SATRA guides laboratory effectiveness at APLF

Reporting on SATRA’s presence at a recent leather trade fair in Hong Kong, which highlighted the value of the SATRA Laboratory Accreditation Programme.

Members of the SATRA team attended the recent APLF Leather & Materials+ event in Hong Kong, to both welcome visitors to the SATRA stand and to speak at a seminar arranged by the show organisers. John Hooker and Dr Christine Powley-Williams from SATRA’s UK headquarters were accompanied by Vivien Hsieh of SATRA’s China office and Bill Tang, representing Team Testing (the authorised distributor in China of SATRA-built laboratory test equipment).

A total of 839 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions showcased their products and services, and almost 100 of these companies were first-time exhibitors. There were also 25 group pavilions from 21 countries and regions, including Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and the USA.

As in past years, APLF provided attendees with an opportunity to learn about the latest in raw hides and finished skins, as well as finished/semi-finished leather, exotic leather, synthetic materials, components and accessories. Process chemicals and dyes were also on show, as were tanning and shoe machinery, tools, technology, testing laboratories and other services.

Sharing in the seminar programme

As part of the APLF seminar programme, SATRA deputy chief executive John Hooker spoke on the subject of ‘gaining customer confidence in your approach to quality assurance’. His presentation was well attended and highlighted the benefits of having a SATRA-accredited laboratory.

In his discourse, Mr Hooker described how investment in a SATRA-accredited laboratory can improve the effectiveness of a company’s quality management system, and can save both time and money while giving customers great confidence in the products manufactured. He went on to explain how SATRA, through its LabPlus package, can help companies to travel through the steps of accreditation – from initial laboratory design to operating an effective laboratory management system.

Interest was shown by a number of APLF delegates in SATRA’s Laboratory Accreditation Programme. This scheme is continuing to grow, and there are now over 180 SATRA-accredited facilities around the world. In-house laboratories enable manufacturers to immediately check the compliance of raw materials and components from their suppliers, as well as products from their own production line. Costly delays are avoided, and problems can be quickly identified and rectified with minimal impact on production.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 8 of the May 2018 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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