For over sixty years, Brevetti CEA, based in Vicenza, a global leader in inspection machinery for injectable pharmaceuticals, has set industry benchmarks. In 2019, they embarked on an ambitious new venture: CORIUM. This dedicated division aims to replicate Brevetti CEA’s remarkable success within the automotive and fashion leather sectors by introducing cutting-edge technologies for automated inspection, selection, and marking of hides.
CORIUM, operating as a distinct division within the esteemed BREVETTI CEA Group, has unveiled groundbreaking automated inspection technologies. These innovations are set to redefine industry standards by offering state-of-the-art solutions that seamlessly integrate advanced technology to boost operational efficiency, elevate quality, and champion sustainability in leather processing. At the core of CORIUM’s pioneering innovations lies an intelligent system driven by high-resolution cameras, advanced lighting, and sophisticated deep learning algorithms, all supported by a patented material handling mechanism. This advanced architecture ensures flawless classification, precise marking, and comprehensive traceability throughout the entire leather production journey, consistently delivering sustainable results. Leveraging years of inspection expertise, Corium has developed the industry’s first AI-driven automatic leather inspection machine. This revolutionary solution not only automates and optimizes quality control but also accurately identifies defects and generates a virtual twin of each inspected hide. CORIUM thrives on collaboration within the group, partnering with Brevetti Ai and e Disys for the development and maintenance of their proprietary AI platform, Sintech for robotic automation and bespoke loading/unloading systems and Brevetti CEA itself for machine assembly and manufacturing.
G52: revolutionizing finished leather inspection
The company’s flagship product, the “Corium G52,” automates the critical process of selecting and marking finished leathers. It employs objective and repeatable criteria, significantly reducing the subjectivity traditionally associated with hide grading. The Corium G52’s patented vacuum transport system ensures that hides are processed without creasing, thereby optimizing them for inspection. Line scan cameras, paired with an advanced lighting system, capture high-resolution images from multiple angles, enabling the identification of even the tiniest imperfections, such as insect bites or contaminants. With a remarkable resolution of up to 40 micrometers per pixel, the system precisely detects even the most elusive defects.
CORIUM’s proprietary AI-powered software orchestrates the entire inspection process, examining both the grain and flesh sides of a hide in an impressive average cycle time of just 14 seconds per hide. This innovative software not only enhances productivity and consistency but also promotes sustainability, integrating seamlessly into broader production ecosystems with MES data compatibility.
A standout feature of CORIUM’s inspection solution is the creation of a digital defect map. This map meticulously records defects by type, size and criticality, guaranteeing full traceability for every hide. In decentralized cutting operations, this map enables precise alignment of detected defects, eliminating the need for manual marking and significantly boosting production efficiency. The G52 boasts exceptional performance, achieving a “takt time” of just 14 seconds per hide, including loading, unloading, and real-time data processing. Unlike machines that rely on adhesives for geo-positioning, the G52 automatically marks the leathers. A “vision box” updates the defect map and transmits precise data to the cutting machine for optimized nesting and cutting. The digital image, complete with defect markings, is transferred to the physical hide, allowing the cutting machine to recognize it and align it with its virtual counterpart for optimal cutting. The AI leverages macro defects as markers to establish the geographical positioning and ensure the traceability of the leather, a value increasingly demanded by the market for sustainability. This capability allows for verification of quality and origin, compliance with regulations, reduced waste, and enhanced production efficiency.
W24: innovation for wet leathers
Beyond finished leathers, CORIUM’s automated inspection technology extends to wet white and wet blue hides with the “Corium W24” system, which automates the critical classification phase. By determining the most suitable destination for each hide early in the process, this system minimizes waste and significantly improves quality control throughout the entire supply chain. The W24 is an innovative and versatile automatic inspection machine, specifically engineered for handling wet leathers (wet blue or wet white). Compared to the G52, it features multiple inspection units with camera and illuminator groups that capture images from various light angles to highlight distinct and complementary characteristics of the hide, features that may not always be considered defects in wet leathers. Utilizing specialized backlighting and diverse lighting angles, the W24 captures comprehensive images of the hide with high-resolution cameras and merges them into a single, detailed map. All of this is accomplished in just 14 seconds, with the hide moving on the roller at approximately 25 meters per minute.
Corium’s product range is continuously expanding. In addition to the G52 and W24, the company has developed automatic loading systems for finished leathers. This includes two types of multistackers: a horizontal version for finished leathers, featuring multiple bays, which automatically positions and transports hides based on the G52’s inspection results, meticulously designed to prevent creases or distortions; and a vertical multistacker for wet leathers, with six selection bays, positioned downstream of the W24. The Print&Check marking system is also available, along with a module (either standalone or integrated into the G52) that enables automated sampling and blow-out inspection on the leather through manipulation, all without halting the roller.
CORIUM’s automated inspection technologies represent a fundamental paradigm shift for the leather and tanning industries. By offering a reliable, efficient, and sustainable approach to leather inspection and classification, CORIUM is poised to lead the industry’s transformation, guaranteeing higher standards of productivity, quality, and environmental responsibility.
TRM: laser automation and ai for high-efficiency trimming
At the upcoming Freiberg Leather Days 2025, CORIUM will unveil a groundbreaking innovation poised to elevate efficiency standards in the wet phase of the tanning process. The TRM (Trimming Laser) system, the culmination of extensive research and development, introduces a fully automated paradigm for trimming wet leathers. It seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence, high-resolution machine vision and precision laser technology. Post-shaving trimming has historically been one of the most critical and resource-intensive phases of the entire tanning cycle, impacting both labor costs and material yield. The traditional approach, relying on skilled operators’ manual intervention, invariably leads to challenges like subjective variability, a high scrap rate (which can reach 10% of the usable surface), and difficulty in ensuring consistent, repeatable quality. CORIUM has tackled these issues head-on with a radical solution: a system capable of completely automating trimming, reducing human involvement to a purely supervisory and control role. The technological heart of the TRM system is a sophisticated machine vision system that acquires ultra-high-resolution images. These images are processed in real-time by neural networks to identify imperfections. The algorithm, rigorously trained on an extensive dataset of typical wet-phase flaws, calculates an optimized cutting profile. This profile is then executed by one or more high-power CO2 lasers, operating simultaneously on distinct areas of the hide with software managing overlapping zones. The system is equipped with mirrors, air knives, active cooling, and suction systems, and also includes an automatic gas regeneration module that minimizes maintenance requirements. This configuration enables precise cutting, even on folded or irregular surfaces, without any burning, thanks to an internally developed laser beam management process. Furthermore, the software platform allows for customized detection profiles, adapting the cutting strategy to specific production needs – from a conservative setting focused on maximizing yield to an aggressive mode designed for systematic elimination of every visible imperfection. Preliminary data gathered during industrial validation reveal a significant reduction in waste, alongside consistently high and repeatable trimming quality. The system also boosts production throughput, drastically cuts operational costs, and significantly improves the overall environmental footprint of the process, aligning perfectly with the latest European directives on industrial sustainability. The preview of the TRM system at Freiberg Leather Days 2025 has generated considerable interest among industry professionals, affirming the vital role of technological innovation as a strategic driver for the competitiveness of European and international tanneries. CORIUM aims to be the technological partner for all tanneries looking to embrace the future’s challenges with concrete, intelligent, and sustainable solutions.
CORIUM: the tannery of the future, powered by AI
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