Since 1995, Officina Meccanica Taddei has been designing and manufacturing machinery for tanning, retanning, dyeing and fatliquoring hides under the Unimatik brand. Its flagship product is a stainless steel washing machine featuring a static outer drum and an internal basket divided into three rotating compartments. With the new Ecogreen Unimatik prototype, the Castelfranco di Sotto (Pisa) based company is making a paradigm shift. It presents a significant evolution of the traditional Unik-Pel, retaining its core strengths while simultaneously expanding its potential.
The most compelling innovation lies in its ability to process large-scale hides, thanks to its side opening, which functions like a true tanning drum. At the heart of the project is the desire to merge the gentle processing of the washing machine with the mechanical efficacy of a drum, surpassing the limitations of the previous generation. Federico Taddei, the company’s owner, explains how. “The drum is now completely open, like a traditional tanning drum. Instead of the traditional zipoli (internal pegs, support, and rotation elements), the machine employs large helical blades. These allow for handling even large hides at reduced speeds and with greater delicacy. This enables less aggressive processing, ideal for sheepskins and goatskins, reptiles, and other precious hides, but also for splits and thicker materials where the mechanical action must be precisely calibrated. The machine retains the ability to treat thin skins without risk of damage, thanks in part to a conveyance system that utilizes gravity and the shape of the blades to ensure natural recirculation within the bath.” The basket is supported laterally by a system of support rollers and reinforced at the rear by a cantilevered reducer with a double bearing. This provides a significant improvement in stability while reducing vibration and noise. As with its predecessors, the Ecogreen’s structure is built entirely of stainless steel and is available in two variants: AISI 304, suitable for standard processes such as on calfskin, and AISI 316. Thanks to its superior corrosion resistance, AISI 316 is ideal for particularly valuable hides, such as reptiles and other fine leathers, or when dealing with demanding cycles, like the liming process for rabbit skins used for hair removal. The renowned durability of steel is a fundamental requirement for guaranteeing consistent performance and longevity. The EcoGreen Unimatik is controlled by an industrial PLC with a touchscreen interface, which manages temperature, liquid volumes, and process parameters, with options for remote assistance and network integration. An internal filter allows suspended solids to be separated from the bath before discharge, contributing to the cycle’s sustainability. “The Ecogreen Unimatik,” concludes Taddei, “stands out not only for the typical chemical savings achieved through its bath recycling system, but also for its quiet operation and user comfort, featuring reduced energy consumption due to operation at lower speeds. It is positioned as a versatile solution for tanning, retanning, and dyeing, capable of adapting to the demands of a market increasingly focused on quality and sustainability, and able to precisely manage even larger-format hides.”
