Leather industry: history and development, results and prospects of the industry

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Humanity has been processing leather since time immemorial. The leather industry has undergone significant changes over the millennia. The development of the country's economy depends partly 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. The dressing of the skin was different from the modern one. The hunter processed the raw material with animal fat, crushed it with his hands or chewed it with his teeth. Over time, tree bark, oak acorns, and plant sap began to be used to tan leather.

The heyday of the leather industry began in the 18th century. The first factory started operating in 1749. A little later they engaged in mass dressing of leather in France. Factories in Germany and England flourished. Germany borrowed patent leather technology from France.

The feature of German patent leather is the raw material. Use of suckling calveshorses, goats and sheep. In Europe, you can still find factories where raw materials are processed according to old technologies.

Pig skin made in England is famous all over the world. The variety of colors strikes a person who is far from technology. France occupies a leading position in the dressing of leather for the production of gloves and the highest grades of shoe material. The factories of Belgium and Denmark are not far behind competitors.

USA is the world leader in shoe leather production. The vast majority are of poor quality. Relatively recently, the processing of crocodile skin was launched, which interested buyers due to its unusualness and durability.

Countries with access to the seas and oceans use fish skin, but production requires complex processing and does not compete with animal raw materials.

Leather craft in Russia in the Middle Ages

In Russia, animal skin dressing occupied a special place. The skin was processed in a special way, and valuable fur or raw material for shoes and clothes was obtained. At the same time, the craft was almost waste-free. The rest of the fat was used to prepare glue, felt boots were rolled from wool.

In the Middle Ages, leather goods were used everywhere. Clothes, boots, mittens, hats, bags, wallets were made 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 hide was dipped in lime mixed with ash. Cattle were used for raw materials,pigs, horses.

In XIII, leather tanning technology has changed. The finished product was soft, frost-resistant. The peoples of the East had a special influence on the leather craft.

The factory for the production of leather goods appeared in 1688. The enterprise was built by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Tools, equipment were purchased, pits were dug for tanning raw materials. The technology of leather dressing in Russia did not change until the beginning of the 20th century.

New time in Russia

The history of the leather industry in the 20th century has changed. At this time, leather products were required everywhere. Saddles, harnesses, car seats, covers were sewn from this material. A man in breeches, gloves, and a jacket was considered fashionable. Russia took the world championship in the quality of raw materials and supplied Europe.

After the outbreak of the First World War, leather clothing remained only with the privileged rich people. The leather and footwear industry continued to operate, but fewer garments were made. Until the 1950s, leather products were not popular, the production was retrained for shoes. War-torn countries could not afford mass production of high quality. Consumer goods appeared. Leather jackets in the USSR were worn by rebels and "golden youth". For the rest of the population, such clothes remained a dream.

in the 1980s, Russia was again swept by a leather boom. Until now, such clothes are a sign of prosperity. Most of the goods and raw materials are imported from other countries.

Leather and shoemills

The history of the development of leather factories began with the provision of clothes for the soldiers of the Russian army. In the Vyatka province, the local buttermaker Porfen Timofeevich Vakhrushev created a small handicraft production, producing up to 12 leathers per day. Gradually, the number of products increased. In 1868, 5,000 yufts were produced. In 1986, production increased to 250,000 cowhide.

The dressing of the plantar leather took up to 12 months. Everything was done by hand. Only in 1903 the first machine was installed, the process went faster. In wartime, the plant was dismantled for the period of hostilities. It was later restored within 2 months. During the Soviet period, leather production at this plant increased 50 times.

In 1839, another plant was built in the city of Kirov. In Soviet times, hard leather production technologies were actively introduced on it to create durable shoes. In the 90s of the XX century, the plant experienced severe upheavals due to the crisis and privatization. The enterprise depended on the state order, which was received very little during this period.

In 1915, the Zarya Svoboda shoe factory was created. Its creation was the impetus for 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 restructuring crisis affected the enterprise, but since 2000 the company began to increase its capacity, paying attention to the quality and style of finished products.

World market

The world's leather industry is facing contractionlivestock. Thailand entered the world market, increasing the amount of leather dressing 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. Skins of cows, buffaloes, camels and crocodiles are used. Every year, the country produces 4.6 million m2 of finished raw materials. Iran is in first place in the export of dedicated leather.

The Republic of Yemen produces leather mainly from sheep, goats, donkeys, camels and small cows. The quality of raw materials is quite low. Handicraft production does not meet the demand even within the country.

Russia in the global market

The leaders of the leather and footwear industry are Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, China, Korea. Italian leather is the most sought after. Russia is the second largest importer 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 dressing all Russians in domestically produced shoes.

In Russia

The leather and footwear industry in Russia was famous for the production of leather and fur products. The country has a hugepotential. But the 90s of the XX century seriously crippled the state of the country's economy. The leather industry has entered a period of stagnation.

Small development began at the beginning of the 21st century. Enterprises increased their capacity. The number of small businesses has increased, and 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 shoe manufacturers. Their productivity is 160 million pairs per year. Such capacity is not enough to cover the needs of the population of the country. 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. Russia needs investments to become competitive in the world market.

Professional training

Institutes of the leather industry have been created in Russia to train future specialists in the field of Light Industry Technology. Students study environmental issues, modern technologies, physical and chemical properties of the skin. The main disciplines are:

• structural modification of proteins;
• chemicals for the leather industry;
• materials science;
• quality management;
• management control.

Graduates are in demand in the labor market. This is due to the lackqualified personnel and high quality knowledge of future specialists.

Modern production

When processing the skin of an animal, 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. It forms a product. The third layer is made up of fats. The degree of its removal depends on the subsequent processing.

When cured, tanned, raw or rawhide is obtained. Fresh skin contains flexible fibers that keep it soft. When dried, the fibers tan, and the raw material breaks easily. To avoid this, tannins are used, which separate the fibers from each other and prevent the raw material from hardening. Previously, natural tannins were used, with the growth of the chemical industry, inexpensive artificial components are being used. Treating the skin in a different way produces fats that prevent it from drying out.

Production of products goes through the following stages:

1. Skinning removes the remnants of the epidermis and fats on the skin, extra components.
2. Deashing allows you to remove the remnants of mineral s alts that were formed during the tanning process. If this step is skipped, the quality of raw materials will deteriorate sharply. The skin will become brittle.
3. Flushing with plain water is the final step. After that, the skin is sent to the leather manufacturing stage.

Industrial Raw Materials

The skins of various animals are used as raw materials. Mostcattle are considered popular. Skins of large animals are used: cows, bulls, horses. The skins of suckling calves and stillborn calves are soft. Each type of raw material has its own marking. Bread goat is made from dairy goats, steppe goat is made from fur goats. Foal - the skin of suckling foals. Horse skin from an animal weighing more than 10 kg.

There are no camel and crocodile skins in the Russian classification. In other countries, these animals are used as raw materials.

Industrial problems

The main problem in the leather industry is idle capacity. Imports of raw materials from other countries are limited by sanctions. Raw materials that enter the country are very expensive due to the growth of the currency in the market. At the moment, there is a ban on the export of raw hides.

The number of cattle has declined in recent years. The main problem of the industry was the shortage of raw materials in the domestic market. Large industries occupy 30% of the raw materials market, the rest is occupied by small private industries.

The second problem is the decline in the quality of raw materials due to insufficient veterinary control. The decline in quality affects the range and quantity of finished products received.

Prospects for development

The Government of the Russian Federation 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 provided to livestock breeders, the more quality raw materials the tanners will receive.

The quality of the skin of the animaldepends on the livestock. This requires quality feed, hygiene, disease control. The lack of qualified personnel negatively affects industries as a whole. It is necessary to increase the interest of the younger generation in animal husbandry. Financial assistance and technical equipment play an important role in development.

The leather industry is undergoing a transformation that will allow it to reach a new level of leather production.