Selection and grading

摘要

Selection and grading in tanneries is currently one of the "border areas" between automated machinery and manual intervention by skilled operators, where technology is steadily advancing to take over decisions that could once only be made by the human eye and brain. Area, weight/thickness, and surface condition are the principal parameters that concern the tanner in grading hides and skins. In the past, these were mainly manual operations. A trained pair of eyes was necessary to assess the hide or skin surface and look for faults or damage; thickness would be assessed by a hand-held thickness gauge at critical points; and when the grading had been decided, the grader would manually transfer the piece to the appropriate pallet or bin. Measurement of area and thickness is now routinely automated; the combination of digital cameras and data processing is slowly making inroads into surface inspection; and manual handling can be almost entirely avoided.