The retrofitting of leather upholstery into cars has risen in popularity in recent years.

It is used as a way to increase the residual value of used cars, in the restoration of classic cars or simply as a way for the owner to save on the manufacturer’s price for this luxury finish.

Companies such as Auto Leder Atelier in Germany specialize in retrofitting leather seats in vehicles, and use Memmert industrial ovens at two stages in the fitting, to ensure a high quality finish every time.

Conditioning Leather

As a natural material, leather reacts to environmental conditions like humidity and heat which can cause it to shrink or expand.

To avoid this the cut leather is conditioned at a constant temperature for several hours, using a UN750plus model industrial oven.

Adhesive curing

A two part adhesive is used to fix the leather in place. This is applied to the conditioned leather pieces, and then heated to 80-120°C in the same oven for a set time period.

The temperature affects the curing time and hardness of the adhesive once it is joined, so consistency at this step is vital.

Custom Additions to the oven

To suit the busy workshop environment, the oven was fitted with audible and visible alarms to quickly show when programs are running and have finished.

This custom option was developed by the Memmert custom products team to suit the specific work environment for the team at Auto Leder Atelier.

The team love the easy operation and ability to program temperatures and times which help them ensure that every job is performed correctly, saving time and money.

For more information on Memmert ovens, and how they can be customised to suit your application, follow the links above or contact us;

Adapted from the original article published by Memmert.