Process to Mold 3-Dimensional Leather Trim Cover

A method of forming a 3-dimensional leather shape, said method comprising:

• providing milled leather lacking finish coatings and/or paint and retaining an amount of inherent elongation stored in leather fibers during a milling process;
• cutting a leather blank from said milled leather;
• forming said leather blank into a 3-dimensional leather shape by a vacuum forming process prior to applying any coatings and prior to applying any paint to the milled leather;
• and
• applying at least one of a coating or a paint directly on to an upper surface of said 3-dimensional leather shape locking said leather fibers in place after the leather blank is formed into said 3-dimensional leather shape by said vacuum forming process.

A method of forming a 3-dimensional leather seat cover for an automotive seat, said method comprising:

• providing milled leather lacking finish coatings and/or paint and retaining an amount of inherent elongation stored in leather fibers during a milling process;
• cutting a leather blank from said milled leather;
• forming said leather blank into a 3-dimensional leather shape by a compression molding process prior to applying any coatings and prior to applying any paint to the milled leather;
• applying at least one of a coating or a paint directly onto an upper surface of said 3-dimensional leather shape locking said leather fibers in place after said leather blank is formed into said 3-dimension leather shape by said compression molding process;
• trimming said 3-dimensional leather shape;
• and
• assembling said 3-dimensional leather shape as at least a portion of a seat trim cover.