ARS | Publication request: Evaluation of hides and leather using ultrasonic technology

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: September 1, 2012
Publication Date: November 12, 2012
Citation: Liu, C., Latona, N.P. 2012. Evaluation of hides and leather using ultrasonic technology. 9th Asian International Conference on Leather Science and Technology. November 12-14, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan. p. 1.

Technical Abstract: Hides are visually inspected and ranked for quality and sale price. Because visual inspection is not reliable for detecting defects when hair is present, hides cannot be effectively sorted at the earliest stage of processing. Furthermore, this subjective assessment is non-uniform among operators, and leads to disputes over fair price. Development of an objective and nondestructive method to accurately evaluate the quality of hides is needed. We have developed Airborne Ultrasonic C-scan imaging techniques that can reveal the presence of defects in hides and leather, which could affect the leather quality. This system offers great potential for testing entire hides in the manufacturing plant. Data can be gathered from different sections of the hide and during different stages of the manufacturing process. Therefore poor quality hides and leather will be detected earlier and possibly reprocessed before it is carried all the way through the expensive tanning process. The variations in the amplitude were colored coded into C-scan images to reveal the location and shape of the defects or some other physical discontinuity that could affect the hides or leather quality. Using AU C-scan images could advance the industry in how it assesses and grades raw hides and finished leather.