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	Understanding Leather

Inspiration, innovation and research are integral to a leadership position

NOWHERE IS QUALITY MORE TANGIBLE in a manufactured commodity than in leather making.

As Jonathan Muirhead, a director at Bridge of Weir, says, "We firmly believe that when a customer is paying for the luxury of leather, the product needs to look and feel like leather."

Balancing that ethos with Bridge of Weir's reputation in the marketplace, as both an innovator and master of technical excellence in leather finishing, is important. In essence, Bridge of Weir works with leather on the basis of enhancing natural properties, rather than altering beyond all recognition. Not all leather makers share the same view.

To lead in this competitive market requires creativity, tempered by commercial awareness. To supply isn't enough. So Bridge of Weir sets out to inspire and add value to the technical envelope.

Design & Influences

Susan Ross is Bridge of Weir Leather Company's consultant designer, working in both the automotive and contract furniture sectors.

Colour and general design direction are her responsibilities, guiding the company on new trends, creating and developing new ideas, and, with colleagues, presenting these to current and target customer groups.

Influences come from many sources. "I attend a lot of trade shows," says Susan. "But these are not to do with vehicles. They can be for shoes and ladies leather fashion accessories; contract furniture for hotels, offices, aircraft and ships; or even ceramics and flooring."

"These provide references in style, pattern and social trend that are useful to us in developing our ideas. It's useful to have a high degree of vision - and an understanding of the design cultures of individual customers (car manufacturers). Often we'll present our concepts to car makers for models that won't be on public sale for perhaps another four years."

New Materials

Susan attends one to two shows per month in search of fresh inspiration. "The line between fashion and the broader range of design is now much narrower than it was," she adds. "That's because of the new materials being used in car interiors, whether it be industrial finishes like aluminium and special paint effects, or fabrics."

From a "cracked paint" look, through antique, to ultra modern themes, every year brings new concepts, or intriguing variations on an established design. Pro-activity in developing new concepts is a Bridge of Weir hallmark. Responsiveness to customer request is another.

In this respect, Europe's more adventurous design themes - many produced by Bridge of Weir - are an attraction for the Automobile-buying public everywhere.

An understanding of colour palettes, and engraving, are prerequisites for Susan's job. Having trained originally as a fashion designer, she is eminently qualified for the task.

Technology

In this part of the leather industry of the 21St century, tradition meets technology in a wonderful blend of old and new. Great designs are one thing. But without the technology to manufacture them, and an ability to meet stringent standards, there is little point to the exercise.

Today, making leather for demanding customer groups is a highly advanced business. Here, a significant level of turnover is ploughed into investment in new machinery and development of operational efficiencies to meet customer expectations in quality consistency and cost profile.

Technical co-ordinator is Helen Turner. In developing a new leather, for example, there are many factors to be taken into consideration:

"Firstly, the look and feel of the leather is important to the customer," comments Helen. "It needs to fulfil the design requirements in terms of softness, grain appearance, colour, and any special effect. It is also necessary for the leather to meet the customer technical requirement. Each customer has a different technical specification. That means products need to be tailor made to suit."

"Increasingly, particularly over the past few years, customers are now imposing restrictions on the chemicals that can be present in the leather, so we can only use those that comply."

There are internal issues too. A particular leather may be easily produced as a small piece but the potential ramp-up to bulk production of hides must always be kept in mind.

Design concepts may have an effect on production. Most standard processes can be adapted to a concept. If that isn't possible, then the desired result will require discussions with the manufacturers of chemicals and specific types of machinery.

Development times for hides range from a matter of weeks to more than a year, depending on the complexities involved and whether or not new techniques need to be examined in the light of impending original equipment manufacturer standards.

Ecological Compliance

Recycling is a key ecological issue. Vehicles are becoming more and more recyclable - and that means manufacturers have determined that many of their constituent parts should contribute to this criterion.

Taking the motor vehicle as a whole, there is a balance to be achieved in order to maximise contribution to overall environmental benefit. Research shows there to be a number of ways in which this can be done. On the one hand, non-chrome tanning of leather allows greater recyclability of the material. On the other, chrome tanning produces less in the way of liquid waste and consumes less energy. Responsible OEMs must gauge this on a model-to-model basis, comparing relative benefits.

For customers of Bridge of Weir, a commitment to "best practice" in environmental management, compliance with strict UK and international standards, and good on-site house keeping adds another positive dimension to our customers? policies on this important area of manufacturing governance.

For example, Bridge of Weir only uses water-based finishes, rather than particular types of solvent that might still be allowable in other world territories. This sometimes brings a cost differential. In that context, adding value to the customer proposition, an area in which Bridge of Weir is an acknowledged industry leader, is vital.