The Technological Institute of reference for the French leather industry presented its innovative ALIS technology – Automatic Leather Identification System – at the last Simac in Milan.
At last September’s Simac in Milan, CTC presented ALIS (Automatic Leather Identification System), a revolutionary technological solution that allows the complete traceability of each individual leather. ALIS, in fact, identifies the origin of each individual hide and traces, step by step, the entire transformation process, from the raw hide to the finished product. It is, therefore, a precursor system for the global traceability of leather material and as such able to respond to the multiple challenges of CSR (animal welfare, environmental impact of the product/process, deforestation, leather quality, etc.).
ALIS consists of two complementary functions: ALIS Marking & ALIS Reading. ALIS Marking marks the raw hide, down to the ’heart’ of the hide, with a high-power CO2 laser marking system, which imprints the unique identification code associated with each animal (cod applicable in Europe and North America). This marking can be performed on all types of hides (large cattle, cattle) from the neck of the bovine, whether at the fresh raw or salted skin stage.
The marking system has been designed and patented to withstand leather transformation processes. ALIS Reading, on the other hand, is the industrial tool that guarantees the automatic and safe reading of marks and imperfections, through a camera acquisition system and the use of Artificial Intelligence algorithms. The process of acquiring information, relating to the quality and origin of each skin, takes place fully automatically and enables the sharing of information between the different sectors and processes, from breeding to the final leather product.
The advantages of the ALIS technology are: the presence of autonomous devices, which adapt to humid and saline industrial environments, and can therefore be integrated into existing production lines; timely marking and reading operations, almost simultaneous with the production process; operator safety is guaranteed because fumes are extracted at the source, with a protective cover and laser flash insulation. ALIS ensures accurate knowledge of the origin of raw materials and the entire supply chain, as well as the improvement and control of leather quality. It is a tool in line with CSR issues, i.e. knowledge of the environmental and social impact of the product and industrial processes, and guarantees the supply chain and the full satisfaction of customer/buyer expectations.