Mankind has been processing the skin since time immemorial. The leather industry has undergone significant changes over the millennia. The development of the country's economy is partially dependent on light industry. Leather production is the largest consumer of chemical materials and equipment.
Production history
The first leather goods appeared in the East. It was used for the production of clothes, shoes, vessels. Skin dressing was different from modern. The hunter processed the raw materials with animal fat, wrinkled his hands or chewed his teeth. Over time, for the tanning of the skin began to use the bark of trees, oak acorns, plant sap.
The heyday of the leather industry began in the XVIII century. The first factory started operating in 1749. A little later they started mass dressing of leather in France. The plants of Germany and England flourished. Germany borrowed patent leather technology from France.
A feature of German patent leather is raw materials. Use calves sucking horses, goats and sheep. In Europe, you can still find factories in which raw materials are extracted using old technologies.
Pigskin made in England is famous all over the world. A variety of colors affects a person who is far from technology. France occupies a leading position in the manufacture of leather for the production of gloves and higher grades of shoe material. The factories of Belgium and Denmark are not behind the competitors.
The United States has taken the lead in the amount of leather produced for shoes. The vast majority are of poor quality. Relatively recently, they started processing crocodile skin, which interested buyers due to its unusualness and strength.
Countries with access to the seas and oceans use fish skin, but production requires complex processing and does not compete with animal feed.
Leather craft in Russia in the Middle Ages
In Russia, dressing of animal skin occupied a special place. The skin was specially processed to produce valuable fur or raw materials for shoes and clothes. At the same time, the craft was almost waste-free. The remaining fat was used to prepare glue, and felt boots were rolled from the wool.
In the Middle Ages, leather goods were used everywhere. Clothes, boots, mittens, hats, bags, wallets were sewn from animal skins. The most difficult was the creation of boots. Artisans were valued and received decent pay.
The leather industry in Russia was different from the European one. Ash was used for dressing. The soaked skin was immersed in lime mixed with ash. For raw materials used cattle, pigs, horses.
In XIII, the technology of tanning leather has changed. The finished product was soft, frost-resistant. The peoples of the East had a special influence on the leather craft.
A leather goods factory appeared in 1688. The enterprise was built by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Tools, equipment were purchased, holes were dug for tanning raw materials. The technology of skin dressing in Russia did not change until the beginning of the 20th century.
New time in Russia
The history of the leather industry of the 20th century has undergone changes. At this time, leather goods were required everywhere. Saddles, harness, car seats, covers were made of this material. Fashionable was a man in boots, breeches, gloves, a jacket. Russia took the world championship in the quality of raw materials and supplied Europe.
After the outbreak of World War I, leather clothing remained only with privileged wealthy people. The leather and footwear industry continued to work, but fewer clothes were sewn. Until the 1950s, leather products were not popular, production was re-qualified as shoes. The countries exhausted by the wars could not allow mass quality production. Consumer goods appeared. Leather jackets in the USSR were worn by rebels and the "golden youth." For the rest of the population, such clothes remained a dream.
in the 1980s, a leather boom again swept Russia. Until now, such clothes are a sign of prosperity. Most of the goods and raw materials are imported from other countries.
Leather and shoe factories
The history of the development of leather factories began with the provision of clothing for soldiers of the Russian army. In the Vyatka province, the local butter-maker Porfen Timofeevich Vakhrushev created a small artisanal production, producing up to 12 leathers per day. Gradually, the number of products increased. In 1868, 5,000 yufts were issued. In 1986, production increased to 250 thousand.
Planting of the plantar skin took up to 12 months. Everything was done manually. Only in 1903 the first car was installed, the process went faster. In wartime, the plant was dismantled, for the period of hostilities. He was later restored within 2 months. Over the period of the USSR, leather production at this plant increased 50 times.
In 1839, another plant was built in the city of Kirov. It in Soviet times actively introduced the technology of production of hard leathers to create durable shoes. In the 90s of the XX century, the plant experienced severe shocks due to the crisis and privatization. The enterprise depended on a state order, which received extremely little during this period.
In 1915 they created the shoe factory "Dawn of Freedom". Its creation was an impetus in the development of the leather and footwear industry in the Basmanny district of Moscow. In 1985, the capacity was 3 million pairs per year. The crisis of perestroika affected the enterprise, but since 2000 the company began to increase capacity, paying attention to the quality and style of finished products.
World market
The leather industry of the world is facing a reduction in livestock numbers. Thailand entered the world market, increasing the amount of leather and finished products. There are more than 470 factories in the country that produce about 120 million pairs of shoes a year for export.
A distinctive feature of Iran is the manufacture of durable and lightweight shoes made of genuine leather. The skins of cows, buffalos, camels and crocodiles are used. The country annually produces 4.6 million m 2 of finished raw materials. Iran is in first place for export of selected skin.
The Republic of Yemen produces leather mainly from sheep, goats, donkeys, camels and small cows. The quality of the raw materials is rather low. Handicraft production does not provide a need, even domestically.
Russia in the world market
The leaders in the leather and footwear industry are Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, China, Korea. Italian leather is the most sought after. Russia ranks second in import of Turkish-made leather goods.
Manufacturers note that more dense raw materials are produced in the Russian Federation, which is much more profitable for the use of finished products. 80% of high-quality raw materials are exported to other countries, 20% of low-quality leather remains inside.
The economic crisis and sanctions have led to an increase in the capacity of the leather industry. But the country's resources do not allow all Russians to put on domestic shoes.
In Russia
The leather and footwear industry in Russia was famous for the production of leather and fur products. The country has great potential. But the 90s of the XX century seriously crippled the state of the country's economy. Production of the leather industry entered a period of stagnation.
A small development began at the beginning of the XXI century. Enterprises increased capacity. The number of small businesses increased, this continued until the 2014 sanctions. Against the backdrop of an unstable economy and rising prices for imported raw materials, the management system was changing at enterprises. The emphasis is on quality and style.
At the moment, there are about 50 manufacturers of shoes. Their productivity is 160 million pairs per year. Such capacity is not enough to cover the needs of the country's population. If the factories process all the raw materials that are currently produced in Russia, then the enterprises will not be loaded at full capacity. The industry is faced with the question of how to increase the production of raw materials. In order for Russia to become competitive in the global market, investments are required.
Specialty training
The institutes of the leather industry were created in Russia to train future specialists in the field of "Technology of light industry". Students study environmental problems, modern technology, physical and chemical properties of the skin. The main disciplines are:
- structural modification of proteins;
- chemistry for the leather industry;
- Materials Science;
- quality control;
- production control.
Graduates are in demand in the labor market. This is due to a shortage of qualified personnel and high quality knowledge of future specialists.
Modern production
When processing animal skins, it is divided into three parts, which are converted or removed, depending on the purpose of the product. The first layer is the thinnest. The second is the main one and is formed from protein and collagen fibers. The product is formed from it. The third layer consists of fats. The degree of its removal depends on the subsequent processing.
When dressing get tanned, raw or rawhide. Fresh skin contains flexible fibers that make it soft. When dried, the fibers tan and the raw materials break easily. To avoid this, tannins are used that separate the fibers from each other and prevent the raw materials from hardening. Previously used natural tannins, with the growth of the chemical industry, inexpensive artificial components are used. When processing the skin in another way, fats are formed that prevent it from drying out.
The manufacture of products goes through the following steps:
- Coping removes the remains of the epidermis and fats on the skin, excess components.
- Desalination allows you to remove residual mineral salts that are formed during the tanning process. If you skip this step, the quality of the raw materials will deteriorate sharply. The skin will become brittle.
- Rinsing with plain water is the final step. After this, the skin is sent to the leather manufacturing stage.
Raw materials for industry
As raw materials use the skins of various animals. Cattle are considered the most popular. Skins of large animals are used: cows, bulls, horses. The skins of suckling and stillborn calves are soft. Each type of raw material has its own marking. The goat’s bread is made from goats of dairy breeds, the goat’s goat is fur. A foal is the skin of sucking foals. Horse skin in an animal weighing more than 10 kg.
In the Russian classification there are no camel and crocodile skin. In other countries, these animals are used as raw materials.
Industry issues
The main problem of the leather industry is unloaded capacity. Import of raw materials from other countries is limited by sanctions. The raw materials that enter the country are very expensive due to the growth of currency in the market. At present, there is a ban on the export of leather raw materials.
The number of cattle has declined in recent years. The main problem of the industry was the lack of raw materials in the domestic market. Large enterprises occupy 30% of the raw materials market, the rest is occupied by small private enterprises.
The second problem is the decline in the quality of raw materials due to insufficient veterinary control. The decrease in quality affects the range and quantity of finished products.
Development prospects
The Russian government is investing in the development of animal husbandry in Siberia and the Far East. The results will not appear immediately, but after a few years. The more active support is given to livestock breeders, the more high-quality raw materials will be received by tanners.
The quality of the animal's skin depends on the livestock. This requires quality food, hygiene, disease control. The lack of qualified personnel negatively affects the industry as a whole. It is necessary to increase interest among the younger generation in animal husbandry. Material assistance and technical equipment play an important role in development.
The leather industry is undergoing changes, which will allow reaching a new level of leather production.