In Leather Industry one should Focus on Applied Science
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A veteran talks about the work and challenges before the sector.
Typically what do leather technologists do (specific job roles)? What exactly do they do in, say, a tanning and leather finishing unit, a leather goods manufacturing company and a chemicals company?
In tanning and leather finishing units, they:
- Develop specific processing formulations/recipes based on the characteristics of the raw material and the end characteristics required based on end-use and processing equipment and machineries available
- Implement the processes with right controls and achieve quality standards
- Optimise the processes to achieve high efficiency of chemicals used, energy consumed, quick work output
- Control the cost of production
- Develop new articles as per the requirements of customers and as market innovators
- In leather goods / products / shoe units, their roles include:
- Inspecting the leather purchased based on quality parameters and cutting value (efficiency of utilisation)
- Streamlining the fabrication sequences and parameters based on the characters of the leather used
- Marketing the products by interacting with customers
- In chemical companies, it includes:
- Develop application procedures based on the requirements of the different leathers and the characteristics of the chemicals
- Demonstrate the application procedures in tanneries highlighting the advantages and securing orders for the chemicals
- Develop new types of leathers based on fashion requirements
What are the challenges/difficulties before India's leather industry? India has many advantages (high number of cattle heads) but what are the drawbacks, if any?
The challenges are on-time delivery of the products, ensuring consistency of quality parameters, poor preservation of raw hides and skins in some regions, low quality of cow hides due to poor animal husbandry practices, and poor infrastructural support for collection, storage and transport of raw hides and skins.
What aptitude and skill sets do leather technologists require?
Focus on applied science rather than pure science. You should have basic knowledge of chemistry, physics, mathematics, biotechnology, engineering, environmental science, and computer applications.
You should have a lot of common sense, observation skills, interpersonal skills, creativity and problem-solving skills, and the capacity to learn about new technologies and systems.
Author: Rahat Banoi (HT Horizons)
Date: 22nd October, 2010
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