Leather Manufacturing Process

Indian leather industry contributes and brings growth prospects for the Indian economy. As Indian leather industry is the oldest among the other countries. Leather comprises varied categories that are leather footwear, garments, tanning, and accessories. India is the largest leather producer and the biggest user of leather footwear.  

Being the second top exporter of leather garments has opened up opportunities for the new Readymade Garments Trader in India to enter the market. The USA is the top importer of Indian leather products followed by Germany and the Uk. India is a top leather consumer and exporter holding a great profit ratio in the market. To widen the leather market in India government launched favorable schemes regarding leather production increment, building modern infrastructure, and facilitating funds. 

A list of the steps for the leather manufacturing process is mentioned below: 

So if you are getting into the leather production business, and you are unaware of the adequate methods and steps for leather production. Then we are mentioning the entire process below highlighting the important steps comprising the leather production process. 

1. Primarily skin trimming and cleaning 

Initially, skin is trimmed and cleaned, which are later on segregated as per size, thickness and weight. Afterward, the removed skin is soaked in a spinning drum filled with detergents and water. Make sure to remove proteins from the skin for avoiding bacterias growth. Further, hairs are removed through chemical applications, and also scudding machine is used to scrap off excess hairs from the skin. 

• Once, you are done with the trimming part, another washing process is required that is removing chemicals before the hides are absorbed. 

• Then proceed to the enzyme treatment process to remove skin collagens.

2. Tanning 

Once animal skins have undergone the cleaning process, now these hides undergo multiple tanning steps. Which are vegetable tanning, oil tanning, and mineral tanning.

• Vegetable tanning: this tanning process takes longer time, as the animal skin is soaked into the strong tannic acid solution for several weeks. However, soft leather such as lamb skin is soaked for less time up to 12 hours compared to hard leather. 

• Mineral tanning: this method is faster compared to vegetable tanning practice. But, in this method leather color can be changed, therefore, the hides are put in the drum filled with alum salt and fitted with paddles inside leads to ensure a continuous agitation motion. 

• Oil tanning: the last tanning process,  this resembles an ancient tanning practice. In which fish oil is splattered over the hides. 

3. Washing and dyeing

Washing is the next important part performed in the leather manufacturing process. 

After being washed leather then is dyed and dipped in big dye drums. In the dying process, leather is dipped in a liquid mixture of soap and oil fats. 

The dyed leather, later on, undergoes stretching and drying part. Then further it undergoes for the sorting process. Which helps to generate cowhide leather. 

4. Lastly, the leather finishing part.

In this part leather’s surface is colored as the final color. Coloring leather surface is the last appearance of health. Different methods are used which bring the varieties of the products. 

• After being colored Aniline leather has its own natural finish, which doesn’t experience any kind of surface coloring process. 

• Semi-leather undergoes the coloring process in which layers are covered with pigment and another layer is covered by translucent materials. This makes a product a little defective. 

• Pigment-sprayed leather is considered easy to care for and wear. 

The leather market is augmenting in which leather manufactured Readymade Garments in India are in demand.