Leather Manufacture

Salted or Dried Stock from the Curing Process

In most developed countries, hides and skins are removed and lightly cured with salt at abattoirs or local hide collection
centers. In many developing countries however most animal slaughter takes place at a rural village site. With high
ambient temperatures often encountered, curing is not simple. Salt is applied (dry salting or wet salting whereby the hide
is immersed and saturated with brine solution) and the skins then dried.
Soaking
Soaking is to rehydrate the skin and reverse the cure process. Dirt and other elements, such as curing salt, saline-soluble
proteins are removed. The soaking process can take up to 48 hours.

Unhairing
This process traditionally utilized large quantities of lime blended with sodium sulphide to loosen wool and hair.
Additionally the process opens the fiber structure and plumps the hide.

Fleshing
Fleshing is the physical removal of remaining tissues from flesh side of the hide. After fleshing, the hides are weighed to
establish a basis for the deliming and tanning process. The fleshing machine uses large volumes of water.

Deliming and Bating

The deliming process is the removal of lime from the hide ( not always completed through the full thickness of the hide).
This process is carried out in a drum or paddle and a copious washing is followed by neutralizing chemicals. The bating
is an enzymatic process which has a pronounced effect on the grain of the hide or skin in general run and stretch of
subsequent leathers.

Pickling
The pickling process is an adjustment of the PH of the pelt, sterilizing the skin, to give them the required acidity for the
next steps.
Tanning
The tanning process converts the collagen, the major property of the hide, into a resistant condition. The tanning process
also gives the necessary feel and physical characteristics of leather. There are several tanning processes. After the tanning
process, the hides or skins can be dried for further transport; this leather state is known as the blue state. After tanning
some additional operations are required, which in general aim at leveling the hides and skins to give them a uniform
thickness.

Samming
The excess moisture is removed by samming usually between pressurised rollers.

Splitting
If not carried in lime condition, the hides are split.

Shaving
The hides are leveled.

Neutralization, Re-tanning, Dyeing and Fat -liquoring

During these processes, often sequential in a drum employing a common bath, the color, feel and characteristics of the
final leather are obtained. The neutralization is carried out with mild alkali to prepare the leather for the re-tanning
process. A second tanning process (re-tanning) is carried out to prepare the leather for receiving the final color (dyeing).
The fat-liquoring process gives the final softness to the tanned hide.

Drying, Trimming and Finishing

The leathers are again passed through the pressurized rollers to remove the moisture and are then dried. The finishing
process includes mechanical treatment of grain and flesh sides by application of surface finishing products.