The Predator: A new concept in splitting

Back view of the Predator. Used in line with a through-feed fleshing or samming machine, it doesn’t require operators.

Front view of the Predator.
Arzignano, Vicenza, Italy – Alpe Spak’s new through-feed splitting machine system, the Predator, has been designed to reduce the number of specialised operators, improve worker safety, and improve the quality of the leather.
It operates with a patented concept to split in green, lime and now also wet blue.
It was developed from the need to solve both the problem of having specialised operators, and to improve the safety of operators exposed to the danger of cutting and crushing when loading the hides.
It has retained the system of an articulated roller which acts on the rubber roller and an upper transport roller, but the whole has been wrapped in special belt sleeves.
Moreover, the belts have eliminated the problem of marking of the hides caused by the transport rollers, and the lowering of thickness caused by the various trims that were blocking the articulated roller.
To complete the system, the machine can work, in line, with a through-feed fleshing machine, or samming machine in the case of wet blue, achieving a possible 24-hour, continuous production capacity of between 400 and 480 hides per hour, with two fleshing machine or samming machine operators, only 1 supervisor and no operators on the splitting machine itself, but with an in line trimming table where hides can be trimmed before splitting. The system can be tailor-made to the client’s needs.
The “optional” in-line system includes a long feeding conveyor as follows:
Long connecting special conveyor dimension 2800x4000 (standard measure)
Activated by pneumatic pistons and moving on rails.
Complete with an independent electrical panel placed on fixed bases.
This conveyor can eventually be tailor-made, in case of special hide dimensions or space availability.
The conveyor is an important part of the machine not only for the feeding operation but because its retractile movement allows for the easier opening and maintenance of the splitting machine.
Footwear Industry Articles
- The Road Ahead: A forecast for South Africa’s footwear and leather goods industriesDurban, KZN, SA – The South African footwear and leather goods industries are navigating a challenging yet potentially transformative period. Shaped by a mix of longstanding hurdles and emerging opportunities, their future remains uncertain as the global market continues to shift rapidly in the wake of COVID-19. While difficulties p ...moreObituary: Shan Pillay – Eddels, Jaguar Shoes, Divine Shoes (19/01/1936-28/05/2024) The quiet, ever-present photographerPietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – In the first place, my deepest condolences to Nellandran and Pritha and Uncle Shan’s five grandchildren. His passing on, as I’m sure you know, is not just a loss to your immediate and extended family and his close friends and colleagues, including in the media sector – but to all of us i ...moreAMSA: ‘Perturbing trend’ in importsDurban, KZN, SA – As the economy still seems to be precariously poised due to various exogenous variables, I remain very cautious about looking into the future.The formal sector of the economy has not fared well in terms of employment as measured by Clothing Industry Bargaining Council figures (see attached chart).It appears that th ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- LULUC: Explaining the link between deforestation and the leather industryLand use and land use change (LULUC) refers to the study area in general – that is the study of how global land use change (commonly through human intervention) results in increased atmospheric emissions. The obvious emission is that if the forest is burnt, the emissions are directly released into the atmosphere. However, the change ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourIt’s the middle-class market, not the rich, where the real money isAlthough I fully realise that luxury is a very important factor for the leather industry, I believe that we focus too much on this particular sector, and forget the day-to-day use of leather. There aren’t too many people who can afford a €100 000 bag, a &e ...moreRolfes Leather: New owners give it entrée to more African marketsBoksburg, Gauteng, SA – Rolfes Leather and the other 4 divisions which collectively make up the Rolfes Group have been acquired by the Solevo Group, a pan-African distributor of specialty chemicals.In a statement, Solevo said it had bought 100% of Rolfes Group in a deal backed by Solevo’s owner, London-based Development Partne ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Automatic image recognition to identify types of wood: Harnessing AI to fight global deforestationKaiserslautern, Germany (02 September 2024) – The new European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is intended to prevent goods marketed in the EU from contributing to the spread of deforestation. When a wood product is brought into the EU market, for example, there must be documentation of which types of wood were used to produce it, a ...moreOffshore wind energy: Mobile test platform for offshore wind turbinesBremerhaven, Germany (02 September 2024) – Public power grids are highly complex systems. Wind turbine manufacturers have to comply with technical guidelines when connecting new turbines to avoid putting grid stability at risk. In the Mobil-Grid-CoP project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES have d ...moreFunctionally integrated lightweight design in electric mobility: EV battery enclosures with lower carbon emissionsChemnitz, Germany (02 September 2024) – More charging power, higher range, lower environmental impact: In the COOLBat joint research project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU have teamed up with partners to develop next-generation battery enclosures for electric vehicles. Th ...more