Here’s an overview of some of the equipment used when tanning and finishing Exotic Leathers:

Drums and Processing Vessels - The kinds of processing vessels used will usually depend on how modern the facility is.  They come in all shapes and sizes and can be made with fiberglass, woods, and other materials.  They can also be driven by gears or belts and are built to last for a lot of use.  Great care is taken to make professional equipment easy to use as well as resistant to the chemicals used during tanning processes.  Good drums and tanning equipment should last for decades!

Glazing Machines – “Glazing Jacks” are required for alligator skins.  It strokes the leather quickly with a reciprocating arm to assist in the leather finishing processes.

Shaving Machines – These machines are used to shave the materials to get consistent thickness.

Degreasing and Dry Cleaning Machines – An automatic dry cleaning machine is a very important piece of equipment in an exotic leather tannery.  A dry cleaning machine is isolated from the rest of the equipment to prevent the chemicals to contaminate the rest of the processes in the plant.  These chemicals are disposed of separately by professional hazardous waste handlers!  This machinery is expensive but is crucial to the day to day operations of a professional exotic tannery.

tags: equipment, exotic leather, exotic tannery, skin
Categories: Exotic Leather Tannery
No Comments »

To work efficiently, it’s best for an exotic tannery to operate with several organized departments:

1) Wet department – This area is where skins can be put into batches for processing. They are weighed, clipped, and recorded before they are put through the tanning process. This area should have a lot of extra space for expansion. While a number of activities can go on in here, the best tanneries have separate wet areas for tanning and coloring.

2) Storage/Holding Areas – Plenty of room should be available to store skins during the tanning and coloring process.

3) Chrome Capture – Chrome tanning is how most exotic hides are produced, therefore it is only logical to recover the materials before mixing them with other streams.

4) Chemical Storage – A wet-proof chemical storage area is absolutely crucial for any safe and professional exotic leather tannery.

5) Lab – A lab to ensure controls and balances in chemicals and processes for tanning is necessary. A lab is also used to measure dyes and other chemicals that must be precision-weighted.

6) Dust Prevention – Ventilation is crucial for a tanning facility, but so is dust control. Dust can ruin a hide during the tanning and finishing process, so it is crucial to have proper air filtration to keep the air as crisp as possible.

7) Drying Facilities – Dried skins are stretched and kept an a clean environment to remove the risk of dust contamination.

Mechanical Shop – With a tannery producing high volumes of material, they will require equipment maintenance from time to time. This area is storage and a “working” area for equipment requiring maintenance, upgrading, or repairs. Typically this are is found in the largest tanneries.

9) Shipping – Lots of space is required here; this area is where skins go through final inspection for standards. They are categorized, labeled, weighed, sized, and stored before they are shipped to the customer and/or broker who has purchased the skins.

tags: chrome capture, exotic leather tanneries, exotic tannery, wet department
Categories: Exotic Leather Tannery
No Comments »