Leather and Footwear Journal

Volume 9, no 3

Contents
- Contents PDF
Seam Analysis - A Scientific Basis for Leather Garment Production
- Pages 145-154
  Kavati PHEBE AARON, Bangaru CHANDRASEKARAN
  - Centre for Leather Apparel & Accessories Development, Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai - 600020, India, email: kphebejohn@yahoo.co.in
  ABSTRACT. The quality of leather apparel mainly depends on properties of leather, but this alone may not be the criterion when we deal with quality in terms of garment durability and comfort. Scientific investigations have not been carried out so far on the sewability parameters and its efficacy on leather garments. In the present study the performance of sewing thread was studied in terms of seam strength, seam puckering, seam slippage and results are discussed with reference to properties of leather, thread and seam. It has been observed that goat garment leathers can be best sewn with coarse core spun threads and polyester threads. The findings provided scientific basis for choice of practices in the leather garment manufacturing.
  
  KEY WORDS: Leather garment, seam strength, seam puckering, seam slippage, sewability
Current Research Stage Concerning the Biomechanics of Walking
- Pages 155-174
  Ana Maria VASILESCU¹, Daniel PETCU¹, Anton Constantin MICU²
  - ¹National R&D Institute for Textile and Leather, Division: Leather and Footwear Research Institute, Bucharest, 93 Ion Minulescu street, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania, email: icpi@icpi.ro
  - ²"Politehnica" University, Mechanical Engineering Faculty, 313 Splaiul Independentei, sector 6, Bucharest, email: micuanton@yahoo.com
  ABSTRACT. The importance of biomechanics study for the organism is to understand how it normally functions, the changes induced by its alteration and to propose methods of artificial intervention. Research objectives in the field of biomechanics are generally two-way. Firstly, biomechanics seeks the understanding of fundamental aspects of physiological functions, for medical purposes. Secondly, it seeks to elucidate these functions for the purpose of applying the results in non-medical fields. The fields of study in biomechanics are: kinematics, kinetics, anthropometry, muscle and joint biomechanics, electromyography, by means of which variables used in the description and analysis of any movement, are determined. Walking, as an extremely complex activity, can provide very much information concerning the development and normal functioning of the organism, the capacity for sports performance, human anthropological analysis. Currently, the study of walking calls for sophisticated means of visual capture with analogical and/or digital technology, in natural light or using only reflective markers placed on the joints - the shooting being carried out in the dark, medical electromyography, using force plates to determine pressure forces on the ground during movement, all this information being then processed using modern techniques offered by informatics through computer software analysis of movements. The aim of the present work is to present the biomechanics of walking according to experts in the footwear industry.
  
  KEY WORDS: foot, biomechanics, normal walk
Comparative Study of Foot Dimension between Young Males and Females in Turkey
- Pages 175-183
  Huseyin Ata KARAVANA, Bugra OCAK, Gurbuz GULUMSER
  - Ege University, Engineering Faculty, Leather Engineering Department, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey, email: huseyin.ata.karavana@ege.edu.tr
  ABSTRACT. There are certain differences in terms of foot dimensions between genders. The factors affecting foot health could be the cause of various foot problems. Most of these problems are associated with improper footwear lasts, as they cause biomechanical imbalance and ultimately result in different foot problems. The effects of certain foot problems emerge in middle and late stages of life. The purpose of this study is to determine the differences of foot dimensions of Turkish young male and female and to compare the findings of each age group. 920 young male and 800 young female within the age range of 7-14 were investigated with respect to their foot length, foot width, heel width, joint girth and instep girth. Results showed that there was a significant difference in all foot dimensions between boys and girls (p<0.05). In addition to this, these foot dimensions linearly increases with age in the both boys and girls.
  
  KEY WORDS: foot dimension, Turkish boys, Turkish girls
Creating a Specific Material for Isolating Residual Chromium
- Pages 184-195
  Mihaela-Doina NICULESCU¹, Aura Dana IONITA², Laurentiu FILIPESCU², Sorina BAJENARU³, Cristian NICULESCU⁴
  - ¹National R&D Institute for Textile and Leather, Division: Leather and Footwear Research Institute, Bucharest, 93 Ion Minulescu St., sector 3, Bucharest, Romania, email: icpi@icpi.ro
  - ²POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, 1 Polizu St., sector 6, Bucharest, Romania, email: l_filipescu@chim.upb.ro
  - ³Centre of Scientific Research for NBC Defence and Ecology, 225 Şoseaua Olteniței, sector 4, Bucharest, Romania, email: aurorabaj@yahoo.com
  - ⁴S.C. Pielorex S.A., Extension of Soseaua Giurgiului, 33 A, Jilava, Ilfov, Romania, email: cristiniculescu57@yahoo.com
  ABSTRACT. The present research highlights the possibility of developing a specific adsorbent material for residual chromium from the leather industry, using strongly alkaline red mud waste as a resource, accumulated in basins by alumina refineries. Experiments have identified how chlorides of alkaline earth metals neutralize red mud, chromium retention on neutralized red mud and the consequences of its leaching. Creating safe conditions of storage together of two hazardous wastes (residual chromium from hexavalent chromium source-leather processing and strongly alkaline red mud from alumina industry) is a solution for ecologizing the two activities.
  
  KEY WORDS: residual chromium, red mud, inert gas filling
Scientific Design in Applicative and Industrial Research, Specific to the Leather-Footwear Industry - Methods
- Pages 196-214
  Marlena POP
  - INCDTP - Division: Leather and Footwear Research Institute, Division: Leather and Footwear Research Institute, Bucharest, 93 Ion Minulescu St., sector 3, Bucharest, Romania, email: pop_marlen@yahoo.ca
  ABSTRACT. Design is one of the innovative elements that increase the added value of an industrial product, with a strong influence on the direction, dimensions and structure of consumption. Every activity specific to pre-competitive and competitive research, leading to innovation and technologic transfer is not complete without design activities, in all its aspects: object design, industrial design, communication design, graphic design. The paper presents the methods used in the design process, in the stages of conceptualization of the future product. After a review of the methods elaborated, tested and used in international product design, in the past 25 years, a Romanian method of elaborating the design concept will be described, entitled "The Stylistic Dominant Method" for fashion products, with examples from the leather-footwear industry. The method is used by the fashion department within the Art and Design University in Cluj-Napoca. Through the experience of three series of graduates,the method has been validated as a useful instrument in the stages of stylistic research and collection development, during the fashion design process.
  
  KEY WORDS: scientific design, applicative research, leather-footwear
SEETAL Project and the Global Crisis - Financial and Social Effects - Recommendations
- Pages 215-233
  Oriana MAZZALI¹, Francesco PELLIZZARI¹, Gustavo GONZALEZ-QUIJANO²
  - ¹WORKSHOP s.a.s., 40, Via Triulziana, I-20097 San Donato, Milano, Italy; e-mail: o.mazzali@workshopco.eu
  - ²COTANCE, 3, Rue Belliard, B-1040, Brussels, Belgium; e-mail: cotance@euroleather.com
  ABSTRACT. The global financial and economic crisis which affects all economies raised the level of concern of all the European and national associations for its effects on the performance of their member companies. Many problems are generated by the contraction in demand that suddenly confronted the textile and leather industries of which two are of major importance: the downsizing process with its dramatic impact on the workforce (lay offs, temporary schemes for minimizing the social impact); - the credit crunch which rapidly dried-up many sources of company finance (in particular working capital). EURATEX and COTANCE consider that these are two important issues and that national associations should be supported in dealing with this unexpected and negative scenario. For this purpose the two European Federations have organized, in the framework of the BSPIII SEETAL Project, a seminar in Bratislava (18-19 June 2009), which brought together: participants from textile/clothing and leather associations from EU 27 member states and candidate countries, representatives of financial institutions such as the EBRD (European Bank of Reconstruction and Development); European trade unions. The organization of the seminar has included: a short survey carried out at national level by partner associations; presentation of the existing preliminary data on the effects of the crisis in the textile and leather sectors at European level and survey results made by EURATEX, COTANCE and WORKSHOP; examples presented by the guest speakers from European financial institutions and companies, associations and institutions to counteract the effects of crisis.
  
  KEY WORDS: crisis, financial effects, social effects, counteracting measures