TANNING PROCESS FROM A DEVELOPED COUNTRY

1.WAREHOUSING AND SORTING

In the raw material area the skins are preserved in salt, stored in controlled cool rooms and before processing, presorted for quality and weight.

2. SOAKING

3.DEFLESHING

During this process tissue, flesh and fat remnants are removed by a roller mounted knife

4.LIMING

By adding lime and sulphur compound the hair is removed from the skin.

5.BATING, PICKLING AND TANNING

During bating and pickling the skins are treated with acid and salt in preparation for tanning. During tanning the skin fibres absorb the tanning agents. That's when the skin becomes leather. 

6.SAMMING

During this process water is removed.

7.SPLITTING

In order to achieve an even specified thickness the leather is reduced in substance. The resulting split-leather can than be processed further as suede. 

8. SKIVING

The grain leather is brought to an even thickness. Irregularities are removed from the reverse side and the leather is separated into colour-batches.

9. SORTING

The leather is sorted into various quality grades.

10.NEUTRALISING, FILLING OUT, DYEING AND GREASING

The acid resulting from the tanning process is neutralized. Dyeing than takes place, where appropriate with aniline-dye-stuffs. The greasing procedure will finally achieve the correct softness.

11. DRYING

Two methods are used to dry leather. The vacuum process during which moisture is removed by suction and the hanging process, when leather is hung and taken through ovens.

12. STAKING

Following drying the leather is mechanically staked in order to soften it. Further processes take place in preparation for finishing.

13.FINISHING

Here the leather is given its final surface treatment and look. Through processes of base coat, colouring, embossing, ironing the leather becomes, depending on the demands of fashion, matt or shiny, two-tone or uni-coloured, smooth or grained. The art of finishing lies in working in wafer-thin layers without disturbing the natural look of the leather and its characteristics such as suppleness and breathability.