Material Quality Manual

as necessary to maintain effective operations Quality Mission Statement “Create consumer loyalty and lead brand integrity through an integrated Quality Strategy.” Matrix Sourcing Quality

Material Quality Manual

This manual is provided to understand Fabric inspection process and requirements to deliver the highest possible quality as well as report all test results as per Customer requirements

Although this manual describes Matrix Sourcing quality requirements and we also expects its partner suppliers to develop a positive culture of quality This culture must begin with management commitment to prevention-based and continuous improvement- based quality systems including:

Allocating appropriate resources to ensure quality systems are effective

Encouraging active participation of all workers in improvement efforts

Ensuring that processes are stable, capable, and centered through the application of statistical data analysis techniques

Documenting systems, processes, procedures, etc as necessary to maintain effective operations

Quality Mission Statement

“Create consumer loyalty and lead brand integrity through an integrated Quality Strategy.”

Matrix Sourcing Quality philosophy is based on the following principles:

Establish clear, consumer-focused requirements Plan for Defect-Free performance Quality happens within every Process (each supplier, department, & individual owns quality)

Ensure the Process is capable of meeting the Customer requirements Control the Process

Continually reduce Variation and factory Defective Rate

Prevention System Definitions:

Design Qualification

Systems and procedures where Matrix’s product engineering team works with customer design/development groups to help identify and prevent failure modes in product design

Supplier Qualification

Process of evaluating and approving suppliers to ensure they are capable of achieving Matrix Sourcing requirements, and include a review of suppliers’ quality manufacturing and management systems against our requirements and world-class benchmarks

Materials Qualification

Process of testing, evaluating and approving raw material to ensure that the manufacturing process is capable of producing material that always meets World class customer specifications

Product Qualification

Process of evaluating and approving finished goods to ensure that the manufacturing process is capable of producing product that always meet specifications

Metrics & Strategic Reporting

Process of collecting vendor product quality performance data to track performance and set priorities for corrective action

Greige Fabric Quality Requirements

Introduction:

We will provide a guideline to the factory for evaluating, grading and separating the incoming quality of fabric to be used for Matrix Sourcing Clients This is important for the vendors to note on what are the expectations for incoming fabric quality This process also assists factories in detecting defects and preventing substandard fabric

We have described widely recognized inspection procedure as a training framework for inspectors Our ultimate goal is to promote communication and align procedures between the factory and the vendor to resolve quality problems

Inspection Requirements

Area

The inspection area should be:

Open, clean and dry

Well lit

Equipment

Inspection Frame: The frame should be equipped with a variable speed drive, a yard (or meter) counter, and an undercarriage light to see through the construction and an overhead light to inspect the face of the fabric

Inspection Speed: The frame should be capable of running up to 30 yards per minute (27 meters per minute) and should have both forward and reverse controls

Viewing Distance: The inspection should be performed from an observation distance

of 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 centimeters) so as to get full vision of the fabric width

Lighting: Overhead Customer required lighting is recommended for the inspection The surface illumination level should be a minimum of 1075 lux (100 foot candles)

Calibration and Maintenance

Inspection frame should be included in vendor’s periodic maintenance plan

All components of equipment which can output a quantifiably value needs to be calibrated annually e.g Speed drive/ Counter/ Weight (if scales available on frame)

Light Box and Color Room

Each Vendor should have an International light box equipped with:

Light Source Light Type

Primary

Ligh

t D 65 (6500K) Average North

Secondary

Ligh

t CWF (4150K) Source

Tertiary

Ligh t

A (2856 K) Tungsten Source

The Light box must be in a closed conditioned room with no interference from outside light and it must be calibrated from time to time as recommended by its manufacturer The walls of the room should be painted neutral gray

Approved Item Swatch

The vendor is required to use the Matrix Sourcing approved Fabric swatch in development stage as a quality reference sample for hand-feel/ Color and aesthetics verifications in bulk production

This approved item swatch must be properly stored for use in quality comparison Keep a clean sample folder with appropriate information such as vendor name, item number, color name, date approved, Approved test report, Production SPEC, and any other relevant information

Inspection Procedure / Execution

Matrix Sourcing expects the vendor to inspect 100% of all outgoing shipments, identify, label and records defects and ship only first quality materials

The vendor should be familiar with Matrix Sourcing inspection procedures and

standards to ensure that vendor’s internal inspection is capable of at least meeting or better exceeding Matrix Sourcing expectations

Color and Aesthetics

Cut a head-middle-end sample across the width of the fabric, preferably about 2 yards inside of each dye-lot This sample will be used for color and aesthetic verification to ensure lot to lot, head to end fabric consistency

Color Evaluation

1. Color Standard: Check the head-middle-end sample in the light box against the

Customer color standard and/or Matrix Sourcing approved lab-dip under primary

& secondary light source This process should be done once for each color inspected

2. Shading within the roll: Check for shading at the beginning, in the middle and

at the end of each roll inspected, using the head-middle-end sample for

comparison

Side to center

Side to side

End to end

3. Color Continuity Card: Check for color consistency between the dye-lots Cut a

small sample (about 2 x 2 inches or 5 x 5 centimeters) from the left side, the center and the right side of the head-middle-end sample of each inspected dye-lot and attach to the color continuity card Ensure that cards are labeled Check the samples against the Customer color standard &/or Matrix Sourcing approved lab-dip Note any significant variation of shade from roll to roll

Aesthetics Evaluation

Inspect overall hand-feel and appearance against customer approved item swatch in development stage for cleanliness, texture, recovery, drape, resilience, wrinkling, etc

If the aesthetics does not match the sample, Vendor will reprocess that yards or will submit to Matrix/ Customer for approval

It is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure that the reference sample provided to the factory is the original This sample will be used by the factory for, hand-feel and aesthetics verification

The reference Sample size is 12 x 12 inches (30 x 30 centimeters) cut out from the approved batch This reference sample must be properly stored for use in quality comparison Keep a clean sample folder with appropriate information such as vendor name, item number, color name/code, date, batch number, and any other relevant information

Visual Inspection

Once the color and aesthetics have been checked and approved, begin the visual inspection for defects Defects which are not desirable and are clearly detectable on the inspection frame will be assigned points as shown in the Four Point Table The Four

Point system will be applied to all fabrics, i.e woven, circular knit and warp knit.

Always inspect the side which will be used as the face in the finished garment Mount the roll on the inspection frame with the face side up

Fabric Width

Measure the fabric width at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of every roll If

a variation in fabric width is found, the vendor will contact Matrix Sourcing to determine if the fabric is usable and if a replacement is necessary At this point, the inspector should also check the condition of the selvedges The selvedges should as per customer requirement, lay flat, be free of tension, and should not have a tendency to curl

Roll Length

Measure and record the length of each roll inspected

Inspection for Defects

The Vendor should train and/or conduct internal certification for the inspectors according to this Manual and Matrix Sourcing requirements The Vendor inspectors should inspect each material type based on Four Point System before shipped

~ Four Point System ~

A widely recognized inspection method frequently used in the textile industry It is a technique issued by the American Society for Testing & Materials with reference to the designation ASTM D5 430-93

Start the frame and inspect for defects Run the frame at 20 ± 5 yards per minute (18 ±

5 meters per minute) If a defect is observed:

1. Faults are classified and scored with penalty points of 1, 2, 3 and 4, according to their size and significance Each defect should be counted as a separate defect even

if the nature is the same and then based on the points allocated to each defect, total points should be calculated

~ Four Point Table ~

Vertical Defects

(along the length)

Horizontal Defects

(along the width)

Length Points Length Points

0.1 to 3.0 in (0.1 to 1

0.1 to 3.0

in (0.1 to

3.1 to 6.0 in (8.1 to 2

3.1 to 6.0

in (8.1 to 2

15.0 cm)

15.0 cm) 6.1 to 9.0 in

(15.1 to 3

6.1 to 9.0

in (15.1 to 3

23.0 cm)

23.0 cm)

9.1 to 36.0

in (23.1 to

9.1 to full width (above

Note:

A maximum of 4 points may be assigned to any one linear yard), regardless of the number or size of the individual defects

For a continuous lengthwise running defect, 4 points and 1 defect will be assigned to each linear yard where the defect exceeds 9 inches (23 centimeters) Example: Short End/ barre effect on the full roll in 100linear yards: 400 points should

be assigned with 100 defects

2. Mark the defect at the selvedge and/or at the defect

3. Record the defect and the assigned points on the inspection worksheet

4. Inspection Results

Complete the worksheet and calculate the total points of each inspected roll and the total of the inspected linear yards/meters With this information use the appropriate formula below to calculate the Average Points (per 100 linear yards or linear meters) Points/100 yd2 =

Total Points of inspected roll x 36 X

100 Total Inspected Yards x Fabric Width in

inches

5. Evaluation Guideline

Factory will evaluate a vendor’s quality performance based on the point count system, using the following guideline:

Fabric Type

Allowable Points per 100 linear

yards

Knit Fabrics (Open width Or

Note: This criterion is subject to change at Matrix Sourcing/Customer

discretion

D.2 Accept / Reject Procedure

Vendor should not ship any roll or shipment with defect points exceed the above evaluation guideline The factory will determine how the shipment can best meet Matrix Sourcing/ Customer standards

However, vendor might communicate with Matrix Sourcing prior to the shipment if the average points per 100 linear yards (90 linear meters) of any roll shows a higher number than allowed on the Matrix Sourcing evaluation guideline above In this case, the Matrix Sourcing & Customer may decide to use a shipment or the roll even if the average points per 100 linear yards (90 linear meters) shows a higher number than allowed

D.3 Reporting

The inspection is intended to determine the shipment quality and to capture information for quality performance evaluation of the vendor One inspection report

should be completed for each Item / color inspected and send a copy of the Inspection Report to garment factory prior to or with shipment

Inspection Report information containing inspection date / shipped date / season year / buy month / garment factory / order number / item number / batch number / dye lot number / color code and color name / inspection points / inspection results / yardages / weight / width … etc should be clearly visible on documentation with English language at least Records should be kept at least 2 years and available to Matrix/ customer upon request

We expects all material suppliers to follow the same guidelines to ensure quality product delivered to the factories,

In next section, we will continue the classification and description on fabric defects

C Fabric Defect Classifications

Defect Classifications for Fabric

Slub , Uneven Yarn

(thick & Thick uneven spot(s) in the fabric caused by lint or small

thin) lengths of yarn adhering to it

Barré Flaw in fabric consisting of textured or color bars in the

direction of warp or filing which can be caused by imperfection in the yarn or in the construction or finishing of the fabric

Yarn contamination / Fly Foreign fibers or soil, woven or knitted in the fabric.

Dead cotton

Damaged cotton by the weather conditions, over or under

mature cotton, which is difficult to process, leaving behind

white or black spots

Missing Line Filling yarn broken when weaving / the harness misdraw

results in two ends weaving as one, caused by one end of yarn missing from feed and machine continue to run

Holes Missing yarn, leaving behind a space, caused by broken

needle

Reed mark Running lines in the warp direction, caused by bent reed

wire causing warp ends to be held apart

Streaks Dark of light uneven lines, caused by faulty processing

Stop marks

Lines in the weft direction, caused when machine stopped ,

the yarn elongates the tension results in making across the

width

Knots Uneven raised knot, two yarn ends are tied together

Miss weave/miss-knit

pattern Pattern that different to the other area/ stitches failed to

form due to a malfunctioning needle or jack

Puckered Selvage Uneven surface, caused by bent needle forming distorted

stitches , usually a vertical line

Selvage Torn

"run" along the needle line or a void caused by a missing warp yarn

Pilling Fiber gathering in the form of a bead on the surface as a

result of friction caused by abrasion with other surface caused by yarn quality

Shading (selvage to

selvage)

A change in shade either abrupt or gradual, caused by poor

processing

Dye Streaks Uneven steaks occurred during dyeing or finishing

Color smear Uneven color application as the result of color being

smeared during printing

Crease Streak

Uneven marks showing light or dark lines as a results from

creased fabric passing through squeeze rollers in dyeing

Slippage Uneven blotch marks caused due to improper dyeing

process

Bowing

Woven filling yarns lie in an arc across fabric width; in knits

the course lines lie in an arch across width of goods

Skewing/Bias

Condition where filling yarns are not square with warp yarns on woven fabrics or where courses are not square with walse lines on knits