A very comprehensive system has been developed as a management tool. Each skin is tagged with a microchip and given an identity number at the abattoir, and this identity is maintained throughout the whole production process. Immediately after receipt and hand fleshing, the skins are spread on a glass table illuminated from below and scanned using a fixed overhead camera to provide detail of area. As the skin progresses throughout preservation and manufacture, the production history of each skin in terms of process detail and operative is recorded. This continues to the crust state where the skins are remeasured,on a similar scan-measuring machine: a full profile on each skin is thus available including area, thickness, quality, production history and value. When leathers are required, the appropriate skins are raised from this stock and offered for dyeing. Once the leathers are dried, and finally measured, the tags are removed and replaced by a barcode.
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