Whether you’re shipping textiles, pharmaceuticals, or fruits and vegetables, preventing damage is an essential part of protecting your bottom line.
Liner mats play a key role in the processing of wet hides, providing crucial protection that helps minimize spoilage and leakage. As a result, you can protect your bottom line and your reputation as a supplier.
Check out this guide to learn more about liner mats for wet hides and how they help protect expensive hides.
Wet hides require gentle, even drying to avoid cracks, warping or mildew. Processing wet hides is particularly challenging because they’re prone to spoilage and other forms of container damage.
Liner mats create a critical barrier between hides and equipment, helping hides dry evenly to reduce the risk of damage. Line mats don’t just ensure wet hides dry evenly, they also create a barrier that protects against contamination that can lead to spoilage.
Liner mats are specially designed to help protect and preserve wet hides, absorbing moisture and reducing the risk of contaminants and physical damage.
Moisture is one of the biggest concerns in wet hide processing and shipping. High-quality foam or EVA liner mats are designed to soak up excess moisture without restricting airflow, which allows for hides to dry out faster without the damage that results from forced drying methods.
Processing hides isn’t just about removing excess moisture, it’s about ensuring moisture is evenly distributed throughout the hide. An even distribution of moisture helps prevent hot spots, which helps hides maintain a consistent thickness and strength.
Liner mats with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal surface treatments are designed to stop mold growth and keep hides sanitary during the drying cycle. Liners also act as a barrier against dust, metal shavings, and other debris that can cause damage to hides. This protection is an essential part of processing wet hides.
High-performance liner mats for wet hides are made using specific materials that protect your hides and ensure even drying. These liner mats are available in custom sizes for a wide range of environments and applications.
Close-cell polyurethane foam resists compression under the weight of heavy hides, while EVA foam offers some cushioning and rebound to protect wet hides. These layers are coated with a tear-resistant outer layer that can withstand the physical and chemical stress of processing wet hides.
The top layers of liner mats for wet hides feature a non-slip coating, ensuring hides don’t shift so you can minimize manual adjustments and wasted time.
It’s important to choose certified coatings that are resistant to bacteria. Certified coatings do a better job of maintaining hide quality while protecting workers from harmful bacteria.
Wet hide liner mats should be thick enough to protect hides from physical damage without restricting airflow too much. In most cases, a liner mat thickness of 10–30mm is ideal.
Liner mats are also available in custom sizes for a perfect fit. Cut-to-fit mats are easy to trim down to fit your chamber layout and avoid overlap or wasted material.
When you’re choosing liner mats for your tannery, it’s important to consider the types of hides you’re tanning, the drying capacity you need, and which features you want to prioritize. Here are some additional tips to help you find the right liner mat for your tannery.
Experimenting is one of the best ways to find out if different mat materials are compatible with different types of hides. Run small-batch trials with bovine, sheepskin, or exotic hides to confirm absorption rates and monitor for surface reactions.
When you’re using a new mat material on sensitive hides, check for any residue transfer or color bleeding on the hides.
It’s also important to consider compression resistance ratings and the expected service life of a liner mat under peak loads. Heavy-duty mats may be more expensive, but it’s a long-term investment that helps you save on replacement mats.
Compare mat dimensions to drum diameters, belt widths, and shelf depths to make sure the mat provides full coverage. Mats with reinforced edges or snap-in fasteners provide better coverage and can be installed in just a few minutes.
Your budget plays a key role in the wet hide processing solutions you choose. Weigh the initial cost of liner mats versus long-term savings when you consider replacement cost, reduced waste, and cleaner operation.
There are also greener options available, including liner mats made from biodegradable or recyclable foam.
Proper installation ensures liner mats provide full coverage to completely protect wet hides and ensure even drying. Here are some things to remember when installing liner mats for wet hides.
Remove old mat residue, debris, and oil from the floor or shelves to create a smooth surface. Lay a bubble level down on different parts of the surface, ensuring the bubble in the center is between the two lines. An even surface makes installation easier.
Mats should be positioned inside hide drying containers so that the edges of the mats meet with no gaps or overlapping. This provides maximum support and ensures hides dry evenly.
Rotate mats periodically to equalize the wear patterns on the mats. Regular rotation of mats helps extend the lifespan of each mat.
Movement can be an issue during the drying process, so use adhesive strips, magnets, or mechanical fasteners to keep liner mats in place during drum operation.
During the first few runs, log drying times and moisture readings to make sure your mats deliver consistent results.
Once you’ve found the right hide tanning equipment for your hides, there’s still a lot of work left to do. Routine maintenance and cleaning helps prevent contamination and extend the service life of your mats.
Liner mats can be sensitive, so choosing the right cleaning agent is essential. Opt for mild pH-neutral detergents that do a good job of removing fats, salts, and tanning residues without degrading the mat or foam. Gentle dish soaps and detergents are ideal.
If you need a little extra cleaning power, use a low-pressure water spray or a gentle brush to remove excess residue without tearing the mats.
During busy seasons, you should inspect liner mats for wet hides at least once every week. Check for tears and other signs of damage. Liner mats should be deep-cleaned at least once a month.
To simplify maintenance, track usage hours for each mat and rotate high-use mats out to allow them to dry fully.
High-quality liner mats are designed to stand the test of time, but there are several things you can do to extend the service life of these mats. Routine maintenance is one of the best ways to prevent damage to the surface and foam of liner mats, but it’s also important to immediately remove chemicals and dyes that spill on the mat to prevent damage.
When you’re not using liner mats for wet hides, they should be stored in a dry, ventilated area to prevent warping or microbial growth. Make sure your mats are completely flat in storage to further prevent warping.
Liner mats play a crucial role in the processing of wet hides, but there are some common mistakes tanneries make with these mats. Avoid these common mistakes for the best results.
Certain liner mat materials aren’t compatible with certain types of hides. Before you run a full batch of hides with a new mat material, run a small test batch to see how the materials react. Untested materials can lead to uneven drying or damaged hides, which impacts the quality of your hides and, ultimately, your bottom line.
Liner mats are most effective when they’re installed properly, and that means positioning mats so they’re providing full coverage without overlapping. Mats should be close enough that there are no gaps, but not so close that the edges are overlapping. A flat surface leads to even heat distribution, preventing hotspots and warped hides.
Wet hide liner mats are designed to be durable, but that doesn’t mean they’re a set-and-forget solution. If you’re not regularly inspecting and cleaning your liner mats, they’re not going to last as long. Chemical and dye spills can be especially harmful to liner mats depending on the materials they’re made of.
Set up a cleaning and inspection schedule to make sure you’re staying on top of routine maintenance. In the event of a spill or leak, clean mats immediately to prevent damage.
Some liner mats are designed to withstand heavy moisture exposure, while others have lower absorption capacities. Testing moisture absorption beforehand helps you choose liner mats that meet your drying needs.
Liner mats used for soaking hides should be replaced at least once every 3–5 years, but it depends on the material, maintenance, and how frequently you’re rotating mats.
You can find a wide selection of liner mats in eco-friendly materials, including biodegradable and recyclable foams. These mats are an excellent choice if you’re looking for greener wet hide processing solutions.
Liner mats can impact tanning quality because certain mats can cause residue transfer or color bleeding. Testing small-batch runs of hides helps prevent damage to large batches.
Wet hide processing is a lot of work, but innovative solutions like liner mats can help your tannery elevate its wet hide processing. If you’re tanning sensitive hides, you need liner mats you can count on to evenly dry those hides without color bleeding or residue transfer.
At EPGNA, we’ve spent years developing innovative shipping, packaging, and processing solutions. Our collection of liner mats includes custom sizes and various materials, so you can find a solution that works for your tannery. We even offer custom solutions that are tailored to your needs.
Contact us to get a quote or learn more about our liner mats for wet hides.
Sandra Malouf is the President of Eurolog Packing Group and has spent her career focused on Industrial Packaging. With a proven track record of helping businesses avoid supply chain disruptions, Sandra’s visionary leadership elevates the industry. She’s committed to developing sustainable practices and continues to shape the future of industrial packaging by listening to the customer and offering unique solutions applicable to various industries across the world. The company’s main focus is temperature stabilization and moisture damage prevention in exports affected by extreme variations in global temperatures.
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