How Hides and Skins Converted Into Leather

A hide or skin is an animal byproduct that is an important and valuable resource when treated for human use. The word “hide” comes from the German word “Haut,” which means “skin.” Hides are “skins” of large animals such as cows and buffalos, whereas skins are “skins” of smaller animals such as goats, sheep, alligators, snakes, and so on.

Hides and skins are processed into leather, which is then manufactured into various finished leather products such as shoes, handbags, clothing, and so on.

Because of various constraints found at various stages of the production chain, such as animal husbandry, disease management, low yields, and non-collection of a significant proportion of hides and skins, preservation, handling, tanning, and processing techniques and facilities, African hides and skins have a poor image in the global market.

This blog is beneficial to various industries that produce raw, processed, and finished leather used to manufacture high-quality leather products. In this post, we will discuss how to start a leather tannery to increase productivity.

What is Leather Processing?

Leather processing has emerged as a significant economic activity in a number of developing countries, including Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s hides, skins, and leather sectors have potential due to the availability of raw materials, with approximately 8 million cattle hides, 12 million sheep skins, and 8 million goat skins available annually. The natural qualities of clarity, flexibility, strength, thickness, and compact texture of Ethiopian hides and skins are well known. However, there are numerous challenges, such as the supply of raw hide and skin in sufficient quantity and quality, the technology to overcome surface defects in hide and skin, a lack of value chain linkage among stakeholders, a lack of supporting industries such as accessory and component manufacturers, a poor market linkage with customers, and so on. This post will assist you in better understanding and developing your work environment.

Leather is a strong, flexible, and long-lasting material made from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins to preserve and adapt them. Leather is durable, comfortable, naturally beautiful, stain-resistant, recyclable, and simple to repair and maintain.

10 Steps in How to Hides and Skins Converted into Leather

The journey will begin with an animal hide and end with a piece of leather ready to be transformed into a bag, clothing, or any other leather product. This post will walk you through the process of starting a leather business step by step:

1. 1. Soaking: is the first process of leather manufacturing. The skin is soaked in a water to remove salt, dirt, and non-collagen component.
  2. Unhairing/Liming: soaked hides in a bath containing sodium sulphide/hydrosulphide and lime to remove hair and unwanted proteins. This process will also soften the hide.
  3. Deliming and Bating: deliming and bating operations are performed in the same drum. Chemicals are removed from the pelt in a bath containing salts derived from a strong acid and a weak alkali (mainly ammonium salts) together with proteolytic enzymes to flatten and relax.
  4. Pickling and Tanning:pickling is the application of weak acids or salt solutions as preparation for tanning. Tanning process converts the easily spoilt hide to leather, which is durable, strong, flexible, and stable under varying conditions of heat and moisture. There are different types of tanning methods depends upon the end application of the leather. The most used tanning material is chromium. A tannery is the place where the skins are processed, and the profession is called tanner.
  5. Neutralization:the acid resulting from tanning process must be neutralized to create favorable conditions for subsequent dyeing of the leather.
  6. Retanning: Retanning steps are completed in sequence within a single rotating drum with washing and drying steps in between them.
  7. Dyeing: coloring the retaining leather.
  8. Fat-liquoring: is the application of lubricants to the leather to make it stronger and more flexible. It can be mineral oils, natural fats, synthetic fats, and synthetic oils.
  9. Finishing: the stage in the leather-making which give the required degree of gloss, ensure softness and malleability, and provide a more protective and cleanable surface.
10. Final Inspection: The final steps are to inspect and ship. A variety of tests are done to ensure high quality control. These tests include color, abrasion, fading, and dimensional stability. Once a hide has been tested, it is inspected to ensure it meets all of the intended quality specifications.

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