Education

Wet Backing

Wet blue hides are washed to remove dirt, creases and soften.

Sorting

After the washing process, the hides are then inspected and given a grade. WB grading is important as it influences the types of leather you can produce.

Samming

The hides are then inserted into a samming machine to remove the excess of water from the wet backing operation.

Splitting

The splitting operation is to remove the top layer “grain” from the bottom layer “split”. Both the grain and split layers can be used to make leather.

Shaving

Once the grain has been separated from the split layer, shaving is the last and final operation before the coloring process. A shaving weight must be selected depending on the desired weight for the finished leather. Splitting and shaving can have a critical impact upon all strength related aspects of the leather, especially tear strength.

Retanning

3 processes take place: Retanning, fatliquoring and dying. These processes impact the characteristics of the color, feel, softness and have a tremendous influence upon all aspects of the leather’s physical propeties.

Horsing Up

Once the retanning process is completed, the hides are placed on a horse structure for several hours. This is to allow the hides to properly absorb all of the chemicals from the retanning operation.

Setting Out

The hides are approaching the time when they must be dried out. The setting out process puts them into the proper condition for drying. It is a multi-purpose operation, which smooths and stretches the hides, while compressing and squeezing out excess moisture. The type of machine used is very similar to the shaving machine except that the blades on the cylinder are shaped so as not to produce any cutting action.

Wet Staking

The leather is then wet staked to make it pliable. Softness can be controlled by adjusting the pressure and speed setting on the machine. This

Vacuum Drying and Tunnel Drying

Vacuum drying is used to create smooth tight leathers. In the vaccuum dryer, the wet hides are smoothed onto a heated stainless steel plate, then covered by a perforated steel plate which is covered by a felt or cloth. A vacuum is pulled which extracts water vapor from leather.

Wet Toggling

Wet toggling is one of the drying method that is used to create soft tumbled leathers. Hides are kept in a stretched position on perforated frames by means of clips called toggles. The frames are then turned onto their side before the operators slide them into multiple channels in the drying over.

Hang Drying

Hang drying is the simplest method of drying. It is performed by draping the hide over a horizontal shaft and letting it dry as you would do with clothes on a line.

Conditioning

After the drying processes, the leather must be conditioned and mechanically softened before it is processed further. Conditioning is the first step in adjusting the final temper.

Staking

The leather is staked several times during the crust stage to make it more pliable. Softness can be controlled by adjusting the pressure and speed setting on the machine.

Buffing

The buffing operation can be used to create a “nubuck” type leather or to remove light defects. Light sanding leaves a clean, smooth surface ready for the subsequent finishing operation.

Milling

In order to achieve a natural grain pattern, leathers can be naturally milled. More often called tumbled leathers, the surface texture in this process is developed by tumbling the leathers in a drum so they crease and fold. This operation is greatly affected by the retanning process.

Finishing - Aniline Leathers

Dyes and pigments are used to create different types of leathers. Aniline leathers require only dyes, which are transparent and allow the natural character of the leather to be seen. In this operation, the leather is sprayed with dyes to create an aniline leather.

Finishing - Pigmented Leathers

For pigmented or semi-aniline leathers, pigments are used in the finishing process. A small amount of pigment is used for semi-aniline leathers and heavy amounts of pigment are used for pigmented leathers, which covers the natural grain surface but provides good defect coverage.

Embossing

To influence the appearance and feel of the leather, embossing operations with plates or rolls are carried out to achieve specific feels and grain patterns. Embossing is a technique that can be used on any type of leather to assist in the coverage of defects, to improve the utilization or to add aesthetic and fashion effects that are uniform.

Final Inspection

One of the final stages is to inspect and trim the leather. Each and every side is assessed a grade between 1 and 6 using SATRA grading standards to determine the quality and grading percentage of the finished product.

Packing

The final stage is to measure and then pack the leather into boxes. The boxes are then placed into the finished goods warehouse while the financial and transportation logistics are finalized.

SATRA Certified On-Site Laboratory

Both PrimeAsia Vietnam and PrimeAsia China have SATRA certified laboratory. At this stage, each leather must be tested to ensure that it meets the physical and RSL specifications requested by the brands.

Wastewater Treatment Plant

Our wastewater treatment plans recycle water to maximize resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact. By purifying and reusing water, we reduce dependency on fresh water sources and support sustainable manufacturing practices.

Renewable Energy

Our use of renewable energy is integral to reducing our carbon footprint and advancing our sustainability goals. By integrating cleaner energy sources into our operations, we are minimizing environmental impact while optimizing energy consumption. This commitment supports a greener and more responsible manufacturing process, helping us meet both our operational and environmental objectives.

Sample Room

With substantial sample capacity and advanced equipment, PrimeAsia offers unmatched lead-times and superior quality to its customers.