Lectra's facility in Bordeaux, France, builds fabric- and leather-cutting machines.
Lectra's showroom provides clients hands-on demonstrations of cutting machines.
Lectra's Versalis digital laser-cutting machine.
Lectra's Focus Quantum machine cuts fabric for automotive airbags.
Bright illumination in the lower bar allows cameras above to capture digital images of the leather as it passes through the machine.
The illumination bar in a Versalis cutting machine.
A Versalis laser cutting head.
Leather hide imperfections are hand-marked prior to scanning.
Defects due to scratches, bite marks and stretching are identified.
Digital scanning identifies and nests usable leather pieces for cutting.
Imperfections are shown in digital scan.
Computer tracks leather pieces for production.
Leather solutions specialist David Paulin places hide on Versalis machine.
Paulin checks scan results in preparation for cutting.
Hide passes under scanner prior to cutting.
Bright illumination helps cameras identify leather flaw markings.
Versalis machine cuts pieces as identified and nested into the hide.
Pierre-Michel Richer, cutting room manager, pulls cut pieces from machine.
Paulin matches a cut piece to the nesting diagram above.
Cut pieces are sorted by color.
Versalis assembly area at Lectra's factory in Bordeaux, France.
Pre-assembly of scanner equipment for Versalis machine.
Partially assembled Versalis cutting machine.
Versalis machines at the end of the assembly process.
Versalis machine prepped for packing and shipping.