Leather Shaving – A New Approach for Understanding the Shaving Process

Content: The shaving process is one of the most important steps in leather production. However, the underlying principles and mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Generally, the successful performance of the shaving process is based on long-time experience, and the tanneries rather optimize the preceding process steps than change the shaving parameters. In a current research project the research partners (Heusch GmbH, TU Dresden and FILK gGmbH) have united their expertise in order to understand the interaction between the shaving blade and the semi-finished leather (wet-blue or wet-white). The objective of the project is to gain more insight into the physics of shaving and to create a background of knowledge, which will be the technical base for developing novel and more effective shaving blades. Heusch presents the advantages of a novel serrated shaving blade. In comparison with the standard design an serrated blade yields higher shaving accuracy and uniform thickness of the hides. Stretching forces along the dorsal line of the hides are reduced, which avoids structural damage. Marginal hide regions are less frayed, thus increasing the usable surface area. The small size and compact form of the shavings are advantageous for recycling and disposal. Exploiting these advantages combined with an optimized grinding process, the user can increase the lifetime of the serrated blades. Based on these experiences there is an urgent need to thoroughly understand the physical cutting processes which take place during the shaving step. In the current research project an experimental test station is designed which is intended to simulate the shaving process in a simplified setting as a cutting procedure of a blade into a leather surface. This test station will enable the variation of material, geometry and configuration of the blade as well as the measurement of forces emerging during cutting at the blade and the leather surface, which emerge during cutting. The registered data shall provide information on the question, how the cutting forces depend on technological parameters, like blade material, geometry, configuration, cutting speed, leather moisture or tanning method. Based on the knowledge of these relationships novel, even more effective shaving blades can be developed. In a second approach the cutting process of a single leather fibre will be simulated virtually on a microscale level. The goal is the understanding of the interaction of a moving metal blade with a flexible, unilaterally fixed leather fibre. The simulation is supposed to yield data on cutting speed and fibre behaviour under conditions which are experimentally difficult to access. Take-Away: The physical basics of the shaving process are not yet fully understood. The presented research project aims at the understanding of the interaction between shaving blade and leather fibres during the shaving process. The approach in the project is to model the cutting procedure in a simplified experimental test station and in a computational simulation model

About 3D printability of thermoplastic collagen for biomedical applications

With more than 1.5 million total knee and hip implants placed each year, there is an urgent need for a drug delivery system that can effectively support the repair of bone infections. Scaffolds made of natural biopolymers are widely used for this purpose due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and suitable mechanical properties. However, the poor processability is a bottleneck, as highly customizable scaffolds are desired. The aim of the present research is to develop a scaffold made of thermoplastic collagen (TC) using 3D printing technology. The viscosity of the material was measured using a rheometer. A 3D bioplotter was used to fabricate the scaffolds out of TC. The mechanical properties of the TC scaffolds were performed using tension/compression testing on a Zwick/Roell universal testing machine. TC shows better compressibility with increasing temperature and a decrease in dynamic viscosity (η), storage modulus (G'), and loss modulus (G″). The compressive strength of the TC scaffolds was between 3-10 MPa, depending on the geometry (cylinder or cuboid, with different infills). We have demonstrated for the first time that TC can be used to fabricate porous scaffolds by 3D printing in various geometries.The article processing charge was funded by the Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Art and the University of Freiburg in the funding program Open Access Publishing

Additive Manufacturing with Thermoplastic Collagen

Thermoplastic collagen is a partially denatured collagen powder which can be processed by thermoplastic methods such as extrusion and injection molding, but was hitherto not adapted for the use in additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. This paper describes the first successful application of collagen/water/glycerol mixtures in an AM process using a BioScaffolder 3.2 from GeSiM mbH. Strands of molten collagen were deposited onto a building platform forming differently shaped objects. The collagen melt was characterized rheologically and optimal processing conditions were established. The technique includes the use of supporting structures of PLA/wood composite for samples with complex geometry as well as post-processing steps such as the removal of the supporting structure and manual surface smoothing. The manufactured objects are characterized concerning water solubility, swelling behavior and compressibility. Possible applications are in the non-medical sector and include collagen-based pet food or customized organ models for medical training

Leather Shaving – A New Approach for Understanding the Shaving Process

Content: The shaving process is one of the most important steps in leather production. However, the underlying principles and mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Generally, the successful performance of the shaving process is based on long-time experience, and the tanneries rather optimize the preceding process steps than change the shaving parameters. In a current research project the research partners (Heusch GmbH, TU Dresden and FILK gGmbH) have united their expertise in order to understand the interaction between the shaving blade and the semi-finished leather (wet-blue or wet-white). The objective of the project is to gain more insight into the physics of shaving and to create a background of knowledge, which will be the technical base for developing novel and more effective shaving blades. Heusch presents the advantages of a novel serrated shaving blade. In comparison with the standard design an serrated blade yields higher shaving accuracy and uniform thickness of the hides. Stretching forces along the dorsal line of the hides are reduced, which avoids structural damage. Marginal hide regions are less frayed, thus increasing the usable surface area. The small size and compact form of the shavings are advantageous for recycling and disposal. Exploiting these advantages combined with an optimized grinding process, the user can increase the lifetime of the serrated blades. Based on these experiences there is an urgent need to thoroughly understand the physical cutting processes which take place during the shaving step. In the current research project an experimental test station is designed which is intended to simulate the shaving process in a simplified setting as a cutting procedure of a blade into a leather surface. This test station will enable the variation of material, geometry and configuration of the blade as well as the measurement of forces emerging during cutting at the blade and the leather surface, which emerge during cutting. The registered data shall provide information on the question, how the cutting forces depend on technological parameters, like blade material, geometry, configuration, cutting speed, leather moisture or tanning method. Based on the knowledge of these relationships novel, even more effective shaving blades can be developed. In a second approach the cutting process of a single leather fibre will be simulated virtually on a microscale level. The goal is the understanding of the interaction of a moving metal blade with a flexible, unilaterally fixed leather fibre. The simulation is supposed to yield data on cutting speed and fibre behaviour under conditions which are experimentally difficult to access. Take-Away: The physical basics of the shaving process are not yet fully understood. The presented research project aims at the understanding of the interaction between shaving blade and leather fibres during the shaving process. The approach in the project is to model the cutting procedure in a simplified experimental test station and in a computational simulation model

Leather Shaving – A New Approach for Understanding the Shaving Process

Content: The shaving process is one of the most important steps in leather production. However, the underlying principles and mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Generally, the successful performance of the shaving process is based on long-time experience, and the tanneries rather optimize the preceding process steps than change the shaving parameters. In a current research project the research partners (Heusch GmbH, TU Dresden and FILK gGmbH) have united their expertise in order to understand the interaction between the shaving blade and the semi-finished leather (wet-blue or wet-white). The objective of the project is to gain more insight into the physics of shaving and to create a background of knowledge, which will be the technical base for developing novel and more effective shaving blades. Heusch presents the advantages of a novel serrated shaving blade. In comparison with the standard design an serrated blade yields higher shaving accuracy and uniform thickness of the hides. Stretching forces along the dorsal line of the hides are reduced, which avoids structural damage. Marginal hide regions are less frayed, thus increasing the usable surface area. The small size and compact form of the shavings are advantageous for recycling and disposal. Exploiting these advantages combined with an optimized grinding process, the user can increase the lifetime of the serrated blades. Based on these experiences there is an urgent need to thoroughly understand the physical cutting processes which take place during the shaving step. In the current research project an experimental test station is designed which is intended to simulate the shaving process in a simplified setting as a cutting procedure of a blade into a leather surface. This test station will enable the variation of material, geometry and configuration of the blade as well as the measurement of forces emerging during cutting at the blade and the leather surface, which emerge during cutting. The registered data shall provide information on the question, how the cutting forces depend on technological parameters, like blade material, geometry, configuration, cutting speed, leather moisture or tanning method. Based on the knowledge of these relationships novel, even more effective shaving blades can be developed. In a second approach the cutting process of a single leather fibre will be simulated virtually on a microscale level. The goal is the understanding of the interaction of a moving metal blade with a flexible, unilaterally fixed leather fibre. The simulation is supposed to yield data on cutting speed and fibre behaviour under conditions which are experimentally difficult to access. Take-Away: The physical basics of the shaving process are not yet fully understood. The presented research project aims at the understanding of the interaction between shaving blade and leather fibres during the shaving process. The approach in the project is to model the cutting procedure in a simplified experimental test station and in a computational simulation model

Hemofiltrate CC Chemokine 1[9-74] Causes Effective Internalization of CCR5 and Is a Potent Inhibitor of R5-Tropic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Strains in Primary T Cells and Macrophages

Proteolytic processing of the abundant plasmatic human CC chemokine 1 (HCC-1) generates a truncated form, HCC-1[9-74], which is a potent agonist of CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5; promotes calcium influx and chemotaxis of T lymphoblasts, monocytes, and eosinophils; and inhibits infection by CCR5-tropic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates. In the present study we demonstrate that HCC-1[9-74] interacts with the second external loop of CCR5 and inhibits replication of CCR5-tropic HIV-1 strains in both primary T cells and monocyte-derived macrophages. Low concentrations of the chemokine, however, frequently enhanced the replication of CCR5-tropic HIV-1 isolates but not the replication of X4-tropic HIV-1 isolates. Only HCC-1[9-74] and HCC-1[10-74], but not other HCC-1 length variants, displayed potent anti-HIV-1 activities. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis revealed that HCC-1[9-74] caused up to 75% down-regulation of CCR5 cell surface expression, whereas RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted) achieved a reduction of only about 40%. Studies performed with green fluorescent protein-tagged CCR5 confirmed that both HCC-1[9-74] and RANTES, but not full-length HCC-1, mediated specific internalization of the CCR5 HIV-1 entry cofactor. Our results demonstrate that the interaction with HCC-1[9-74] causes effective intracellular sequestration of CCR5, but they also indicate that the effect of HCC-1[9-74] on viral replication is subject to marked cell donor- and HIV-1 isolate-dependent variations