A leather manufacturer prepares animal skins through a three-step process: leather preparation, tanning, and crusting. The preparation phase involves removing unwanted parts, preserving or degreasing the leather, and soaking it in water. Tanning makes the leather resistant to bacteria and more elastic, and crusting involves thinning, tanning a second time, and oiling the leather. The finishing process can include oiling, brushing, embossing, ironing, or satin finishing the leather.
A leather manufacturer prepares animal skins so that the leather can be made into products, such as bags, coats, furniture and other items. Generally, the leather maker will take part in a three-step process: leather preparation, leather tanning, and crusting the leather. These steps may vary slightly depending on the type of leather used and the final product desired.
One of the first things a leather maker can do is prepare the leather. Basically, in the preparation phase, the parts of the skin that are not wanted on the skin are removed, leaving only the upper layer or dermis. The leather manufacturer has many different options during this stage. For example, many times the leather is preserved to ensure it doesn’t rot, or it can be degreased so that the oils are removed. Additionally, it can be soaked in water to cleanse and rehydrate the skin.
The skin can also be depilated and cut into several layers. If the skin needs to be softened, it can undergo a maceration process even during the preparation phase. Some manufacturers bleach leather to lighten the skin color. Furthermore, pickling or pickling can be carried out to reduce or, in the latter, increase the pH of the leather and promote the penetration of the tanning agents into the leather.
The second important step occurs when the leather manufacturer tans the leather. Through tanning, the leather becomes resistant to bacteria and becomes more and more elastic. There are many variations of the tanning process. For example, there are different classifications of tannins, such as mineral, vegetable, aldehyde, and synthetic or chemical tannins. The types of tannins used on the skin depend on factors such as the state of the skin and its pH.
The third step used by most leather manufacturers is crusting. To encrust the leather, it is thinned, tanned a second time and then oiled. Again, there are many sub-steps that can occur during the scabbing process, but it is up to the manufacturer’s discretion to decide which steps are required. For example, the skin may be rehydrated, shaved to remove any remaining subcutaneous fibers, and dyed. The leather can be filled with chemicals to make the leather denser and more resilient, or it can be softened and buffed to reduce the texture of the leather.
Occasionally, a leather manufacturer may apply a finish to the leather. During this finishing process, the leather can be oiled, brushed, embossed, ironed or satin finished. If the pet’s fur has been left on the skin, the fur can also be brushed out at this time. The manufacturer will then either sell the leather to another company or start making specific products, such as bags or coats.
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