The presented diagram illustrates the process of converting raw animal skins into finished leather products.
Looking from an overall perspective, it is obvious that there are 12 steps involved in this process, beginning with delivery of raw hide from farms and ending with waxing to produce smooth and lustrous final goods.
In the preliminary treatment stage, raw animal skins are first delivered from farms to a processing facility, where they are sorted by size into small and large batches. Next, the skin sheets are trimmed manually in order to remove any excess material. Following this, salt is sprinkled onto the skins to prevent decomposition, bacteria growth, and unpleasant odour, before they are stacked on racks and cured for 30 days, thereby ensuring that the material is fully preserved. After curing, the skins are soaked in water for 12 to 24 hours. Once soaked, the hair is removed manually from the surface using a knife, effectively preparing the material for further refinement.
Moving on to the chemical processing stage, the treated skins are transferred into a barrel tumbling machine that contains a mixture of salt and acid, a step known as pickling. This is followed by tanning, where the same barrel is rotated to submerge the hides in chemicals for 48 hours, ultimately transforming them into leather. Subsequently, the leather undergoes colouring and softening. In this step, it is placed in a container comprising dyes and oil, which either enhances its aesthetic appeal and softness or adjusts its shade and texture to suit requirements. Afterwards, the leather is thoroughly dried by industrial fans to reduce dampness and soak up excess moisture. Finally, the process concludes with a layer of wax being applied manually to the dried leather, which imparts a smooth and lustrous finish to the final product.