Microfilm, Famac, Evolution Tech. Three different companies united to develop an avant-garde project to reduce chemicals, pollution, costs and waste.
Tannery International aims at discovering ground-breaking companies. Deepening projects and processes, live watching cutting-edge machinery and collect the opinions of different professionals is important and very interesting. We spent a day in the leather district of Arzignano, where we paid visit to the headquarters of three great supporters of the green technological revolution: Microfilm, Famac and Evolution Tech.
The 21st-century challenges facing the leather industry are many and significant: innovative technologies, high-quality raw materials of natural origin, energy derived from renewable sources, elimination of pollution, continuous improvement, and meeting consumer needs have become the main focuses around which more and more companies are moving, aware of the dangers posed by the environmental impact of individual production activities. The growing awareness that sustainable development, understood as a balance between resource exploitation, safeguarding the planet and planning for the future is mandatory, it is profoundly influencing the change in mentality that has initiated a new and modern industrial revolution. Three of the companies promoting this transformation are located in the Arzignano area – Microfilm, Famac and Evolution Tech – which have formed a strong partnership to answer one of the most relevant and important questions: how to be truly green by creating value throughout the supply chain? Increasingly stringent environmental regulations, increasingly discerning consumers and international customers from the fashion, automotive and home furnishing sectors who are increasingly demanding about sustainability standards, have made it urgent and imperative to choose processes that make a difference, freed from old and obsolete dynamics. We know that Italy is a leader in the tanning sector, one of the components of excellence in the textile-fashion-clothing supply chain, but the activation of joint projects is not so natural yet.
Microfilm, an internationally recognized name in hot stamping film production, has long understood that introducing pro-ecological changes in the industry is possible. MicroBase, new this year, represents an absolute revolution in this respect: it is not just a product but an entire system that makes it possible to meet the needs of those tanners and finishers who are not satisfied with conventional solutions. We are talking about a new water- based foil that, thanks to its technology and thickness of only 3 microns, is able to create a uniform first layer on the leather, allowing for the surface to be totally homogeneous and covered. This new method, which replaces the traditional primer coverage (base coat), avoids wetting the leather, keeping it softer and allowing, above all, that defects are hidden and the color change produced by the different absorption is not highlighted. The leather therefore “filmed” and made uniform by the polyurethane base coat also facilitates all subsequent processing: for example, one can proceed with direct printing, after insulating it only with a spray product; the “reassembled” leather can be finished and then printed; or, here Evolution Tech comes into play for the first time, and can be printed with its new cold cylinder patent. So it is clear that, in addition to being the ideal cover, MicroBase is the perfect solution to limit chemicals, reduce waste and decrease pollution (including air pollution) exponentially. Finally, thanks to Famac, a consultant in the study of possible applications, it is apparent that it is not necessary to prepare the leather with resins or other chemicals but it only needs to be warm, without surface moisture at the time of lamination. A process that is made possible by Evolution Tech thanks to the patenting of an unprecedented machine equipped with a press complete with preheating that brings the leather to temperature and simultaneously laminates it with MicroBase.
A WORD FROM THE MAIN PLAYERS
GIULIANO SAMBUGARO DI MICROFILM
MICROFILM Srl was founded in 1997 in Brendola, in the province of Vicenza, from an idea of Giuliano Sambugaro, backed by several years of experience in the coating industry. Since then, the company has continued to evolve, continuing to make great strides and equipping itself in 2006 with a special plant for total and partial laminates destined for leather.
How did this synergy come about? Ernesto Salvioni of Microfilm: “We have always been convinced that unity is strength. We are part of the whole, we are not the whole. Working together means being able to face and overcome the challenges that the market presents on a daily basis. Our synergy has allowed us to develop new insights, create shared projects and have faster and more efficient processes. From new ideas come new opportunities. I am honest, alone we would not have come to develop such an innovative product so quickly.”
Let’s take a step back. Who was the initiator of this revolution? “It all started with Angelo Cozza of Famac and some of his customers, determined to reduce the environmental impact of their finishing processes and to improve the quality of the finished product.”
Step by step you have integrated a series of products that have led you to this outstanding result, correct? “Correct. Evolution Tech already possessed a preheating system that we had tested on other products with outstanding results. In general, the transfer with this product is the icing on the cake. We are currently developing an automatic leather peel-off system that will be implemented on the new machine that Evolution Tech is building. As you can imagine it will have a system that is tailor-made for MicroBase but can be safely used for other products as well.”
The Microfilm headquarter at Brendola (VI)
ANGELO COZZA DI FAMAC
When did your company start and how has it grown?
“My daughter and I founded the company in 1997. I started out as an electrician but soon after that I became passionate about mechanics, which I have never left. Everything in the company today is my own construction. After 15 years spent within Ge.ma.ta as a technician, fitter and after-sales service professional, due the split in the company, I moved to Rollmac, whose owner was my brother-in-law. At the age of 50 years old, with toolbox in hand, rolling up my sleeves.”
What was the first machine you designed and how did it come about?
“It was more or less 1995. One day I was in Turbigo at a tannery working on high-end kid skins, and they asked me, “We apply hot cards and you make hot-cylinder machines why can’t you make one to meet our needs?” I remember telling them right away to tell me what they needed and we would get to work. From there, the first machine with a heated Teflon cylinder for card application was created. The machine worked but needed a modification to the cylinder soon after because it was too small for their needs. We immediately created a new one, equipped with a larger cylinder with a new structure to work with larger hides and at higher speeds, and a revolver to work with four or five designs at a time without the need to change the roll. These were all steps that slowly led us to develop the latest one.”
How did you come to be involved in the application of transfert waxes, foils and sequins for leather and fabrics?
“Because here in the area, in Arzignano, there was no one doing it. I said to myself, ‘Why not try it?’ It was a bet with the devil because we didn’t know how it would go. Courage rewarded us.”
How did you come to use the MicroBase system devised by Microfilm?
“The advantages of this film, with the same high quality standards, compared to a normal finishing, are huge in terms of savings of chemical products and water (-70%). When we go to finish a leather and start spraying the material to cover defects, we wet the leather actually highlighting them because they either turn dark, or they turn light. With the MicroBase system we apply a film that, taking advantage of the thermo- adhesive, which melts into the leather and does not wet the surface. So the original color remains unaltered. Then from there to bring it to color only 1/3 of the chemical material normally used. Just to give you an idea, to refinish a car body leather currently 30 grams per square meter of product is used, while with this system we have come to refinish them with only 6 grams, one-fifth less.”
What other pluses does MicroBase have?
“For example, when we go to finish the leather we have an additional saving because the bottom is already closed and the absorption of the leather is the same as the strand to the side, so both cutting and finishing is optimized. What’s amazing is that when we fold the leathers, we don’t see the grooving, or the creases that naturally form.”
It also means less raw material thrown away….
“That’s right because the waste also decreases. You already know that in shoe factories, or where they make horse saddles, they take the leather and place it on a half drum, clamp it and put tension on it. If the leather has a defect it is immediately highlighted. With this system, however, it doesn’t because the elasticity of the film is greater than the elasticity of the leather. When it is put under tension, the defect instead of being seen tends to disappear; it is no longer seen. Whoever understands what this film does has won!”
Does the machine already exist?
“It is already in production with excellent results and we are all working together on its final implementation. We started with a film spreader at 1.60 mt, in height, but the needs of companies in our district are different because they need to work on whole skins. So our joint effort now is to make a machine that works at 3200. I won’t deny that I have lost a few hours of sleep…(laughs). When you do testing, anything can happen but we have started to see the first fruits of our labour. In Turkey they are experimenting with a different process: they have started cutting the skins before processing them. To understand why, you have to think about the whole process: when we use the raw hide, taking out everything that has to be discarded at the end, if we do the math, what happens? I cut the skin, make gelatine and I salvage something. If I start from a finished leather, to which tanning, re-tanning, dyeing, fattening, finishing is done, which has to be cut anyway because it is not used, it becomes a special waste. The biggest Turkish tanners have already installed plants to make gelatines in house, and by cutting the hides, they bring out 25 percent less weight. The containers hold more material; when you go to tanning, you don’t have to process leather that then has to be thrown away. You can imagine the impact it has on costs and consequently on the final savings.”
This is what happens in Turkey and not in Italy? Why?
“Because the time is not yet ripe here. Not everyone is ready to work together as we did and look beyond, toward a higher common good and with more foresight. We need to decrease waste; this is a key issue.”
It is an outstanding project on paper, but what expectations do you have for the future?
“I’m sure that as soon as the first 3200 arrives that will even be able to work with 5 or 6 thousand meter rolls, we will get great satisfaction…All kidding aside, there will be incredible development. It is a fact of life. This is the future.”
The Famac warehouse at Arzignano (VI)
ANTONELLO MARCHINO, EVOLUTION TECH
Can you tell us about the origins of your company?
“I started working with EmmeZeta RotoPress when the two firms still worked together. After that I moved to Feltre for another seven years, after which, together with two other colleagues, a programmer and a designer, Alberto Pavan and Denis Lovato, and some financiers, we founded Evolution Tech. Thanks to our ideas and their financial complicity, we were able to officially start in 2016. From there it has been a continuous progression. We chose the name Evolution Tech precisely because our philosophy from the beginning has been to always want to create something new. We have already developed more than seven patents in house, some international, guaranteeing diverse and more technological products. Sharing with Microfilm and Famac is crucial for us because this quartet, of chemistry, machines, operator and finally finishing, represents a completely complete project.”
You have tapped into a free space that was missing and introduced a whole series of patented technologies that have brought you one step ahead…
“Yes, we started with totally 4.0 machines. The first ones were from printing, which remains our primary focus, and then we moved on to ironing machines. Now, thanks to this beautiful collaboration, we are finally starting, but not in terms of quality, because the technology we are using in all three sectors, in all three different areas, is at the highest level.”
In doing the first experiments, what benefits did you witness?
“There are very strong benefits. We have already sold five machines for the MicroBase project: four in Tuscany and one in Poland, three 1800s except for the latest one, which is a 3200.”
And what feedback did you get?
“Very good. The advantage of this film is that it can be used by both people and companies that don’t have purifiers, that don’t have chimneys, that don’t have the ability to dispose of fumes, water or anything else. This is because the skin that reaches the recipient is already prepared, it is not wet, and the film, which is another dry material only needs to be laminated. There is no need for any blast chiller, or chimney. Let me tell you a fun anecdote…. The machine we sold in Poland was bought by a family of three ac couple and father-in-law, who equipped themselves with some crast of basic colours, and as the customers of the Polish tanner in the area arrive, they take the film they want and laminate it almost immediately. If it is not on the same day, they are able to deliver in a day without customers having to wait. We can say that it is a real just-in-time. All it takes is space to house the machinery and little else.
Think what big companies could do….”
What feedback did the fashion world give you?
“The Tuscan tanneries have confirmed that they are able to have leather that is much lighter in terms of pigmentation, without blemishes (which gives it an upgrade) and very easy to work with.”
Your personal feedback instead?
“Our secret, which we will gladly let you in on, is that together with Microfilm we have been able to see that by using our patented preheating system, the leather has a much better hold. The very important advantages of this system are four in total. The first is that by working with the hot skin the fusion with the film is perfect. The second advantage is that with this our preheating eliminates the presence of moisture on the surface of the leather. When the latter is present, which is very dangerous especially in winter, what happens is that it normally tends to get stuck between the film and the leather, creating little bubbles that no longer go away except by further drying and reworking. A waste in terms of energy and time. To summarize, the first two advantages are greater adhesion and the security of not having moisture inside the leather.”
What are the third and fourth advantages?
“Another strength is the increased speed at which the machines work. Usaully, leather must reach the transfer temperature in a very short time, in about one second. All the necessary heat must be transmitted by the heated cylinder upon contact. If leather is warm already, the penetration of the adhesives is immediate, uniform and deep. The fourth advantage is the lowering of the temperatures we have to work with: we have seen that by switching from a traditional machine without preheating to a machine with preheating, we are also able to lower the temperature of the cylinder. This means a net savings in electrical energy. Last but not least, the skin remains softer because with high temperatures the skin weakens because it is subjected to a considerable thermal shock. The MicroBase system represents in my opinion a concrete one step forward for a new beautiful and sustainable finishing.”
The RevoTech of Evolution Tech
THE OPINION OF THE FINISHERS
THE BENEFITS OF MICROFILM PRODUCTS TOLD BY THOSE USING THEM
The last stage of leather processing is the one that we can consider the most artistic. When it comes to finishing, the first thought goes to the infinite series of steps to which the leather is subjected and to all the processes that are involved.
How did your collaboration with Microfilm start?
“We were aware that Microfilm had been working for some years on the development of a new technology that would allow us to improve the quality of our work and that of the leathers. We needed to transform a traditional finishing process into something more performing from many points of view. We have finally reached the goal. Theoretically, we are all capable of doing everything but in this specific case this result was possible thanks to the experience of the people involved. We finishers are able to create top-notch items such as aniline leather, but not only. We use other smart technologies which are not suitable for everything. For example, with the release paper, which is applied on wet surfaces, we can do a lot but it does not cover all our needs, especially on mounted items.”
How is this new technology different?
“Working with thick films and placing them on the defects of the leather is like putting the asphalt on a motocross track, with all that that goes with it: the defects are only covered and not “restored”. The research started right from here: we wanted something much thinner, able to cover whole leathers, with different technical properties from what is on the market and able to guarantee, why not, even better quality. Using a film is nothing new, MicroBase is.”
MicroBase: what features does it have, what is it for and how is it sustainable?
“Today, it is outdated to do some types of finishing and to use obsolete machines. We realized that it is already too late for a turnaround but we can no longer ignore it. Being able to take advantage of more possibilities is essential. The idea is that of a very thin film, 3 microns thick, which, once applied, leaves the surface homogeneous, without different absorption. So, with the same finishing, I will apply 80/90% less finishing on the leather. To give an example, the finishing of an inexpensive item requires 120/130 grams of finishing per square meter while with this system 10 times less is used, discharging 80% less pollutants into the air. Especially for the buffed items, it means that the volume fold of the film is much finer so the leathers will be much more beautiful from an aesthetic point of view. Furthermore, the polyester on which the film is applied, once used, is not thrown away but is cleaned and rewound a second time for other uses. With classic releases, the biggest problem is that for every square meter of leather produced, there is a square meter of adhesive which must then be burned. The Microbase system only boasts advantages because it is a revolution from an aesthetic and technical point of view.”
As highlighted by the finishers who have tried it, in addition to improving the aesthetics and softness of the leathers, the MicroBase System considerably REDUCES:
- The environmental impact
- Air pollution
- The use of chemicals
- The amount of waste
- The costs of hazardous waste disposal
- The finishing times
