasonal limitation, and broaden product research and development into more fields. Thus, this approach can not only improve manufacturers' competitiveness and break them out of the current predicament, but also it creates new business opportunities.

The Effect of Industrial Cluster Policy on Firm Performance in Ethiopia: Evidence from the Leather Footware Cluster

This paper empirically analyzes the productivity, profitability, innovation and network effects of a public policy promoting micro and small scale industrial clusters in Ethiopia. To this end, firm-level survey data was collected from randomly selected clustered leather shoe manufacturers that have directly benefited from the policy and those that do not, both before and after the cluster policy intervention. The results from econometric analysis suggests that the industrial cluster policy adversely impacts the productivity, profitability, growth, and innovation performance of the small and micro leather shoe manufacturing enterprises that moved to the government created clusters. The analysis of the transmission mechanism further reveals that the relocated cluster policy hampers the treated firms’ collaborative business and knowledge network and aggravates their growth impediments which includes lack of trust, high customer and supplier search and reach cost, lack of market information, imperfect contract enforcement, delays in the supply of raw materials and the lack of skilled labor. The time lag between policy implementation and its impacts may conceal the long-term impact of the cluster policy. The overwhelming majority of the representatives of treatment group firms also continue to believe that their business performance will improve over time as a result of their participation in the MSE cluster development program. This study is a pioneer to quantitatively evaluate the productivity, profitability, innovation and network effect of industrial cluster policy in Ethiopia.

Contact allergy in Indonesian patients with foot eczema attributed to shoes.

Shoe dermatitis is a form of contact dermatitis resulting from exposure to shoes. Allergens and types of shoes responsible may vary depending on manufacturing techniques, climatic conditions and indigenous traditions. This study focuses primarily on as yet unexplored shoe dermatitis cases in Indonesia. To determine the prevalence of shoe dermatitis in the Dermatology outpatient clinic, Sardjito University Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia over a period of 3 years and to identify the responsible allergens. All patients meeting screening criteria for possible shoe contact dermatitis were patch tested with the European baseline series, shoe series and additional series based on earlier studies of Indonesian leather and shoe manufacturers; some were also patch tested with their own shoe materials and shoe extracts. Sixty-four (7.1%) of 903 patients with foot skin disorders were diagnosed with shoe dermatitis. Twenty-five (52.1%) of 48 patch-tested patients showed positive reactions to one or more allergens related to footwear. Sixteen patients were patch tested with their own shoe materials; 11 showed positive reactions. The most frequent relevant sensitizers were rubber allergens followed by preservatives, shoe adhesives and leather materials. Shoe dermatitis is common in Indonesia. Using three series of patch tests, we identified responsible allergens and patterns of sensitization in Indonesian shoe dermatitis patients.

Leather Industry in Bangladesh: Opportunities and Challenges

Leather is a unique commodity that links grassroots villages with high societies and traditional practices with emerging technologies. For many developing countries, leather and leather manufacturers constitute an indispensable and dependable source for export trade and foreign exchange earnings. For Bangladesh, leather is a high priority industrial sector and footwear exports, an extreme focus area. Bangladesh has, just few decades since Independence, made significant gains from the leather trade, progressing from the status of an exporter of 90% plus raw hides and skins to that of an exporter and predominantly leather product manufacturer. However, there is little systematic research into this sector. This study is trying to address the research gap by seeking to understand the current status, problems and prospect of leather industry in Bangladesh.

Occupational contact dermatitis. Recognition and management.

Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) represents 90 to 95% of all occupational dermatoses. The incidence rate of OCD is estimated to be around 0.5 to 1.9 cases per full-time worker per year. However, epidemiologic data are lacking and incidence is probably underestimated, especially in the US. Over the past 20 years, OCD has been the most frequently reported occupational disorder to German social insurance institutions. Critical factors in the management of OCD are recognition of clinical features, knowledge of allergens and irritants present in different occupational fields, knowledge of suitable protection, interpretation of patch test results, and awareness of medicolegal aspects. Management of OCD should be carried out by dermatologists and patch test clinics in cooperation with physicians specialized in industrial medicine. Individuals at high risk of OCD are hairdressers, dental laboratory technicians, other healthcare workers, construction industry workers, metal workers, leather and shoe manufacturers, florists and gardeners, and bakers, caterers, confectioners and cooks.

The Conservation of Bookbinding Leather: A Report Prepared by the British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association for the British Library.

Previous articleNext article No AccessShorter NoticesThe Conservation of Bookbinding Leather: A Report Prepared by the British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association for the British Library.Richard W. ClementRichard W. Clement Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Library Quarterly Volume 56, Number 2Apr., 1986 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/601758 Views: 4Total views on this site Copyright 1986 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

PETTY SELF-SUPPORTING MAKERS IN THE DOWNTOWN OF TOKYO

This paper mainly aims to clarify the present status of many craftsman engaged in leather and furniture industries, living in the downtown of Tokyo. Both leather and furniture industries in Japan generally have following character-istics: 1) These industries are mostly occupied by petty selfsupporting makers. 2) These industries are both located in the downtown of large cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, etc. 3) Reproduction of labor force has been made on a small scale under the ap-prenticeship and putting-out system. 4) Large corporations do not directly participate in the process of production. Especially leather industry is peculiar to have originated from traditional “Buraku” manufacture which sprung up in segregated districts at the feudal age. After the Kanto Earthquake of 1923, ragpickers were forced to live in the dis-trict of Motogi; a lowland along the Arakawa river, by the government authorities.During World War II, the compulsorily migrated Korean and low income group had centered into the slums. Rag-pickers and leather manufacturers began to increase in number. In addition, many furniture makers, who had concentrated in the former Arakawa-ku removed to the outskirts of the slums of Motogi, Adachi-ku. As a result, small-scale factories are densely located in this area. The self-supporting makers, mainly made up of unpaid family workers, play an important role in the leather and the furniture industries of this area. The self-support-ing makers are neither capitalists nor wage laborers. For they are mainly supported by unpaid family workers despite of having means of production. The lower class of the self-supporting makers are defined as follows. 1) no wage laborer. 2) supply of raw materials from lager ones. 3) no subcontract. These self-supporting makers earn a processing wage from large ones which supply the materials. Therefore, these self-supporting makers are termed capitalistic domestic wage laborers. The apprenticeship system has a tendency of crush by the mechanization and the lack of young labor forces. The social division of labor has developed and brought a “deformed craftsman”, who only takes charge of partial process. Many auxiliary workmen, who are mostly housewives of low income group and surplus labor force in the slums, have participated in the process of production. As to production control, wholesale capitals have become weaker, though they still control the completed-products in the market. On the other hand, large makers are taking the place of the wholesale capitals. Facing the economic depression, many of the self-supporting makers are forced to close their businesses for the decline in demand. As a result, they are obliged to become an unstable wage laborers in the downtown of Tokyo.

British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association

British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association

British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association

British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association

The British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association

The British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association

The British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association

The British Leather Manufacturers' Research Association