Leather Production - Production Chain
0 views
Skip to first unread message
Annabella Webmaster
May 21, 2008, 9:10:48 PM5/21/08
to Asia Leather Corporate Gifts
Production Chain
The industry process chain may be split into 6 main production stages
and the product at each stage has the potential to be traded
internationally. The relative increase in added value and potential
commercial profit can be seen as the raw material passes through the
various stages of the chain.
1. Raw material
The raw material comes from cattle hides, and from the skins of other
animals. It is biodegradable and loses structure and value if it is
not preserved correctly and promptly after slaughter. This is normally
by salting or drying. The hides and skins need to be without decay,
cuts or damage, and of good shape.
In contrast to the well-developed quality and market standards in
developed countries, this is critical factor in developing countries,
which persist in primitive systems encouraging informal trade and
preventing the full potential value being obtained.
A proposed African scheme is well designed but not implemented yet.
ESALIA/CFC sorting standards classify ground, ball and smoked dried
hides and skins as rejects; the lowest of 4 acceptable skin selections
has defects up to 40% of skin area; above this 40% means that the
skins are total rejects, together with untrimmed or poorly trimmed
skins. Hides also have 4 grades, with the lowest grade having defects
up to 50% of the hide area; above this 50% is a total rejects.
"Fallen" hides and skins originate from animals dying naturally and
are considered as reject material, unsuitable for processing. After
soaking and hair removal in alkaline liming, they are pickled.
2. Pickle
The pickled state is a wet, acidic condition and a preparation for
tanning the leather. "Pickled" leather is a traditional product, a
commodity for export shipment of skins, which allows the importing
tanner the widest choice in tanning materials. All other semi-
processed materials have already been tanned and offer less
flexibility regarding their potential final product.
3. Wet Blue & Wet White
Wet blue, and Wet White, comes from the tanned state. Tanning gives
permanence to the protein and stops further decay. The "blue" refers
to the more general chromium tannage, compared with the newer chrome-
free white tannage. (Vegetable tannage is an older process, and still
used for some upholstery, belts and sole leather. The natural colour
of vegetable tannage is brown. It is not traded in the wet
condition.)
"Wet blue" leather is well-established as a commodity for
international trading, because of the widespread use of chrome
tanning. As such it is price sensitive, provided quality and
reliability is established. As stated above, this form of export is
increasingly preferred by importers, because it arrives without risk
of transmittable diseases, a factor of concern with unprocessed hides
and skins. It also has the advantage that all processes, which cause
the most damage to the environment, have already been carried out in
the exporting country. A further advantage is that importers can
specify the range of the quality selection they need to buy – which
conversely means that the exporter has to consider the sale of the
other grades.
"Wet white" leather is of increasing interest where chromium is to be
avoided – for example, for automotive upholstery. These FOC (‘free of
chrome’) leathers are expected to experience increasing demand in the
future, as environmental concern and legislation grows.
After tanning, the wet hides and skins are usually dyed and further
treated with softening chemicals. After drying, their condition is
known as the "crust". This is the first point in the process at which
they are actually dry.
4. Crust
Crust leather is dry and is easier to ship. It is also easier to see
the quality of the surface appearance for grading and value
judgements. It is ready for further processing, either for more wet
work (retanning and dyeing), or for direct dry finishing.
It may be pure vegetable tanned crust, or a combination of chrome,
synthetic and vegetable tannage. It is an advantage to develop such a
product for a specific customer, who provides the guidance; otherwise
it is much more difficult.
Properties such as tightness, softness and the response to finishing
operations are critical in making a good product and demand greater
technical ability.
Although some countries propose that exports should only be allowed as
crust, or at an even later stage (in order to add value), the results
have often been negative. The hides and skins from individual animals
are different, and unique in their appearance, reflecting the animal's
history. The classification of relative quality is the key operation
in a tannery, and is carried out at several stages in the process.
The profitability of the whole business depends on using the grades
for the appropriate products, and making an overall profit from all
the raw material used. There should be no inventory without a
potential sale"dead stock". After sorting for quality – surface
appearance, feel, thickness – finishing coats of colour are applied,
to improve the appearance and serviceability of the hides. These
qualities are all customer-specific.
5. Finished leather
Finished leather has the potential to add even more value and to
provide much better earnings, but it also is much more difficult to
achieve successfully. Compared with wet blue leather, which can be
made into a number of final products, finished leather has to be made
in a specific type, colour and thickness for each specific product
(and usually for each specific customer). There is no room for error
to achieve a profit, and it is essential to develop finished leathers
for each grade of crust material. The necessary semi-processed hides
and skins (stages 2 to 4) are taken from the normal production line,
according to the demands of the market. Specialist processing
equipment is involved through all the stages.
6. Finished leather products
Finished leather products are made from the different leathers into a
wide range of products. The major use of cattle hides is for the
uppers of heavier leather shoes, but there are increasing demands for
furniture and automotive upholstery. Skins are used for lighter shoes,
leather clothing and gloves. Large and small leather goods, from
suitcases and golf bags, to wallets and briefcases, are made from both
hides and skins. Each finished leather product has its own specific
leather requirements.
Contributed By Mr. Woodley, Michael
International Consultant
May, 2007
http://www.ab-corporategifts.com
The industry process chain may be split into 6 main production stages
and the product at each stage has the potential to be traded
internationally. The relative increase in added value and potential
commercial profit can be seen as the raw material passes through the
various stages of the chain.
1. Raw material
The raw material comes from cattle hides, and from the skins of other
animals. It is biodegradable and loses structure and value if it is
not preserved correctly and promptly after slaughter. This is normally
by salting or drying. The hides and skins need to be without decay,
cuts or damage, and of good shape.
In contrast to the well-developed quality and market standards in
developed countries, this is critical factor in developing countries,
which persist in primitive systems encouraging informal trade and
preventing the full potential value being obtained.
A proposed African scheme is well designed but not implemented yet.
ESALIA/CFC sorting standards classify ground, ball and smoked dried
hides and skins as rejects; the lowest of 4 acceptable skin selections
has defects up to 40% of skin area; above this 40% means that the
skins are total rejects, together with untrimmed or poorly trimmed
skins. Hides also have 4 grades, with the lowest grade having defects
up to 50% of the hide area; above this 50% is a total rejects.
"Fallen" hides and skins originate from animals dying naturally and
are considered as reject material, unsuitable for processing. After
soaking and hair removal in alkaline liming, they are pickled.
2. Pickle
The pickled state is a wet, acidic condition and a preparation for
tanning the leather. "Pickled" leather is a traditional product, a
commodity for export shipment of skins, which allows the importing
tanner the widest choice in tanning materials. All other semi-
processed materials have already been tanned and offer less
flexibility regarding their potential final product.
3. Wet Blue & Wet White
Wet blue, and Wet White, comes from the tanned state. Tanning gives
permanence to the protein and stops further decay. The "blue" refers
to the more general chromium tannage, compared with the newer chrome-
free white tannage. (Vegetable tannage is an older process, and still
used for some upholstery, belts and sole leather. The natural colour
of vegetable tannage is brown. It is not traded in the wet
condition.)
"Wet blue" leather is well-established as a commodity for
international trading, because of the widespread use of chrome
tanning. As such it is price sensitive, provided quality and
reliability is established. As stated above, this form of export is
increasingly preferred by importers, because it arrives without risk
of transmittable diseases, a factor of concern with unprocessed hides
and skins. It also has the advantage that all processes, which cause
the most damage to the environment, have already been carried out in
the exporting country. A further advantage is that importers can
specify the range of the quality selection they need to buy – which
conversely means that the exporter has to consider the sale of the
other grades.
"Wet white" leather is of increasing interest where chromium is to be
avoided – for example, for automotive upholstery. These FOC (‘free of
chrome’) leathers are expected to experience increasing demand in the
future, as environmental concern and legislation grows.
After tanning, the wet hides and skins are usually dyed and further
treated with softening chemicals. After drying, their condition is
known as the "crust". This is the first point in the process at which
they are actually dry.
4. Crust
Crust leather is dry and is easier to ship. It is also easier to see
the quality of the surface appearance for grading and value
judgements. It is ready for further processing, either for more wet
work (retanning and dyeing), or for direct dry finishing.
It may be pure vegetable tanned crust, or a combination of chrome,
synthetic and vegetable tannage. It is an advantage to develop such a
product for a specific customer, who provides the guidance; otherwise
it is much more difficult.
Properties such as tightness, softness and the response to finishing
operations are critical in making a good product and demand greater
technical ability.
Although some countries propose that exports should only be allowed as
crust, or at an even later stage (in order to add value), the results
have often been negative. The hides and skins from individual animals
are different, and unique in their appearance, reflecting the animal's
history. The classification of relative quality is the key operation
in a tannery, and is carried out at several stages in the process.
The profitability of the whole business depends on using the grades
for the appropriate products, and making an overall profit from all
the raw material used. There should be no inventory without a
potential sale"dead stock". After sorting for quality – surface
appearance, feel, thickness – finishing coats of colour are applied,
to improve the appearance and serviceability of the hides. These
qualities are all customer-specific.
5. Finished leather
Finished leather has the potential to add even more value and to
provide much better earnings, but it also is much more difficult to
achieve successfully. Compared with wet blue leather, which can be
made into a number of final products, finished leather has to be made
in a specific type, colour and thickness for each specific product
(and usually for each specific customer). There is no room for error
to achieve a profit, and it is essential to develop finished leathers
for each grade of crust material. The necessary semi-processed hides
and skins (stages 2 to 4) are taken from the normal production line,
according to the demands of the market. Specialist processing
equipment is involved through all the stages.
6. Finished leather products
Finished leather products are made from the different leathers into a
wide range of products. The major use of cattle hides is for the
uppers of heavier leather shoes, but there are increasing demands for
furniture and automotive upholstery. Skins are used for lighter shoes,
leather clothing and gloves. Large and small leather goods, from
suitcases and golf bags, to wallets and briefcases, are made from both
hides and skins. Each finished leather product has its own specific
leather requirements.
Contributed By Mr. Woodley, Michael
International Consultant
May, 2007
http://www.ab-corporategifts.com
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages