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.
