SLT 0101: Leather Machinery

Lecture Notes: DIPLOMA IN LEATHER TECHNOLOGY

MR PETER

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Course Purpose
To equip trainees with knowledge and skills on footwear and leather goods production machines
operation and minor maintenance performance.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, the trainees should be able to:
1. Plan work and prepare work area according to defined procedures/methods and
standards.
2. Set up machine according to the manufacturers manual and safety procedures.
3. Operate machines according to standard industry practice and occupational health and
safety (OSH) requirements.
4. Perform minor maintenances using manufacturer’s maintenance manual.
Course Description
Selection of Site: Location of footwear and leather goods manufacturing units. Factors
influencing site selection such as availability of, power, transport, market, labour, raw materials.
Footwear and leather goods machinery: Machinery for cutting, splitting, skiving, lasting,
stamping and embossing, strap cutting, stitching, folding. Footwear machinery maintenance:
Maintenance procedures - preventive maintenance, Routine maintenance and breakdown
maintenance of footwear and Leather goods machineries and accessories, lubrication and oiling
procedures in routine maintenance, estimating the repair and maintenance cost. Machinery
selection: Factors influencing machine selection
Teaching methods
Lectures, Demonstration and simulation, Individual and group work, and Practical exercise
Instruction Materials
Computers, Flash Disks, LCD projectors, white board, felt pens, white board marker
Course Assessment: Marks
CATs 10%
Practical 40%
Assignments 10%
End of Course exam 40%
Total 100%

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Core Text Book
a) J. S Harding (1934). The Boot and Shoe Industry. Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons ltd, New York.

Other References
a) R. G. Miller (1976). Manual of Shoe Making, Clarks Limited.
b) Board, E. (2007): Hand Book of Leather & Leather Products Technology. Engineers India
Research Institute.

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Introduction

Tanning hides and skins of animals into leather has been a widely practiced industrial activity in
the world. Over the years tanning industry has declined in industrialized countries of the world
for a variety of reasons. At the same time, developing countries of the world, particularly of
South East Asia, have expanded their tanning industry significantly.
Such expansion has been of recent origin, within the last two decades. The expansion of the
industry has resulted in increased pollution caused by the effluent generated. Besides, the
chemicals, machinery and equipment and processes used in the tanning industry can pose
occupational hazards to workers unless proper preventive and protective measures are adopted.

Machines and mechanical equipment play an important role in modern tanneries. Though these
result in increased productivity, their use has also introduced new hazards into the tanneries and
workshops.
Machines designed with proper safety provisions are generally costly. Even though many
machines are supplied with certain safety devices to control hazards, workers often remove these
for their own convenience or forget to reinstall these after completion of repair and maintenance
work.
Tanning- this is the process of treating hides and skins of animals to produce leather.
Tannery – this is the place where animal hides and skins are converted to leather.
Machine is an object which is made up of a number of parts designed to perform a specified
task. The machine has the input, normally power of some description and generates an output
such as product. They are assembled parts.
Machinery this is a collection of machines that operate together to perform a single task.
Example, tanning machinery covers all the machines required to carry out the activity of tanning.
Equipment it is also an object required to perform a task. Equipment does not convert anything.
They are set of tools.
Maintenance Actions necessary for retaining or restoring a piece of equipment, machine, or
system to the specified operable condition to achieve its maximum useful life.

Occupation health and safety program is a definite plan of action designed to prevent
accidents and occupational diseases.

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Policy statement- An organization occupational health and safety policy is a statement of
principles and general rules that serve as guides for action.

SELECTION OF SITE
Plant location refers to the choice of region and the selection of a particular site for setting up a
business or factory.
The selection of location is a key-decision as large investment is made in building plant and
machinery. It is not advisable or not possible to change the location very often. So an improper
location of plant may lead to waste of all the investments made in building and machinery,
equipment.
Before a location for a plant is selected, long range forecasts should be made anticipating future
needs of the company. The plant location should be based on the company’s expansion plan and
policy, diversification plan for the products, changing market conditions, the changing sources of
raw materials and many other factors that influence the choice of the location decision. The
purpose of the location study is to find an optimum location one that will result in the greatest
advantage to the organization.
FACTORS AFFECTING SITE SELECTION
CONTROLLABLE FACTORS
1. Proximity to markets: Every company is expected to serve its customers by providing goods
and services at the time needed and at reasonable price organizations may choose to locate
facilities close to the market or away from the market depending upon the product. When the
buyers for the product are concentrated, it is advisable to locate the facilities close to the market.
2. Supply of raw material: It is essential for the organization to get raw material in right
qualities and time in order to have an uninterrupted production. This factor becomes very
important
if the materials are perishable and cost of transportation is very high.
3. Transportation facilities: Speedy transport facilities ensure timely supply of raw materials
to the company and finished goods to the customers. There are five basic modes of physical
transportation, air, road, rail, water and pipeline. Goods that are mainly intended for exports
demand a location near to the port or large airport. The choice of transport method and hence the
location will depend on relative costs, convenience, and suitability. Thus transportation cost to
value added is one of the criteria for plant location.
4. Infrastructure availability: The basic infrastructure facilities like power, water and waste

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 disposal, etc., become the prominent factors in deciding the location. Certain types of industries
are power hungry they should be located close to the power station or location where
uninterrupted power supply is assured throughout the year. The non-availability of power may
become a survival problem for such industries. Process industries like the leather industry needs
continuous supply of power. Supply of water in large amount and good quality, and mineral
content of water becomes an important factor. A waste disposal facility for process industries is
an important factor, which influences the plant location.
5. Labour and wages: The problem of securing adequate number of labour and with skills
specific is a factor to be considered both at territorial as well as at community level during plant
location. Importing labour is usually costly and involve administrative problem Productivity of
labour is also an important factor to be considered.
6. External economies of scale: External economies of scale can be described as
urbanization and locational economies of scale. It refers to advantages of a company by
setting
up operations in a large city while the second one refers to the “settling down” among other
companies of related companies.
7. Capital: By looking at capital as a location condition, it is important to distinguish the
physiology of fixed capital in buildings and equipment from financial capital. Fixed capital
costs
as building and construction costs vary from region to region. But on the other hand buildings
can
also be rented and existing plants can be expanded. Financial capital is highly mobile and
does
not very much influence decisions. These firms particularly need access to financial capital
and also skilled educated employees.
UNCONTROLLABLE FACTORS
8. Government policy: The policies of the state governments and local bodies concerning
labour laws, building codes, safety, etc., are the factors that demand attention.
In order to have a balanced regional growth of industries, both central and state governments
in our country offer the package of incentives to entrepreneurs in particular locations. The
incentive package may be in the form of exemption from a safes tax and excise duties for a
specific period, soft loan from financial institutions, subsidy in electricity charges and
investment subsidy. Some of these incentives may tempt to locate the plant to avail these
facilities offered

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 9. Climatic conditions: The geology of the area needs to be considered together with
climatic conditions (humidity, temperature). Climates greatly influence human efficiency and
behavior. Some industries require specific climatic conditions
10. Supporting industries and services: Now a day the manufacturing organization will
not make all the components and parts by itself and it subcontracts the work to vendors. So,
the source of supply of component parts will be the one of the factors that influences the
location.
The various services like communications, banking services professional consultancy
services
and other civil amenities services will play a vital role in selection of a location.
11. Community and labour attitudes: Community attitude towards their work and towards
the prospective industries can make or mar the industry. Community attitudes towards
supporting trade union activities are important criteria. Facility location in specific location is
not desirable even though all factors are favoring because of labour attitude towards
management, which brings very often the strikes and lockouts.
12. Community infrastructure and amenity: All manufacturing activities require access
to a community infrastructure, most notably economic overhead capital, such as roads,
railways, port facilities, power lines and service facilities and social overhead capital like
schools, universities and hospitals. These factors are also needed to be considered by location
decisions as infrastructure is enormously expensive to build and for most manufacturing
activities the existing stock of infrastructure provides physical restrictions on location
possibilities.

Tannery machinery
LEATHER PROCESSING MACHINERY
Drums
These can be built in a wide range and combination of sizes. Raw material for construction is
normally hardwood from West Africa, South America or Indonesia. Factory made hardwood
drums if carefully maintained and loaded as specified can be expected to last for 20 to 30 years,
whatever their size.

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 Product Description
Tanning drums, for the process lines liming, soaking, pickling, chroming, and dyeing. Tree parts
from African tree, hard and chemical resistant.

Other materials for drum construction

1. Stainless steel
2. Plastic
3. Fiberglass
For dyeing, milling and laboratory work.
Vessel's influence on mechanical action
Type of vessel: Each type of vessel will have a different mechanical action on leather, needing
different float relations to run or move the skins.
Size (width and diameter): The fundamental parameters which must considered in drums are
their internal diameter and length. Both parameters have obvious influence in the capacity of the
vessels, while diameter will define a peripheral speed at a certain angular speed.
Vessel speed: The speed of a drum is supposed to define different types of mechanical action
movement related to the maximum mechanical action speed.
Disadvantages of using drum as a process vessel
 Difficulty in cleaning
 Inability to maintain close temperatures
 Difficulty in loading and unloading

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  Inefficient washing process
Maintenance aspect of the drum
 Correct tension of the hoops and horizontal tie should be checked regularly
 The housing should be inspected for any cracks and wear
 Gearing and cross mounting bolts require regular checking for tension
 Regular examination of door flame fixing and condition of the surrounding wood
 Regular check of blockage at susceptible points.
Fleshing machine
The principle of the mechanical function of the fleshing machine is such that, the knife cutting
cylinder the support roller , the transport roller and pressure bolster or small rubber roller carry
out the function.
The modern fleshers are hydraulic driven where the support roller, covered in rubber of various
degree of hardness acts as the pressure roller bearing against the knife cylinder. The machine is
normally operated by means of a foot pedal in the machine. Actuating the foot pedal again the
machine with its transport roller and support roller closes pressing the leather against the knife
cylinder. The grip roller drive is automatically engaged to withdraw the leather.
The knife cylinder running at fixed speed on the main at 1200-1500 rpm, is driven by electric
motor, direct or with vee belt transmission with flexible couplings.
Safety of fleshing machine
Must have a knife cylinder guard
Use of double pedal operations

Maintenance
Daily lubrication schedule
Serving of parts
Cleaning and lubricating grinding stone carriage
Checking of safety guard function and emergency steps
Sharpening of cylinder knives
Sammying:
Sammying is the process in which excess moisture is squeezed out by pressing through
Large rollers under pressure.

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 Sammying machine
Sam setting machine contains

Splitting and shaving:

The wet blue leather is split through the middle to the required thickness for end use. Any further
reduction of thickness can be done by shaving off the unwanted fleshy material of the leather.

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The diagram above illustrates a side view of a typical shaving machine. The skin (D) is fed past a
feed roller (E), and then between the thickenings feed roller (C) and the shaving cylinder (F).
The thickening feed roller is engaged by pressing the foot pedal (A) and can be adjusted towards
or away from the shaving knife depending on the final substance that is required. The shaving
cylinder is kept sharp by regularly sharpening the blade using a grind stone (H), and the impeller
(I) spins anti-clockwise to ensure that the skin does not become wrapped around the shaving
knife.
Below shows the shaving cylinder, you will note the helical nature.

Shaving Cylinder (blade)

Toggle drier
Toggled hides are allowed to air dry, but they a stretched gently through the use of small clamps
called toggles. Holds it firm to reduce stretch ability.

Buffing machine

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Buffing is a mechanical operation in which the leather surface usually the grain side is snuffed to
make it more level/ uniform by the removal of surface blemishes/defects so that the finishes can
be applied. It simulates sand papering of the leather surface.
Buffing can also be done on the flesh side thus producing fibres of uniform length and level nap
desirable in suede leathers. It is usually done on dry leather.
There are different types of buffing machines;
Deep throat buffer. The key part of the machine is the buffing cylinder driven by an electric
motor through pulleys and vee belts at fixed speed. The leather is feed through a rotating wheel
which is advanced to the buffing cylinder by the action of the foot pedal. The buffing cylinder is
a metal and lined with underlay. The buffing paper is chosen according to the desired finish.
Through feed roller. The operation is straight forward through the principle. The leather is laid
on a transport band which feeds under the buffing cylinder. A continuous band of abrasive paper
is fed over the buffing cylinder and over tensional pulley rollers.
Spraying machine
It’s used for the application of finishes eg. Pre finishing and finishing coats. Suitable for bulk
production instead of hand spraying. The machine has the advantage of producing uniformly and
consistency in finish application.
The machine is fitted with overspray guns equipped with spray limiting devices, programming
and control of application and emission reduction equipment. The spray gun may be fitted into
two ways;
1. Transverse head- here the guns are mounted on a bridge above the conveyor and
oscillate at a uniform speed from side to side. It is controlled so that they spray
only over the conveyor width.
2. Rotary systems- here the guns are mounted on the arms of a rotor which rotates
above the conveyed band. The spraying of the guns is limited to the period of time
when the leather is actually beneath them by mounting sensing elements on the
rotor arms.

Staking:

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After the hides are dried, they become stiff and less flexible. The leathers are therefore staked by
mechanical process to make the leather soft and supple. The principle of special processing
ensures entirely uniform staking and supplying in the whole area without damaging thin spots,
under maintaining strong grain.q

1. leather
2. table
3. bottom conveyer belt
4. upper conveyer belt
5. bottom staking bars ( bridges)
6. upper staking bars (bridges)

Plating:
Plating is a mechanical smoothening of the finished leathers. It is the process in which a texture
can be created on leather by impressing it with a pattern. Some of the leathers are given plating,
which may be smooth plating in hydraulic press or continuous plating in a feed through machine.
It is also possible by means of hydraulic press to impart the various types of designs on to the
surface of the leather, which is known as embossing.it is employed to print the surface of leather.
The heated plate under high pressure is pressed unto the leather surface leaving an embossed
print after a short duration of time. It can also be used to hide various defects such as scars,
scratches and branding.
Glazing machine
The machine is employed to produce a smooth and glossy surface on the leather. The machine
employs a reciprocating arm carrying a fixed glass which is rapidly stroked across the leather
placed on the support table. The reciprocating movement is generated by a large fly wheel to
which the arm is connected.

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Measuring:
Almost all the leathers are measured by area, which is done either by a mechanically operated
machine or electronically operated machine and the area is indicated in leather as square feet or
square decimeter
LEATHER GOODS MACHINERY
1. Hydraulic clicking press
Hydraulic clicking press is extensively used for producing leather products in huge
quantities. It is used to click leathers, linings, foam and reinforcements with clicking dies for
manufacturing leather goods.
Hydraulic clicking press works on vacuum pressure. It consists of hydraulic drive and press
tool namely die and punch. The hydraulic drive consists of a double acting hydraulic cylinder
in which the piston moves up and down. The piston is connected to the ram through the
piston rod. The ram slides vertically. The punch is fitted at the bottom of the ram.
Working principle
The working fluid in the hydraulic press is generally mineral oil. The oil at high pressure is
pumped through the top oil line into the cylinder. The piston moves the ram downwards. The
punch presses the die and then cuts the material. At the end of the working stroke, the oil is
pumped into the cylinder through the bottom oil line. The ram moves up.

Operations

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The assorted leathers marked with defects and parts of the product are placed one by on the
cutting bed. The most important parts of the product, which are visible, are clicked first with the
dies. The less important parts like gusset handle, handle bit, inner pockets, etc. of the product,
which are not visible, are clicked next with the dies. The height between the swing arm bottom
plate and the die is adjusted properly before clicking. Suitable dies are placed over the leather
and the components are clicked by pressing the handle switches. The handle switches otherwise
called safety switches can press the arm for clicking only if both the switches are pressed.
Number of components clicked can be noted in the digital display. After clicking the
components, the clicked components are checked for quality and then bundled neatly for next
unit operation. The scrap pieces are put in the scrap box.
2. Strap cutting machine
Strap cutting machine is mainly used to cut straps for piping, belts and shoulder bag handles.
Different types of strap cutting machines are used depending upon the needs of the Industry.
Operations
Necessary adjustments are made in the machine first for cutting straps to required widths.
Before feeding the leathers for cutting straps, the edges of the leathers are made straight. The
machine is switched on. The guide plate is adjusted to feed the leather straight. The handle is
engaged by means of clutch and the leather is fed one by one touching the guide into the
machine for cutting straps. After the straps are cut, they are inspected for quality and then
bundled for next sequence of operation.
3. Splitting machine:
Splitting machine is one of the most important machines in leather goods manufacturing.
Finished leathers available from tanneries will have more thickness than the requirement for
making leather goods. Since leather goods are made with different thickness, it is necessary
to split the leather components according to the required thickness. This can be achieved only
with the help of a splitting machine. Operations: The machine is switched on and the position
of the knife is checked through the viewfinders whether the knife is touching the splitting
line. If not, necessary adjustment is made to move the blade to coincide with the splitting line
for uniform and accuracy of splitting. Before feeding the components for splitting, the blade
is sharpened well by adjusting the grinding unit screws for uniform and perfect splitting. In
case of bulk production, the sharpening of the knife is continued till the splitting of the

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 components is over. The speed rate switches are switched on according to the speed of the
production. The splitting thickness of the components is adjusted by thickness adjusting
wheel, which can be seen from the digital display. Since, each part of the product needs
different splitting thickness, it is necessary to adjust the thickness while splitting of the
components.

Importance of maintaining machines

 Reduces the number and severity of accidents.
 Reduces machine down-time.
 Reduces energy consumption.
 Improves workflow due to higher rate of machine production.
 Extend the life time of machines.

A successful maintenance program is:

 well organized and scheduled.

 controls hazards.
 defines operational procedures.
 trains key personnel.

Preparation for the basic routine maintenance

1. Read or listen to work instructions from supervisor and clarify where necessary.
2. Tools and supplies required to carry out basic routine maintenance tasks.
Tools are designed to make a job easier and enable you to work more efficiently. If they are not
properly used and cared for, their advantages are lost to you. Regardless of the type of work to be
done, you must have, choose, and use the correct tools in order to do your work quickly,
accurately, and safely. Without the proper tools and the knowledge of how to use them, you
waste time, reduce your efficiency, and may even injure yourself.
The following rules will make your job easier and safer.
KEEP EACH TOOL IN ITS PROPER STORAGE PLACE.

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The Tool Control Program is based on the concept of a family of specialized toolboxes and
pouches configured for instant inventory before and after each maintenance action. The content
and configuration of each container is tailored to the task, work center, and equipment
maintained. Work center containers are assigned to and maintained within a work center. Other
boxes and specialized tools are checked out from the tool control center (tool room).
KEEP YOUR TOOLS IN GOOD CONDITION. Protect them from rust and breakage.
KEEP YOUR TOOL ALLOWANCE COMPLETE. When you are issued a toolbox, each tool
should be placed in it when not in use. When the toolbox is not actually at the work site, it should
be locked and stored in a designated area.
NOTE
An inventory list is kept in every toolbox to be checked before and after each job or maintenance
action, to ensure that all tools are available to do your work, and to ensure that they are
accounted for after you have completed your work.
USE EACH TOOL ONLY FOR THE JOB IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. Each particular type
of tool has a specific purpose. If you use the wrong tool when performing maintenance or
repairs, you may cause damage to the equipment you're working on or damage the tool itself.
Remember, improper use of tools results in improper maintenance. Improper maintenance results
in damage to equipment and possible injury or death to you or others.
SAFE MAINTENANCE PRACTICES. Always avoid placing tools on or above machinery or an
electrical apparatus. Never leave tools unattended where machinery is running.
NEVER USE DAMAGED TOOLS
A gauge strained out of shape will result in inaccurate measurements.
Remember, the efficiency of craftsmen and the tools they use are determined to a great extent by
the way they keep their tools. Likewise, they are frequently judged by the manner in which they
handle and care for them.
The care of hand tools should follow the same pattern as for personal articles; that is, always
keep hand tools clean and free from dirt, grease, and foreign matter. After use, return tools
promptly to their proper place in the toolbox. Improve your own efficiency by organizing your
tools so that those used most frequently can be reached easily without digging through the entire
contents of the box. Avoid accumulating unnecessary junk.
TOOLS USED IN MAINTANANCE

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Chisels
Files
Twist drills
Wrenches – types of wrenches (open ended, box, combination, socket, adjustable, spanner.
Pliers-different types of pliers.
Striking tools- Hammers, mallets, and sledges
disk sander disk sander - Electric disk sanders are especially useful on work where a large
amount of material is to be removed quickly, such as in scaling surfaces in preparation for
painting.
Screwdriver- types of screwdrivers
Cleaning brush

3. Routine pre-operational checks of machinery and equipment

In general, regardless of the specific machine, check the following on the machines in your work
place.
 Availability of passive safety devices (e.g. guards, fences) on prime movers, belts, open
gears and transmission parts and other moving parts of machine.
 Availability and functioning of active safety devices on cylinder and multi-roller
machines, splitting machines, presses.
 Siting of machines in terms of adequacy of machine foundation, space around machines,
availability of space for proper work flow in front of machine for safe and convenient
handling of material in process, availability of space for maintenance work and easy
removal of waste and effluent.
 Standards of electrical installations with regard to electrical cabling, adequacy of
electrical protection, control panel location (consistent with safety regulations), suitability
of motors and switch gears for area of use.
 Operation controls (e.g. controls labelled in local language, emergency OFF button
within easy reach of operators, work position of operator and helpers on the machine).

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  Maintenance in terms of availability of operating manuals, recording of maintenance
details, replacement schedule, daily pre- and post-operation checks and maintenance
work.
 Emission levels of noise, vibration, radiant heat, dust, gas / vapor / mist.
 Availability, adequacy and functioning of (dust/vapor) extraction facilities or control
facilities (e.g. vibration/noise control devices, local extraction and exhaust equipment).

Availability of passive safety devices

Passive safety devices are guards, fences or covers which serve as a barrier to prevent contact of
workers with moving machine parts such as prime movers, belts, open gears, transmission parts
and other moving parts of machine (e.g. rotating drum or paddle).
 Ensure that these are properly fixed on the floor or on the machine itself.
 Increase the effectiveness of the passive safety guard by painting it in a signaling colour
(e.g. yellow).
 Make sure that passive guards are put back in place after removal for maintenance and
cleaning work.
Availability of active guards
Machines such as cylinder, multi-roller, splitting machines and presses should be provided with
active safety devices.
Active guards are designed and installed in such a way that these immediately stop or reverse the
process when actuated. These prevent workers hands/fingers and other body parts from getting
drawn into and caught in the machine.
Fully mechanical machines of older designs usually do not have active guards. It is possible to
upgrade the design of these models to basic mechanic-electrical types.
 Consider phasing out these machines as these not only pose safety risks to the workers
but in many cases also limit quality of production.
 Check the functioning of the active safety device on a daily basis before starting
operation.

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  Clearly mark the active safety device by painting it in a signaling colour (e.g. yellow).
Proper siting of machine
A good machine foundation contributes to longer life of the machine. Particular care about the
levelling needs to be taken when installing multi-roller machines. This avoids fast wear of
cylinders and bearings as well as keeps maintenance cost low. It ensures good product quality
(e.g. no chatter marks on shaved leather).
When installing the machine, take care that at least one-meter (three feet) distance is available
around the machine. This allows space for maintenance, easy handling of material in process and
daily cleaning and removal of waste.

Standards of electrical installations

Earthing wires corrode quickly and snap. Water from paddles, drums, fleshing and sammying
machines splash on switch boxes, starters and can cause short-circuits. Inadequate electrical
cabling and wiring can result in wastage of electricity and damage to machines, besides posing
high safety risks to workers (e.g. electrical shocks, burns, injuries from a fall triggered by a
minor electrical shock) and causing fire.
 Insulate, enclose and protect all live parts (exposed/unconnected wires, open fittings)
using barriers or installation out of reach (e.g. overhead transmission line).
 Make sure that cables and equipment are effectively disconnected and locked out when
carrying out maintenance or repair work (e.g. remove fuses in the supply line).
 Make sure that metal casings of electrical equipment (motor, starter boxes) are earthed.
The earthing cables have to be connected to an earthing conductor placed in an earthing
pit.
 Use standard colour coding for clear identification of type of wire and connection.
For machines located in wet-processing and dusty areas (dry shaving, huffing), check the
electrical motors for the following:
 Check the index of protection (IP) of the motors used (usually mentioned on a small
label) and verify its adequacy for the location.
 Ensure that the terminal boxes of the motors are covered.

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  Insulate all wires (no bare conductors or blank wires) and, preferably, place in cable
ducts.
 Check that the earthing wires are in place (e.g. on motor, metal starter boxes and
transformers) and not corroded.
When carrying out electric maintenance work, rely on skilled and trained personnel or
contractors only.
Operation controls
All switches and buttons on the machine should be clearly marked with colors and labels in the
local language. Imported machines do often have labels in the language of country of origin.
During many stages in the leather production, processing of material in or on the machine,
sometimes in combination with addition of chemicals, may result in emissions affecting the
operator and other workers in the work place. Such emissions include noise, vibration, heat and
various airborne contaminants such as dust, gas, vapors and mist.
The operator may know the meaning of each button due to long work experience on a particular
machine. However, in an emergency, other workers may not be able to take adequate action.
Therefore:
 Label all control buttons and switches on the machine in the local language.
 Make sure that an emergency OFF button is within the reach of the operator(s)

4. Identification and segregation of faulty or unsafe machinery and equipment for repair
or replacement.
Dangers from machines exist in several specific locations such as at the point of operation, where
the power is transmitted to machines and around any moving parts of the machine.
There are various ways which you can identify faulty including;

1. Abnormal Sound

Sound is by far the most prominent factor which draws operators attention towards a troubled
part or machinery. If you are a good watch keeper, it will be easy to figure out the difference
between normal running sound and problematic sound even when you are not near of the
machinery. For e.g. A “hissing” sound will indicate leakage, a loud knocking sound will indicate

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loosen or broken parts, a high wobbling sound will indicate obstruction etc. Unfortunately, there
is no guide to learn these sounds. Only through experience can one master such skills.

1. Smell

Another powerful indication, which can be easily detected by human senses, is that of abnormal
smell coming from machinery or systems. When you sense heavy/strong smell in the vicinity, it
can be due to leakage of oil, fire, effects of high temperature etc. A burning smell near the motor
is an indication of increase in temperature of its coil. You can detect the smell of heavy oil even
if you are not able to see it.

3. High Vibration

All machinery systems with moving parts generate vibration. One of the most neglected
maintenance jobs for machinery is that of vibration analysis. Many industries do not include it in
its planned maintenance system. Even the timely checks for tightening the foundation bolts for
any machinery are not included in the planned maintenance system. Every machinery will have
its own frequency of vibrations. It is important to keep a track of any increase in the vibration of
machinery, which if ignored, can lead to severe damages in the long run. Any change is vibration
of a machinery can easily be felt. This is a sign which should never be ignored.

4. Leakages

Leakages are a result of faulty piping or machinery systems. They are easy to identify on the
machinery. Never ignore leakage from any kind of machinery as it can lead to spills, fire,
flooding and other major accidents. If you find oil water or air leak in the machinery, do try to
rectify it immediately or mark it as important to check during next maintenance schedule
depending on its severity.

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5. Smoke

Every machinery with a combustion chamber can be judged for its performance by checking the
exhaust smoke for its color and density. Exhaust smoke is to be monitored for combustion
processes. A black smoke indicates a problem in fuel injection system and improper combustion
(lack of air etc.) whereas white smoke indicates water ingress in fuel.

6. Abnormal Parameters

Abnormal or fluctuating parameters are mainly related to machinery faults. It’s important to keep
a track of all machinery parameters by comparing the readings in the log book to the data of
previous dates. While taking a round, any deviation in the parameters must be taken seriously by
taking proper investigation and preventive actions.

7. Alarms

Every alarm indicates a problem, major or minor in the machine. They have been installed for
that purpose of identifying faults. Never ignore an alarm related to any kind of machinery.

5. Identification work health and safety hazards in the workplace.

Occupational health and safety is a discipline with a broad scope involving many specialized
fields. In its broadest sense, it should aim at:

 the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-
being of workers in all occupations;
 the prevention among workers of adverse effects on health caused by their working
conditions;
 the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to
health;

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 the placing and maintenance of workers in an occupational environment adapted to physical
and mental needs;
 the adaptation of work to human

There is an unlimited number of hazards that can be found in almost any workplace. There are
obvious unsafe working conditions, such as unguarded machinery, slippery floors or inadequate
fire precautions, but there are also a number of categories of insidious hazards (that is, those
hazards that are dangerous but which may not be obvious) including:

 Chemical hazards, arising from liquids, solids, dusts, fumes, vapors and gases;
 Physical hazards, such as noise, vibration, unsatisfactory lighting, radiation and extreme
temperatures;
 Biological hazards, such as bacteria, viruses, infectious waste and infestations;
 Psychological hazards resulting from stress and strain;
 Hazards associated with the non-application of ergonomic principles, for example badly
designed machinery, mechanical devices and tools used by workers, improper seating and
workstation design, or poorly designed work practices.

Dangers from machines exist in several specific locations such as at the point of operation, where
the power is transmitted on machines and around any moving parts of the machine. Accidents
which might happen in a tannery set up includes the following;

 Trapping of fingers/forearms between rollers and bladed cylinders of shaving, fleshing

and setting machines.
 Trapping of finger/forearms between belts and pulleys of drive of drums, paddles and
other machines.
 Trapping of fingers between glass roll and bed of glazing machine.
 Hit by moving protruding parts of machines such as drum door handle, moving
link/glazing arm of glazing jack, entanglement between roller and blades of Slocomb
staking machine.
 Trapping of fingers/arms between plates of a hydraulic press.
 Contact with the grinding wheel of a shaving machine.

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  Contact with knife band of splitting machine.
 Contact with rotating fleshing cylinder.
 Contact with live parts of electrical installations on the machine.
 Contact with hot plates of plating machine, vacuum dryer and boiler system.
 Hit by parts of disintegrating grinding stones

6. Selection and use suitable personal protective equipment in maintenance.

To protect you from danger, protective equipment such as safety shoes, goggles, hard hats,
and gloves are used during maintenance where necessary. These safety equipments include;

SAFETY SHOES
Some safety shoes are designed to limit damage to your toes from falling objects. A steel
plate is placed in the toe area of such shoes so that your toes are not crushed if an object
impacts there. Other safety shoes are designed for use where danger from sparking could
cause an explosion. Such danger is minimized by elimination of all metallic nails and eyelets
and by the use of soles that do not cause static electricity.
RESPIRATORS
Respirators, covering mouth and nose, prevent the entry of chemicals into the body through
inhalation. They need to be worn whenever the concentration of airborne pollutants (dust,
vapors, gases) cannot be reduced to acceptable levels by other means. The respirators clean
the air by filtering or absorbing contaminants before the respiratory system.

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Respiratory protective equipment
GOGGLES
Proper eye protection is of the utmost importance for all personnel. Eye protection is
necessary because of hazards posed by infrared and ultraviolet radiation, or by flying objects
such as sparks, globules of molten metal, or chipped concrete and wood. These hazards are
ever-present during welding, cutting, soldering, chipping, grinding, and a variety of other
operations. It is imperative for you to use eye protection devices, such as helmets, face
shields, and goggles, during eye-hazard operations.
Appropriate use of goggles will limit eye hazards. Some goggles have plastic lenses that
resist shattering upon impact. Others are designed to limit harmful infrared and ultraviolet
radiation from arcs or flames by use of appropriate filter lenses.

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Safety goggles protects the eyes

Face shield
GLOVES
Use gloves whenever you are required to handle rough, scaly, or splintery objects. Special
flameproof gloves are designed for gas and electric-arc welding to limit danger and damage
from sparks and other hot flying objects. Personnel in the electrical fields are usually
required to wear insulating rubber gloves. Gloves must not be worn around rotating
machinery unless sharp or rough material is being handled. Be sure to follow all regulations
prescribed for the use of gloves.

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HEARING PROTECTION
Whenever the continuous noise levels cannot be contained below 85 dBA (decibel), the
hearing of workers has to be protected. In such cases, workers have to be provided with
hearing protection such as ear muffs or plugs. Most available hearing protection devices
enable reduction of noise by around 25 dB(A). Wear the hearing protectors as long as you are
exposed to high level of noise. Even removing them for a short period of time can involve
risk of damage to hearing.

Hearing protection
SAFETY BELTS AND STRAPS
The safety strap and body belt are what might be called your extra hands when you work
alone. The body belt, strapped around your waist, contains various pockets for small tools.
The safety strap is a leather or neoprene-impregnated nylon belt with a tongue-type buckle at
each end.
The safety strap must be placed around a part of the structure that is of sufficient strength to
sustain an ABs weight and his or her equipment and must rest flat against the surface without
twists or turns. It must not be placed around any part of a structure that is being removed.
Before placing your weight on the strap, determine visually that the snap and D-ring are
properly engaged. Do not rely on the click of the snap-tongue as an indication that the
fastening is secure.
The body belt and safety strap require inspection before use. Look for loose or broken rivets;
cracks, cuts, nicks, tears or wear in leather; broken or otherwise defective buckles, such as
enlarged tongue-holes, defects in safety-belt snap hooks and body belt D-rings. If you
discover any of these or other defects, turn in your equipment and replace it.

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 Perform maintenance periodically according to applicable procedures. Remember that leather
and nylon belts are treated in different manners
HELMET
Protects the head from injury.

Helmet

MAINTAINANCE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

As with all other equipment in use in tanneries and effluent treatment plants, personal protective
equipment should be properly maintained to ensure its effectiveness and long life.
 Clean, dry and store personal protective equipment in a separate place.
 Replace worn-out or damaged personal protective equipment.
Respirators have to be replaced when the workers notice
 difficulty in breathing;
 dizziness or distress;
 sensing irritation, smell or taste of contaminants;
 puncture or other damage of the respirator.
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7. Carry out basic routine maintenance
Regular and systematic maintenance of machinery and installation is a prerequisite for cost
effective and safe production in the work place. The operator should keep a maintenance
schedule since maintenance is more than simple breakdown repair. The emphasis should be
preventive maintenance to avoid breakdown and stoppage of machines.
Typical maintenance programme should include:
• Servicing.
• Inspection.
• Repair.
• Testing.
• Calibration.
• Replacement with new parts.
• Replacement with overhauled parts.
• Modification
On a daily basis the operator should carry out pre and post operation maintenance work.
TYPES OF MAINTENANE.
Maintenance carried out on equipments and machines is either:
• Break down maintenance.
• Schedule maintenance
• Preventive maintenance
• Predictive maintenance.

BREAK DOWN MAINTENANCE.

Maintenance which is carried out after a piece of equipment or machine is out of order is termed
maintenance. Under such conditions the maintenance department is informed of such equipments
failure e.g. an electric motor will not start or a belt is completely broken. Repairs are done after a
certain mean time. Under breakdown maintenance policies; the maintenance department will not
attend to such equipment or machine until another failure is reported. This kind of maintenance
practice is normally seen in small scale industries.

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SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE.
Schedule maintenance is a stitch in time practice of maintenance. "A stitch in time saves nine". It
is aimed at avoiding equipment breakdown. This kind of maintenance culture includes among
others: equipments machines inspections; lubrication of moving parts; minor repairs and
overhauling of near failure parts etc.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.
This kind of maintenance practice is based on the underlying principles that prevention is better
than cure. Preventive maintenance is very effective for equipments that are subject to progressive
deterioration but relying as it docs on regular testing. Preventive maintenance locales weak spot;
such as parts under prolong vibrations; it also minimizes the resulting problems of facilities
break down.
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE.
In predictive maintenance, facilities (equipments and machinery) are normally checked on day to
day basics, allowing checkup, adjustment, repairs and modification or such facility. It is
normally recommended for equipments plants whose failure can result in serious tragedy, such as
nuclear plant.
Ensure all the moving parts are lightly greased
Check periodically that the limit switches and emergency controls are in good working order.
STEPS IN EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT /MAINTENANACE OF EQUIPMENTS/MACHINES;
NON-WORKING MACHINES/EQUIPMENTS.
• MAINTAINABILITY SURVEY.
This kind of survey is normally carried out by a team of expert (professionals),
having knowledge of the working principles of the equipment/ machines under
survey.

Maintainability concept refer to the probability that when maintenance

actions are initiated under staled conditions, a failed equipment or machine will be
restored to operable condition within a specified time. The main criterion for
equipment maintainability is that the equipment/ machine must have parts which are
readily available and cost effective; repair means · time should be minimal.

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Maintainability criterion has to be defined and possibly incorporated into the design
stage of the equipments.
• DETAILED DIAGRAMS & MAPS. A detailed diagram of the components to
be corrected is usually needed-dt defines the extent of damage of the components,
it also indicates among others the fault locations, isolation and possible near
failure points.
• PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS. This is aimed at equipments or machines
dependability. Predictive analysis such as FMEA (Failure mode and effect
analysis) is normally carried out during maintenance to identify the causes of all
possible items failure. The analysis provides imputes to the maintenance team by
identification of the failure modes, their frequency of occurrence and the possible
maintenance actions required. The relevance of FMEA in equipment is it serves as basics for
design and location of condition monitoring and fault scnsi11g devices and development of
automated test and diagnostic procedures aimed at minimizing corrective maintenance
downtime.
• FINAL REPAIR. Here faulty equipment components are either repaired or replaced
completely.
WORKING EQUIPMENTS.
*TURN AROUND MAINTENANCE.
This are the type of maintenance practice carried out at yearly basics or at interval of
every six months. The practice is aimed at total repair or overhauling of the most vital
components of the equipment due to prolong working. It is anchored on increasing the
life span of the equipment or machine. The operation is normally carried out by a team of
expert.

* EQUIPMENT &MACHINES SERVICING.

Whereas turn around maintenance is down every year of every six months, servicing of
equipments are normally done much earlier say on monthly or weekly basics. It involves
among others such operations like cleaning plugs, changing valves, oil filters, air Jitters
and lubrication of moving parts.
* ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.

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It is the day to day checking of the machine. The operation is carried out on daily basics
to attainting the efficiency of equipments and machines.

FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST EFFECTIVE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

MAINTENANCE.
This include among others;
 Unavailability of spare parts.
 maintenance cost.
 Lack of Technical Know How.
 Lack of man power.
 Poor maintenance programme.
Clean tools and work area
Cleaning tools which has been used to maintain the machine and work area is necessary and can
be done by either;
 Sweeping.
 Vacuuming, including wet and dry
 Hosing down, including pressure and high-pressure washing
 Air blowing
 Scrubbing, washing, wiping, spot cleaning, rinsing and pre-spraying
 Stripping, re-sealing and polishing
 Blasting, including sand, water, steam, powder and dry ice
 Specific removal procedures for items such as graffiti, gum, grease and oil
 Mopping, including wet and dry.
 Wet and dry area cleaning.

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