When the hides arrive at the tannery, they enter the beamhouse. Historically, this was a part of the tannery where hides would be strapped over wooden beams for drying.

The name just stuck. Nowadays, it’s an integral part of the tannery, where the hide is cleaned and prepared for tanning. This is often an intensive process, involving chemical treatment for dehairing, removing leftover tissue and cleaning the hide. Chemical innovations have made it possible to use more environmentally friendly technologies in this process, even going so far as using biochemistry.

This is important, as 70% of water-use in the tanning process takes place in this phase. The pH value of the hide is adjusted, and the protein structure is opened up, ready for the tanning process.

After leaving the drums, the leather is finished to give it a final look. Here leather is given a color and matt or gloss finish. Any grain defects or imperfections are fixed with a base coat.

A topcoat gives the final touch, and after testing, the leather is good to go. In some cases, the manufacturer of the seats or car upholstery companies takes care of the final finishing of the leather. This allows them to add a specific touch to the interior or customize the looks to meet customer demand.

A final treatment with aftercare solutions guarantees a long life for this material.