Leather and Footwear Journal

Volume 8, no 2

Contents
- Contents PDF
Equipment and Process for Bovine Leather Finishing in an Electrostatic Field
- Pages 3-13
  Maria - Marcela ȚÂRLEA¹, Camelia GRIGORE², Dionisie BOJIN³, Mihai DURUIAN⁴
  - ¹INCDTP - Leather and Footwear Research Institute (ICPI), Bucharest, RO, email: icpi@icpi.ro
  - ²National Institute for Expert Criminalities, Bucharest, RO
  - ³University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, RO
  - ⁴S.C. ROPULBER ELECTROSTATIC S.R.L., Bucharest, RO
  ABSTRACT. The paper presents equipment for leather finishing in an electrostatic field, consisting of an electrostatic field source and a spraying gun, and use in bovine leather finishing as compared to the classic system, and investigations to which the finish films coated on the bovine leather by both systems were subjected. Correlation between the finish film homogeneity and flexibility was revealed by electron microscopy (SEM) applied to leather surface, support (S), control (M) and samples (P) performed by a SEM microscope QUANTA 400 FEI (Holland) at a magnification of 200 x.
  
  KEY WORDS: equipment for leather finishing, electrostatic field, bovine leather electron microscopy
Innovation Process and Competitiveness in Romanian SMEs
- Pages 14-28
  Dana Corina DESELNICU¹, John Allan SWIGER²
  - ¹INCDTP - Leather and Footwear Research Institute (ICPI), Bucharest, RO, email: d_deselnicu@yahoo.com
  - ²Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, USA, email: swigj@lake.ollusa.edu
  ABSTRACT. The paper presents the results of fieldwork research conducted in a Small and medium-size enterprise (SME) Romanian Furniture Company to examine the complex and fundamental role of the innovation process in increasing the firm's competitiveness. The research was developed in the framework of a larger research project financed by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research through CNCSIS. The company profile is presented; the research methodology and research hypotheses are displayed, followed by data analysis and interpretation of results. The findings reveal that the overall innovativeness degree of the company has a decisive influence on its level of competitiveness. The paper ends with some conclusions regarding hypotheses validation, and advances recommendations for future facilitating actions.
  
  KEY WORDS: innovation process and competitiveness, Small and Medium size enterprise (SME), hypotheses validation, advances recommendations
Statistical Assessment Method for the Quality of Physical-Mechanical Tests and Chemical Analyses Results. Part 4
- Pages 29-38
  Ion Petre SUCIU
  - INCDTP - Leather and Footwear Research Institute (ICPI), Bucharest, RO, email: icpi@icpi.ro
  ABSTRACT. The part 4 of the work presents the results of checking the repeatability for the statistic method drawn up as a result of an inter laboratory test program involving, in addition to the ICPI test laboratory, 2 laboratories accredited by RENAR and interested in the leather-footwear field. Tests were carried out on two leather types: - natural grain box leather - synthetic leather.
  
  KEY WORDS: statistic method, inter laboratory test program, box leather synthetic leather