Stahl wet-end training at BSLT

A recent three-day training seminar provided by Stahl's Colours and Tanning Products Division provided an opportunity for eighteen international students at the British School of Leather Technology to receive detailed information backed by practical training in the use of retanning, fatliquoring and dyeing products. Majoring on the Stahl brand name, the seminar was run by Jacques Daamen, senior C&TP sales technologist from Stahl Europe and Laurence Irwin, LPP Manager C&TP from Stahl International. The main reason behind the seminar was to introduce the students to the latest compact polymer technology from Stahl and to show them the various products within the family and how best to use these in leather processing. The processes used during the practical demonstrations showed the advantages of using compact polymer family products for simultaneous retanning and softening to achieve improved fastness and other physical properties as well as reducing the environmental impact on tannery effluent. The students were encouraged to develop new leathers for themselves by compiling their own formulations for specific purposes and which could be used in future trials in their own tanneries. Following an introduction to the Stahl range of wet-end products, the students were divided into six groups. Over the three days, under the guidance of Daamen and Irwin, the students produced various types of crust leather including garment, automotive, corrected grain shoe upper, softy nappa, upholstery, gloving splits and shoe upper splits. The basic formulations were provided by Daamen and Irwin but the students were free to adapt them as they felt best.