Fabrication |
Finishing |
In the finishing section, there is no fixed production flow.
According to the leather type and customer’s wishes, the leather surface is treated with different products or mechanical procedures.
All chemicals are carefully selected and used ecologically. Only water-based products are used ñ for the benefit of the environment and our employees.
We select our chemicals based on how friendly they are to the human skin:
If we are aware of chemicals that could cause allergic reactions then ñ where possible ñ they are replaced by alternative products.
The responsibility lies in the skillful hands of the finishing technician to combine machinery and product instructions within one formula, so that the visual characteristics preferred by the customer are reached.
Also, the handfeel and technical values must meet the customer’s requirements.
Therefore, great technical knowledge, sensitivity, and a sense for color tones are needed.
20. Buffing
For easier further processing by our customers, the leather is sandpapered on the backside.
So, unwanted longer skin fibers are removed, which, when glued, could adversely affect the quality of the finished product.
If one buffs on the front side, one gets "nubuck".
Due to its roughened surface, nubuck is especially robust and hardwearing.
Scratches on nubuck are less eye-catching than on plain leather, which is why nubuck is well suited for outdoor use.
21. Dry-splitting
In order to level out the variations in thickness which have occurred during the production process, the leathers are split dry in the crust.
This production step allows an accuracy of 0.1 mm.
Thanks to this high level of accuracy in the leather thickness, later on, during shoe manufacturing, the gluing and injecting of the outsoles can be carried out more exactly.
22. Flesh-side roll coater
After the buffing process there are still small fibres and dust on the back of the leather.
These are fixated with the flesh-side roll coater.
This further improves the backside of the leather and heightens its processing qualities for our clients.
23. Milling
In the milling drum, the leathers are tumbled, and thereby made soft.
By milling, an especially soft leather with a very comfortable, velvety feel is achieved.
In addition, by milling, the leather gets a very natural surface structure.
Probably the best-known milled leather type is ”nappa”.
24. Spraying machine
With the help of a spraying machine, different products such as grounding agents, binding agents, dyestuffs, lacquers, or touch modifiers are sprayed on the leather surface.
Here, for example, small corrections in color and adjustments to the desired end tone are carried out.
25. Rollcoater
Compared to the spraying machine, the rollcoater is also able to apply larger amounts of finishing products on the leather surface.
With a heated cylinder, the rollcoater can apply waxes, greases, and oils on the surface of the leather.
26. Embossing
The natural leather surface is smooth and has little pores.
For fashion reasons, sometimes a special design or a grain pattern on the leather's surface is desired.
Using high pressure and high temperatures, a metal plate embosses the desired pattern onto the leather
The embossing only produces a different visual surface structure for the eye - technically, the skin remains unchanged.
At the Heinen tannery, our customers can choose from a large variety of possible embossing patterns.
27. Effect Printing
Stylish effects are created using water-based colours and a special printing machine, which can produce a wide range of optical effects.
28. Ironing
Ironing increases the smoothness and therefore the gloss of the leathers.
In addition, ironing also influences the handfeel.
Elegant leathers are usually ironed; sporty leathers are normally not.
29. Measuring
Leather is sold by the square meter.
Each single leather side is electronically measured at the end of the production process.
The measurement is stamped on the back of each side .
