The Hindu : `Precise control of processes will reduce tannery effluents'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 03, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Precise control of processes will reduce tannery effluents'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB. 2. Precise control of the manufacturing processes in tanneries will reduce effluents and help the units save resources, especially water and chemicals, according to an expert in environmental solutions for the leather industry.

Prescribing a four-pronged strategy for the tanneries to overcome the scarcity of process water and discharge of effluents and pollution, John C. Crowther of Swystem Logic underlined the significance of improving efficiency and reducing cost in the tanneries.

Apart from striving for precision in the manufacturing processes and adopting measures to cut down on the wastage, Mr. Crowther, who has worked with several tanneries in the country, urged the leather units to integrate production control with administration management software.

Speaking at a seminar here yesterday on `recovering the payback - the process control and efficiencies in the tanning process,' he advised the units to use `low float' processes.

The tanneries could effectively address their problems through an integrated approach focussing on better use of the resources and achieving greater accuracy and control of the processes by implementing modern technology.

Energy, besides water and chemicals, would be saved by cutting down on re-processing in tanneries, he said, declaring, ``less water consumption means reduced effluents.''

According to an estimate, about 5.8 million tonnes of hides and skin would be converted into finished leather worldwide in 2005. This would mean 1,80,000 tonnes of chemicals entering the effluent stream, said Mr. Crowther.

The level of pollutants, however, could be brought down if the tanneries adopted automated process control systems, including, SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) software.

SCADA promised consistency in the operations by monitoring and analysing the various processes in the tannery.

A prerequisite for the software was installation of automated controls, sensors and devices from which ``all the signals'' were collected and co-related. Such controls also helped the tanneries avoid human error and re-processing, which might even result in dislocation of the production plans.

Reduced process cost and better quality leather were among some of the other benefits that would accrue to the tanneries, if they adopted automated controls and implemented SCADA, Mr. Crowther said at the seminar, organised by the Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Council for Leather Exports. `Leather Trend,' a magazine of the association, was released at the meeting.

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