Paris, July 27, 2010 – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology
solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather,
industrial fabrics and composite materials—, today announced the
launch of two new leather cutting ranges: the PLH, specially designed
for the leather goods and technical footwear markets, and the PLF,
available in two versions—PLF Auto and PLF Furniture. The results of
major investments in R&D, these two new cutter ranges expand
Lectra’s leather offer. Specially designed for small-run production, the
PLF and PLH ranges benefit from know-how developed by Lectra for its
high-end systems.
Leather: industries facing numerous constraints
In an economic context marked by a sharp increase in leather prices and frequent outsourcing and relocation, both of which affect production and logistics management, manufacturers in leather markets are subject to increasingly tight constraints in terms of sourcing costs, stock management and product availability.
For these manufacturers, it is more important than ever to reduce manufacturing times while maintaining a good ratio between quality and return on investment, regardless of how and where they manufacture their products. The ability to significantly save on materials and improve productivity at the leather cutting stage has an immediate and major impact on production costs, while helping to create better-quality products at
lower costs and in line with consumer needs.
In order to address a wide variety of customers with extremely diverse profiles—in terms of market, organizational structure, challenges and constraints—
“These new cutting solutions draw on the expertise we have acquired over more than 15 years working
with major players in the leather markets—leather goods, technical footwear, automotive and furniture,”
explained Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. “In the leather industry, every manufacturer is unique and faces its own specific problems. The hides used differ from one customer to another, as do their requirements in terms of nestings, their organizational constraints, their specific needs, etc. Our strategy is to support our customers through teams of experts and the most advanced technologies in order to optimize their working processes.”
PLF and PLH: important assets for manufacturers in leather markets
The PLF and PLH ranges give manufacturers who need to cut leather a unique advantage over the rest of the market. These solutions boast the largest usable leather-cutting area, for all types of hide, measuring 3m by 3.2m on the PLF and 3m by 1.3m on the PLH.
This ability to handle and process the largest usable area on whole hides (or half-hides) in one go, combined with powerful software based on sophisticated algorithms, enables operators to achieve optimal nesting efficiency and gives manufacturers a particular competitive advantage in terms of optimizing materials. At mid-range prices, savings can reach €100,000 per year, using either the PLF or the PLH.
The PLF and PLH ranges incorporate Lectra’s “combined”
“Lectra’s PLH cutting solution has enabled us to reduce leather consumption by 15 to 20%. We have also increased our productivity and improved our bag production process. In addition, we have noticed a speedy return on investment with the PLH, mainly due to the optimization of our material consumption,”
The PLF and PLH ranges provide the added advantage of automating the cutting process, which has an impact on costs incurred through poor quality by significantly reducing waste due to badly-cut parts. In this way, the product cycle is shortened and hide consumption optimized, all the while maintaining consistent product quality.
Other sources of savings can be found in the simplified and optimized use of the solutions by teams in charge of their management. Particular care was taken with ergonomics in order to make the PLF and PLH cutters as simple to use as possible, even for operators with little training. The fact that the solutions are quick and easy to learn is particularly valuable, especially in emerging countries and countries with high team turnover. In other countries, it allows operators to make better use of their skills by enabling them to
focus more on added-value activities.
The PLF and PLH ranges also incorporate production log and data management functions, which record the characteristics of hides used as cutting proceeds. Operators therefore have a log of data entered automatically when the hide was scanned. The data log relates to the hide’s surface area, leather quality, the number of flaws detected, nesting choices made, hide consumption per model, etc. This valuable information makes it easier to make an objective comparison of hides delivered by suppliers and
improve quality control for raw materials purchased.
A customized support and monitoring service provided by Lectra’s experts
Through the wealth of expertise it has acquired in the leather markets during the last 15 years, Lectra now has extensive know-how to place at the disposal of its customers in order to advise them on best practices,
regardless of their business model or company type. The “tailor-made”
About Lectra
Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including
fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as the aeronautical and marine industries, wind power and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1,400 employees and $214 million in 2009
revenues. The company is listed on Euronext Paris.
For more information, please visit www.lectra.com
