Egyptian tanners to relocate by end of year

Source
leather international mag.
Egypt
Published: 13 April, 2010

According to Mamdouh Mekky, chairman of the African Federation for Leather (AFLAI) and chairman of the Arab Union for Leather Industries the first phase of relocation of Egyptian tanners from the downtown tanning district of Cairo to the new purpose built tanning zone at Robikki will take place at the end of 2010.

‘I anticipate that if all goes to plan around 30 tanneries will relocate towards the end of the year’, he told Leather International. The tanneries are under pressure to move as they do not have adequate effluent treatment facilities and due to their location have no possibility of constructing waste treatment facilities.

At the new site in Robikki, located on the outskirts of the city a tannery cluster is being constructed featuring central effluent treatment centre, laboratory and general infrastructure. Mekky is hopeful that the delayed project will reach its second phase of relocation by the middle of 2011.

The Robikki cluster is a jointly funded project between the governments of Eygpt and Italy. The first phase of the relocation was due to be completed by this July but has now been pushed back towards the end of the year.

Mamdouh Mekky is also chairman of one of Egypt’s leading tanneries, El Shark Group which will be part of the first phase of the relocation.



A tale of two tanneries
Editorial leader - Originally published in November 2009
Published: 11 January, 2010

Welcome to a special ‘environment’ edition of this publication.
Environmental issues dominate our industry as they do in many other indus-
trial sectors. The environment now touches every aspect of our lifestyles
from recycling bottles to low energy household appliances and so on.
Being a labour intensive business, many tanneries these days are located
in developing countries where overall costs can be kept down, including
environmental costs. In developed countries tanners have been used to tight
environmental controls for some time, particularly on waste treatment,
and pay a financial price for compliance, which has to be passed on to the
customer.

In the past two decades many other businesses, under the burden of high
costs and to avoid closure, have relocated to developing countries but have
taken their good eco practices with them which has also raised the bar for
many locally owned tanneries.
However, there does appear to be two-tier division of tanneries in the
world when it comes to environmental control. There are those who do their
best to meet environmental standards and those that don’t. International
tanning group, PrimeAsia (see below) are in my opinion a great example of
how a modern tanning enterprise should operate when it comes to envi-
ronmental standards. PrimeAsia don’t have gold and silver accreditation
from the Leather Working Group (see page 28) at their three Asian plants
without reason. They work hard with their suppliers and customers to con-
tinuously raise standards beyond required legal/ethical tolerances in many
cases. Strict LWG audits underline this.
I believe any modern tanner should be looking through a magnifying
glass at their business’s natural resource and energy consumption, chemical
usage, recycling systems and cutting down on any, and I mean ANY waste
in every aspect of the business. Surely there must be financial benefits in
doing so?
PrimeAsia are one of a number tanners that spring to my mind around
the world that are forward looking and are prepared to invest to make long
term savings and lower their environ-
mental impact during and well after
the leather leaves the plant.
Contrast this with the August/
September edition of this publication
(page 36) when we published an arti-
cle entitled ‘Poor tannery effluent treatment compliance persists in
Bangladesh’ by Ashraful Alam of the Bangladesh College of Leather
Technology. Alam and his colleagues measured final tannery effluent dis-
charged into neighbouring rivers and agricultural land during 2007 and
2008 in a number of local tanneries. For me the results (based on four tan-
neries named in the article) were shocking. In the analysis of effluent from
Pubali Leather Industries, for example, the level of chromium discharged
was measured between 280x and 338x higher than the Bangladeshi legal
standard of 2mg/L. Samples of direct effluent discharge were described as
visually ‘blackish’ or ‘yellowish’ with pungent odours! Without casting the
whole Bangladeshi tanning industry in the same light, such tanneries in my
view should be closed until international effluent treatment standards have
been put in place and complied with. I have seen evidence of such lax envi-
ronment control at tanneries in other parts of the world, particularly in Asia,
Africa and the Middle East.
Such bad practice should have already been wiped out in our industry
long ago. Questions have to be asked why national governments are turn-
ing a blind eye while rivers are poisoned and why international agencies
such as UNIDO are not addressing the problem.
Ethically, how can a leather buyer buy from such companies? And finally,
how can tanners who do the right thing, comply with legislation and in
some instances go beyond the minimum, compete on a level playing field
with tanners such as those mentioned in Alam’s article?

Fimec 2010 on the horizon

Brazil
Published: 07 April, 2010
Ricardo Michaelsen

Ricardo Michaelsen

Fimec the Brazilian leather and footwear suppliers show is set to take place in Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil from April 13-16.
The 34th edition of the show takes place at the Fenac exhibition grounds’ and organisers hope that up to 50,000 visitors from around the world will attend the international fair for leather, chemicals, components, machinery and equipment for the footwear and tanning industries.

Growing sales in the Brazilian domestic market along with the new import tariffs (anti-dumping) on footwear imported from China make Brazil an interesting market for leather and footwear buyers say the organisers. The show covers 40,000 sq m and hosts 1200 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions.
‘Everything points to a Fimec marked by success. Company owners need to keep an eye on the volume of opportunities becoming increasingly more evident. And this year’s fair brings the proper ingredients to fulfill all the expectations of the leather-footwear industry’, says Ricardo Michaelsen, Fenac CEO.

Footwear production on site
Fenac and IBTeC, the Brazilian Institute of Leather Technology, Footwear and Manufactured Goods will be presenting Projeto Fábrica Conceito (footwear factory concept) during Fimec 2010. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the operations for making high-end footwear using equipment, machinery and components, with practical and real-time demonstrations of all the stages of the manufacturing process, including new technologies and innovative raw materials.

Busy show – but was there business?
First published in May 09
Published: 18 November, 2009

The Brazilian leather fair, Fimec took place in Novo Hamburgo, March 24-27. Fimec is considered a regional South American fair but after having seen the regional African fairs it seemed as if we were back at a mini-version of the Semaine Du Cuir in Paris or a South American edition of Lineapelle by comparison. Fimec is the only Brazilian fair where tannery and footwear machinery is exhibited in numbers alongside the tanners.

Whereas African regional fairs attract hundreds of visitors, Fimec attracted numbers touching the higher thousands, but all exhibitors agreed that the number of visitors was significantly less than in the previous edition in 2008. The companies visiting were estimated to be the same but the individual numbers that came in earlier years were reduced in order to save travel costs. It was bustling on both floor levels in the component sector and in the tannery and machine sectors.
The high level of interest was, however, not transformed into orders or contracts. The overall impression was that business was still very difficult and orders were few. There were no surprise orders, only those that would have materialised anyway without the fair. But the general opinion was that optimism was starting to surface and Brazilian tanners think that they are going to seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.
The feeling was that the crisis is bottoming out or has bottomed out. The question now is how long it will take to see an upward trend develop. That could be a matter of few months according to the real optimists to a year or more for the more cautious commentators. The important thing is that the general pessimism seems to be transforming slowly to confidence and a brighter future.
Predominantly synthetics were on display in spite of the fact that raw hide prices in Brazil are today around 0.50 Reais per kilo ($0.22), against 2.50 Reais ($1.14) just 18 months ago, with huge stocks still unsold. The finished leathers, however, did not follow this sharp reduction in price. Where hides and skins reduced by 60% finished leather is only 20% cheaper. Price is not considered a predominant factor for the reduced sales, whereas the drop in consumption is the core of the reduced production.
The sales of leather that were made at the fair were for domestic trades. Foreign buyers were practically absent or those that were at the fair did not buy. Machinery manufacturers from home and abroad found tanners definitely interested in new machines but the tanners said that they needed to see the market pick-up again before they would make any decision for purchases beyond window shopping.
Where chemical manufacturers and suppliers are reducing their appearance in other fairs, they were present in large numbers at Fimec. Theirs may be more an act of regional presence and entertainment to their buyers rather than selling.
A number of foreign operators were invited, all expenses paid, to attend a symposium organized by Softex, the association of software producers in Brazil sponsored by the Brazilian government. Softex is a non-profit association representing some 1,300 software developing companies all over Brazil.
Although most presentations were in Portuguese which not everybody understood, some very interesting concepts have been brought to the attention of those present. The presented software for a variety of applications of all facets of the leather and leather related industry concerned ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and SCM (Supply Chain Management), concepts the industry will not be able to do without, even if it does not want to know that yet.
Swiss based machinery and automation makers, Hüni and Systemhaus, took the opportunity of the event to train several of their foreign representatives in the finer details of Hüni Process Control and Automation as well as the latest version of the Antara tannery management system and to give live demonstrations at tanneries around Novo Hamburgo who use these
systems.
In conclusion the fair was considered a success and did neither exceed nor lower expectations in the current climate.

Plasticizers

They are mainly used for film flexibility of the finish and as plate releasing agent. Varying amounts of plasticizing substances should be added to the finishing floats depending upon the flexibility of the leathers, the film hardness of the binders used and the thickness of the finish coats. They are employed to increase the stretchiness and elasticity of the respective binder coats and prevent embrittlement of the entire finish during storage and during use of the final leather products. Different types of plasticizers are required for aqueous or solvent-soluble finishing agents.
Ester plasticizers serve as plasticizers, softeners, extenders, and lubricants, esters play a significant role in rubber manufacturing. The basic function of an ester plasticizer is to modify a polymer or resin enhancing its utility. Ester plasticizers make it possible to achieve improved compound processing characteristics, while also providing flexibility in the end-use product. Ester plasticizers are selected based upon cost-performance evaluation. The rubber compounder must evaluate ester plasticizers for compatibility, processibility, permanence and other performance properties. The wide variety of ester chemistries that are in production include sebacates, adipates, gluterates, phthalates, azelates, and other specialty blends. This broad product line provides an array of performance benefits required for the many elastomer applications such as tubing and hose products, seals and gaskets, belts, wire and cable and print rolls. Low to high polarity esters provide utility in a wide range of elastomers including nitrile, polychloroprene, EPDM, chlorinated polyethylene, and epichlorohydrin. Plasticizer-elastomer interaction is governed by many factors such as solubility parameter, molecular weight and chemical structure. Compatibility and performance attributes are key factors in developing a rubber formulation for a particular application

Product of water-soluble finishing agents
Sulphated castor oil
This is also called Turkey red oil. As it has additional wetting properties excessive amounts should be avoided to prevent impaired fastness properties of the finish.
Higher molecular alcohols Wax emulsion
The derivatives of polyglycols, glycol ether, glycerol or their esters are the mainly used products.
Castor wax is used in polishes, cosmetics, electrical capacitors, carbon paper, lubrication, and coatings and greases where resistance to moisture, oils and other petrochemical products is required. Castor wax is also useful in polyurethane coating formulation, as it contains three secondary hydroxyl group.These coating compositions are useful as a top coat varnish for leather, wood & rubber.

Wax emulsions

These give the films additional fullness and elasticity and reduce tackiness during plating. They should not be used in large amounts as otherwise the coats become extremely water repellent ( may result in impaired adhesion)

Products for solvent finish (none gelatinizing)
Vegetable oils
The most commonly used product is castor oil, less frequently rape oil. They are only loosely deposited in nitrocellulose films. Therefore it is advisable to apply them in combination with synthetic plasticizer.

Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean (technically castor seed as the castor plant, Ricinus communis, is not a member of the bean family). Castor oil (CAS number 8001-79-4) is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point is 313 °C (595 °F) and its density is 961 kg/m3.[1] It is a triglyceride in which approximately ninety percent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleic acid. Oleic and linoleic acids are the other significant components.[2]
Products for solvent finish (gelatinizing)
Synthetic plasticizer oils
These are mainly esterification products of the phthalic and adipic acid. They have a solubilizing effect on nitrocellulose and polymers.
Camphor
This is a ketone in a crystallized form. Besides having a plasticizing effect it improves the glazing properties of nitrocellulose lacquers.

Eco trend in Leather leather fair HONG KONG 29-31 March 2010

Confidence returns to the market at APLF
Hong Kong
Published: 06 April, 2010
APLF 2010

APLF 2010

The 26th edition of the APLF ended on March 31, just before the Easter holidays, with an upbeat mood existing among most that attended. The word most used this year was ‘confidence’ with most exhibitors happy with the level of visitors attending the show and placement of orders looking forward. It believed that consumer demand in China, India and the rest of South East Asia is behind the new optimism as demand from the US, Latin America and Europe is still fragile.



The APLF took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition centre (HKCEC) in Hong Kong, March 29-31 with two exhibitions (MM&T, Fashion Access) and a major forum (Prime Source) taking place under the APLF umbrella. The leather and leather supply sectors were concentrated in the recently extended hall 1 of HKCEC under the banner of Materials, Manufacturing and Technology (MM&T).

‘The first few hours of the show seemed quiet but suddenly it was like someone pulled the plug and visitors came in large numbers to our stand’, Bill Greene, president, Union Specialties told Leather International. Union Specialties are a leather chemical manufacturer located in the US but with a customer base worldwide. ‘We are happy with the level of visitors we have seen so far and confidence has certainly picked up’, he added.

MM&T covered 21,000 sq m and hosted 1007 exhibitors from 48 countries and regions. It included 26 group pavilions and included 109 first time exhibitors.

‘Those familiar with the concept know as ‘tipping point’ will possibly agree, unless they are economists, that 2009/10 was the moment when the global engine of growth and development began to shift away from North America and towards Asia’, Michael Duck, APLF director and exhibition organiser told a press conference held during the show. ‘APLF is in the perfect position to use Hong Kong as a hub to link Asia with the rest of the world’, he said.

For tanners attending the show the only major concern was the continuing rise in raw material prices. With some elements of the global economy still fragile tanners are unable to pass increasing raw material costs on to their customers and thus see their margins squeezed further. Tanners that leather international spoke to during the APLF expect that raw material prices should begin to level out and reduce over the next few weeks as profitability in leathermaking is eroded and they are forced to withdraw from the market or pass on costs. Otherwise the alternative could end up with buyers and retailers specifying non-leather materials.

A more detailed report will be published in the May edition of Leather International magazine.

Design a bag competition
The eco Tetra-Bag, is made from recycled Tetrapak packages, and recycled Rubber material.
The idea is to offer teenagers a fun and eco-friendly bag, that promotes a new life style based on re-thinking life cycles of products, in order to reduce waste materials and respect the nature.

Pakistan exhibitor participated in Hong Kong leather fair Gulzar Feroz as a chairman of PTA. Pakistani pavilion stocks of all kind of leather article.

Leather fashion pavilion in leather fair

Pakistan tanners out in force
Hong Kong
Published: 09 April, 2010
Opening the Pakistan pavilion

Pakistan pavilion opening at the APLF 2010

A total of 66 companies recently attended the APLF in Hong Kong from Pakistan. The fair is seen as the major international show for the Pakistan’s tanners with existing and new buyers attending from all over the world, particularly Asia.

Gulzar Firoz, chairman, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) expressed his satisfaction on successful participation of Pakistan at the APLF following a successful show for Pakistan’s tanners and major orders had been taken.

Dr Ahmad Balal, consul general, consulate general of Pakistan, Hong Kong accompanied by Michael Duck, chief executive and organizer of APLF inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at APLF on March 29.

2010 marks the highest number of exhibitors from Pakistan attending the show. According to the PTA buyers visited stands from several countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, China, India, Taiwan, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, and Hungry during the three-day show.

Gulzar Firoz said that around US$30 million of export orders of finished leather were concluded during the fair and a further US$20 million of new orders are in the pipeline following the show, which took place March 29-31.