QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS USED IN APPAREL INDUSTRY

For quality production it is better to know the complete process of garment making selection of yarn-fabric production and garment manufacturing so that quality level can be improved.. T

QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS USED IN APPAREL INDUSTRY

Syed khuram Hassan bet-sp07-003

DEPARTMENT OF TEXTILE ENGINEERING

THE UNIVERSITY OF FAISALABAD

PAKISTAN

We hereby declare that this project, neither as a whole nor as a part therefore has been copied out from any source It is further declared that we develop this project and this report entirely on the basis of our personal efforts made under the sincere guidance of our project supervisor Sir Babar Ramzan.

We further declare that this project and all associated documents and records and partial requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Textile Engineering (Garments technology)

WITH THE DEEP SENSE OF HONOUR

TO OUR BELOVED AND DEAREST

PARENTS & BROTHERS

RESPECTED TEACHERS

AND ALL THOSE WHO DEVOTED THEIR YESTERDAY FOR

OUR BRIGHT TODAY

With the blessings of almighty ALLAH and prayers of our parents we made this humble attempt to achieve the goal that we set for us in the beginning of final year Although it was not an easy task but with the devotion of our project team and cooperation of our respected teachers we have at least succeeded in completion of our project.

The support and encouragement rendered by our CHENAB TEXTILE MILL staff was very vital in the completion of this project, their guidance and encouragement played a key role in the planning and completion of this project.

We are also very thankful to the Head of Department of Textile Engineering Mr.NAVEED AKHTAR for facilitating us We are very thankful to our project advisor MR.BABIR RAMZAN for his guidance and providing us the facilities which was the real source of inspiration for the completion of this project

In the end we are thankful to all the lab attendants and staff members without the cooperation of whom the achievement of this goal would have been a dream only.

Contents 7

Chapter#1 11

INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY AND COST OF QUALITY 11

1.0 INTRODUCTION 12

1.1.PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY CONTROL 14

1.2.THE ROLE OF QUALITY CONTROL 15

1.3 QUALITY TERMS 15

1.4.RESPONSIBILITIES OF QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPATMENT 15

1.5.DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY 16

1.6.THE COST OF QUALITY 18

1.6.0.Introduction 18

1.6.1.Importance of Cost of Quality in Apparel Sector 19

1.7.THE ATTACK ON COSTS 20

1.8.CONTROLLING COSTS 21

1.8.0.Classification of Cost of Quality in Apparel Sector 22

Chapter#2 24

FABRIC INSPECTION SYSTEMS 24

2.1 FABRIC QUALITY INSPECTION 25

2.2 Four- Point System 25

2.1.0Advantages 26

2.3.TEN POINT SYSTEM 28

2.3.0.Advantages 29

2.3.1.Disadvantage 29

2.4.GRANITEVILLE’78 SYSTEM 29

2.5 DALLAS SYSTEM 30

2.6 CONCLUSION 30

Chapter #3 31

SPREADING AND CUTTING QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM 31

31

3.1 QUALITY CONTROL BEFORE SPREADING 32

3.2 SPREADING QUALITY SPECIFICATIONS 32

3.3 Fabric Spreading Objective 32

3.4 THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SPREADING PROCESS 33

3.5 Type of Spreads 34

3.6 General Fabric Spreading System 34

3.7 Conclusion 36

3.8.1Cutting (Manual) 36

3.8.2 Cutting (Auto) 36

3.9 Cut components inspection 37

3.10 Cutting Room Functions 37

3.11 Requirements of Pattern Cutting 37

3.16 Safety Instructions in Handling Cutting 38

3.13.Numbering 39

3.14.Sorting, Bundling, Storage and transfer for Production 39

3.15 Panel Checking System 39

3.16 Conventional cut parts inspection System 39

3.17 Conclusion 40

Chapter #4 41

STITCHING QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS 41

4.1 STITCHING 42

4.2 7-0 system 42

4.2.1 Advantages 42

4.2.2.Disadvantages 42

4.3 TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM 43

4.3.1 Advantages 45

4.3.2 Disadvatages 45

4.4 Conventional Quality Control System 46

4.5 Random Inspection System: 46

4.6 GUIDE LINES TO QUALITY CONTROL IN STITCHING DEPARTMENT 46

4.7 Conclusion 47

Chapter#5 48

SAMPLING & FINAL INSPECTION METHODS 48

5.1 Cutting 48

5.2.1.Potential Major faults 49

5.2.2.Potential minor faults 50

5.3 Embroidery 51

5.4 Printing 52

5.5 Finishing and packaging 53

5.6 Final Audit 54

5.7 Clipping Inspection 54

5.8 Final inspection 54

5.9 Pressing Inspection .58

5.10 SPECS INSPECTION 58

5.11 Folding and Presentation (or Hanger Pack) 58

5.12 Packing inspection 59

5.13 Conclusion 59

References 60

From Websites: 60

From Persons: 61

INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY AND

COST OF QUALITY

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Garment manufacturing is quit different to any other conventional manufacturing it is not a continuous production method Each style is different product that requires different type of fabric color buttons thread etc

Hence requirement of product integrity at every stage requires detailed knowledge about the quality parameters, quality problems, their causes and remedies For quality production it is better to know the complete process of garment making (selection of yarn-fabric production and garment manufacturing)

so that quality level can be improved

If one say "improve quality improve productivity" with out showing how when and where we can

improve it That will not solve the problem Instead of that we should try to draw the attention of work force towards the shortcomings inherent in the quality systems and processes

To ensure a quality product the first step that manufacturer should take is the quality control and the evaluation of input material

The factories that control/ensure the fabric quality level don’t have worers with necessary skill level and understanding They don’t understand the types and inherent nature and characteristics of the fabric Some characters, which appear as fabric defect, may be nature of another type of fabric There were many instances where fabric is rejected due to this misunderstanding There are no proper training facilities courses, and material available in our country to enhance the knowledge of workers engaged in knitwear production

At present technological level, it impossible for any fabric mil to manufacture absolutely defect free fabric To control and evaluate the fabric and garment quality

According to dictionary Quality is: - an essential character: nature, an ingredient or distinguishing attribute: property, a character trait, superiority of kind, degree of grade or excellence.

Different people have different views about quality

These responses depend on people’s perception of the value of a product or service under consideration and their explanation of performance, durability, reliability etc of that product or service

Therefore understanding the customer need is the priority in the Quality of a product

Why do we buy a product?

We buy a product because we want to use that product.If the product that you bought has some deficiency you will not be satisfied Then you say that the product that you bought is defective, and you

will be mentally worried every time you make use of the product and physically too you may not feel comfortable Therefore Quality is also defined as “fitness for use”.

“The fitness for use” concept can be applied to garments too For a garment to be fit for use provided its style is acceptable: -

broken stitches, Skip/Slip stitches, puckered seams, misaligned components/buttons/buttonholes, defective trims and accessories etc

• It must fit properly for the label size

• It must look attractive

laundering/dry cleaning/pressing cycles Without loss of color or shrinkage; seams must not come apart; fabric must not tear, etc

“Quality is a matter of your taste, training and attitude, and your understanding of taste, culture and attitudes of your buyers

The better the understanding between two, the better the quality”

1.1.PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY CONTROL

The essential requirements for producing a reliable product has been stated as

follows:-A satisfactory design of product, thoroughly proved by adequate development testing in order to establish its reliability under the conditions to which it will be subjected in use This is the Requisite Quality of the product A full specification of the requirements of this quality, which must be clearly understood by everyone concerned with the production of the constituent parts and of the complete end product Confirmation that the manufacturing processes are capable of meeting these requirements Full acceptance, by all those concerned with production, of the responsibility for meeting the standards set by the specification Checks on the product at every stage of manufacture to detect any departures from the specification Record essential information derived from these checks to provide accurate evidence for action Establishment of lines of communication, - i.e Feedback to Production, - to ensure that this action is taken to effect the appropriate adjustments to materials, process and operatives to maintain

FUTURE production within the specification Instruction in the use, applications and limitations of the product A study of user experience, feedback to the department's concerned, and rapid remedial action

1.2.THE ROLE OF QUALITY CONTROL

In a total quality control scheme, the total involvement of all personnel is required as a philosophy The staff concerned in all duties must be given authority to carry out their functions These functions should be defined

Lines of communication and responsibility should be established to carry out an effective policy Horizontal communication at all levels of personnel between Quality Control, Production and other departments is needed Also there must be vertical lines, which follow the lines of responsibility and authority In order to achieve this aim, the terms of reference under which staff work, must be established This is, perhaps, best accomplished by job descriptions It is the job of Quality Control to establish the correct information concerning a quality situation, and present this clearly to their colleagues Persons outside Quality Control must be authorised to make the commercial decisions involved from a pre-established series of options, the consequences of each being fully understood Payment schemes should be re-examined where necessary to reward quality as well as production, in a balanced way, since both are commercially important

The Q/A dept is required to induce the Q/C dept to implement standard quality systems required by buyers to improve and maintain a very good OQL.The implemented quality system should be monitored on a daily basis So that the system runs without any failure Under no circumstances the systems should be changed or stopped.The quality system should be very strong so that nothing could penetrate through and result in failure of audits or re-screening.

TRAINING AND EVALUATING QUALITY STAFF

It is the prime responsibility of the senior quality staff to train all the Q/A staff toAchieve skilled levels within a short frame of time.The Q/A dept in coordination with the production dept and Q/C dept should train the Q/C team to achieve skilled levels.A training program should be designed which will enable to execute simple and proper training to enhance the skill levels of Q/C and Q/A staff up to standard.The Q/A department will evaluate all the inline and final quality control inspectors on their performance.The evaluation will be based on the over all quality level less than 4 % for any merit or reward systems

ASSURE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS

Q/A will performance audits at cutting stage to assure the cut products to confirm required quality standard at OQL 1.5 %.The inline Q/A Auditor will perform random audits to assure stitching quality of products The objective will be to inspect and identify the problems and give Corrective action to the root cause of the problems, The Q/A auditor will highlight the problems to the Q/C dept for corrective action The inline audits will be conducted at A.Q.L 1.5 with a view of preventing re-occurrence of the problems The Finishing Q/A officers will audit finished goods before packing with the same Objective and concentrate more on the presentation of the final products The audit will be conducted at A.Q.L 1.5.The Final Q/A Auditor will conduct audit for quality and specs The final auditor will also conduct packing audit to ensure the Ratio, Color, Cartoning, Packing accuracy, Presentation, Packing accessories, CTN marks and numbers etc

1.5.DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY

Dimension 1: Performance

Does the product or service do what it is supposed to do, within its defined tolerances?

Performance is often a source of contention between customers and suppliers, particularly when

deliverables are not adequately defined within specifications

The performance of a product often influences profitability or reputation of the end-user As such, many contracts or specifications include damages related to inadequate performance

Dimension 2: Features

Does the product or services possess all of the features specified, or required for its intended purpose?While this dimension may seem obvious, performance specifications rarely define the features required

in a product Thus, it’s important that suppliers designing product or services from performance

specifications are familiar with its intended uses, and maintain close relationships with the end-users

Dimension 3: Reliability

Will the product consistently perform within specifications?

Reliability may be closely related to performance For instance, a product specification may define parameters for up-time, or acceptable failure rates

Reliability is a major contributor to brand or company image, and is considered a fundamental

dimension of quality by most end-users

Dimension 4: Conformance

Does the product or service conform to the specification?

If it’s developed based on a performance specification, does it perform as specified? If it’s developed based on a design specification, does it possess all of the features defined?

Dimension 5: Durability

How long will the product perform or last, and under what conditions?

Durability is closely related to warranty Requirements for product durability are often included within procurement contracts and specifications

For instance, fighter aircraft procured to operate from aircraft carriers include design criteria intended to improve their durability in the demanding naval environment

Dimension 6: Serviceability

Is the product relatively easy to maintain and repair?

As end users become more focused on Total Cost of Ownership than simple procurement costs,

serviceability (as well as reliability) is becoming an increasingly important dimension of quality and criteria for product selection

Dimension 7: Aesthetics

The way a product looks is important to end-users The aesthetic properties of a product contribute to a company’s or brand’s identity Faults or defects in a product that diminish its aesthetic properties, even those that do not reduce or alter other dimensions of quality, are often cause for rejection

Dimension 8: Perception

Perception is reality The product or service may possess adequate or even superior dimensions of

quality, but still fall victim to negative customer or public perceptions

As an example, a high quality product may get the reputation for being low quality based on poor

service by installation or field technicians If the product is not installed or maintained properly, and fails as a result, the failure is often associated with the product’s quality

Summary

It should be obvious from the discussion above that the individual dimensions of quality are not

necessarily distinct Depending on the industry, situation, and type of contract or specification several or all of the above dimensions may be interdependent

When designing, developing or manufacturing a product (or delivering a service) the interactions

between the dimensions of quality must be understood and taken into account

While these dimensions may not constitute a complete list of relevant dimensions, taking them into consideration should provide us with a better understanding of the slippery concept of quality

1.6.THE COST OF QUALITY

ensuring that the company's product - and reputation - are good If it is spent wisely, it can result in savings greater than the increase in costs, and hence in an improvement to profits

The costs represented by this effort can be a significant proportion of the products sales value (Do you know what the total is in your Company? In some instances the cost of scrap, rework and inspection costs alone has been found to be as high as 20% of turn-over) and any manufacturer should be interested

in making sure that he is getting good value for his expenditure He cannot feel sure unless he has studied what the costs are, how they are incurred and what they ought to be If they are higher than they should be, he must consider ways in which they can be reduced

1.6.1.Importance of Cost of Quality in Apparel Sector

Cost of Quality (COQ) in the apparel sector is still a widely understood misconception The term often gets associated incorrectly with the price of creating quality merchandise Actually, it is the other way round i.e the amount of money incurred because the product was not manufactured right at the first time Thus, the concept of quality costs in the garment industry is a means to quantify the total cost involved in quality-related efforts and deficiencies pertains to a manufactured apparel product

Although it is not very easy to calculate COQ for any industry, research shows that the costs of poor quality can range from 15%-40% of business costs (e.g rework, returns or complaints, reduced service levels, lost revenue) Most of the apparel units do not know what their quality costs are because they do not keep records on a daily basis A large portion of resources is consumed in finding and correcting mistakes in the merchandise or related processes Typically, the cost to eliminate a failure in the customer phase is five times greater than it is at the merchandise development or manufacturing phase Every time work is redone, the cost of quality increases The obvious examples in the apparel sector include:

• The correction of an apparel size specification sheet or change of care label

trim to fulfill the requirement of a customer or to meet safety issues

In general, the cost of quality has two main components: the cost of good quality (or the cost of conformance) and the cost of poor quality (or the cost of non-conformance) according to Philip B

Crosby in his book Quality Is Free

The cost of poor quality affects internal and external costs resulting from failing to meet the requirements specified for an apparel product by the garment industry On the other hand, the cost of good quality affects the cost for investing in the prevention of nonconformance to requirements and the costs for appraising the apparel product for conformance to requirements

1.7.THE ATTACK ON COSTS

Obviously, the most significant improvements will usually be achieved by concentrating effort on the areas of high cost For this purpose an analysis of the principal costs is required Studies have shown that

a fairly typical ratio between the three main groups of costs in a manufacturing company is:

in prevention and appraisal costs

Appraisal Costs - for example, the cost of production and inspection - might be reduced by more attention to Value Engineering, which would to some extent increase prevention costs, and a closer control of the manufacturing process, which would increase appraisal costs

Appraisal Costs will usually be the next to come under attack An analysis of all essential quality control operations will often show opportunities for reducing expenditure without reducing effectiveness For example, statistical sampling techniques may be used as a means of control, indicating trends in performance and assisting to maintain quality By improving the control of the process, 100 per cent inspection may no longer be necessary

Total costs will be lowest when design staff are aware of the cost implications of their work Good design saves cost not only at the design stage itself but throughout production and testing: products become easier to make "right first time" Good design is needed not only when conceiving the product

but also when conceiving systems for production and quality control After failure and appraisal costs have been reduced by attention to the prevention aspect, it may be possible to reduce prevention costs as well

We have seen that the process of reducing failure costs may well involve increasing expenditure on the design, developing, testing, manufacturing and inspecting processes However, there must clearly be a point beyond which it would be uneconomic to incur additional expense Failure costs might possibly be eliminated but at considerable, possibly prohibitive, costs in other areas There is a point at which the aggregate of all costs is at a minimum for the intended selling price Achieving this minimum cost will involve reviewing product designs, and improving planning processes, facilities and methods

When the initial attack on costs has been successful, it will be logical to provide a means for analysing costs and for reporting on them in order to keep a close watch on progress so that, firstly, a worthwhile reduction in the attacked cost is achieved; and secondly, the expected increase in other costs is not exceeded

- presented at suitably short intervals

- presented quickly following the period they represent

- presented in simple, direct, intelligible form

- presented to the people who have the authority and knowledge to act effectively

It is often effective for reports to be sent both to the person who is expected to take action and also to his immediate superior

It is important to remember that the actual costs revealed by control reports are the result of joint action

by quality control staff and by the design or manufacturing functions Action to correct undesirable

trends may therefore have to be taken by all these groups in co-operation Action by any one group may well be fruitless

1.8.0.Classification of Cost of Quality in Apparel Sector

However, no standard relationship exists among the four parameters of quality costs One can expect to reduce the internal and external failure costs by increasing prevention and appraisal costs But it is also well understood that, in spite of excellent quality of raw materials and good inspection coverage, the quality of a garment also depends on workmanship, which may be a prime factor of hindrance in the attainment of quality owing to poor training, poor maintenance of machines, and lack of requisite skill

Minimum neck stretch must meet the required measurements specified Sample complies measures 22".Monofilament thread is not permitted for use in children's clothing For all the paints and other coatings used on hardware including buttons, the lead content must be tested for permissible limit All buttons must be machine lock stitched and withstand pull test

• Incoming and source inspection/test of purchased material.

• In-process and final inspection/test

• Product Process or service audits

1.8.3.Internal Failure Costs

Failure costs that arise before an apparel company supplies its product to the customer i.e prior to delivery or shipment of the merchandise These are due to deficiencies discovered before delivery and are associated with the failure (non-conformance) to meet the needs of customers If internal quality failures of defective merchandise are identified before shipping then optimistically there may be no external failure costs

Examples of Internal Failure Costs

1.8.4.External Failure Costs

These are typically due to errors found by customers Failure costs that arise after a garment unit supplies the product to the customer, such as cost of returned merchandise, cost of quality claims, cost of transportation for the defective merchandise, personnel costs associated with these activities These costs can be much higher than internal failure costs, because the stakes are much higher

Examples of External Failure Costs

FABRIC INSPECTION

SYSTEMS

2.1 FABRIC QUALITY INSPECTION

The quality of a final garment depends on the quality of a fabric when it is received as a roll Even the most outstanding manufacturing methods cannot compensate for defective materials They inspect 20%

of the rolls that they receive and evaluate them based on a four-point system This way, we can avoid fabric related quality problems before it is put into production

2.2 Four- Point System

It was published in 1959 by the National Association of Shirt Pajama Sportswear Manufacturers Widely adopted and used in knitted fabric

Defect Classification (Four- Point System)

Size Defect Penalty

Over 3 inches, but less than 6 2 Points

Over 6 inches, but less than 9 3 Points

The length of the defect is used to determine the penalty point Only major defects are considered No penalty points are assigned to minor defects (A major defect is any defect that would cause a final garment to be considered a second.)

Major Defects

variation, end out, soiled yarns, and wrong yarn

• Major dye or printing defects are out of register, dye spots, machine stop, color out, color smear,

or shading

Acceptance Criteria and Calculation

• 40 points per 100 yards is the acceptable defect rate

• # of Points per 100 yds = # of penalty points x 100

Yds inspected

Inspection Procedure

• Select the rolls to inspect

• Cut off a 6 inch piece across the width off the end of the roll Mark the right and left side of the strip Stop the inspection process every 50 yards and use the strip to check for any shading problems Also make sure to check the end of the role

fabric must be checked at a slow rate in order to effectively find flaws) Sometimes you may have to turn the light off to see how a flaw will affect the appearance of a garment

• Check that the roll contains the correct yardage as stated by the piece goods source

• Mark any defects to the side with colored tape so that they can be easily found and noted

The weaving division functions under the principles of the internationally acclaimed American 4 point system to reduce wastage and ensure quality Under this system, fabric inspection and grading is carried out as per ASTM standard

2.1.0Advantages

2.3.TEN POINT SYSTEM

The ten point system for piece goods evaluation was approved by the Textile distributors institute and

the National Federation of Textile, in 1955 The earliest inspection system and is designed to identify

defects and to assign each defect a value based on severity of defect The system assigns penalty points

to each defect depending on its length and whether it is in the warp (ends) or weft (fill) direction While

sounding simple, it can get quite complicated in practical use The following table shows the assignment

10”- 36” 10 Over ½ the width of goods 10

The grading is done as a piece or roll of fabric is considered good if the total penalty points, assessed to

that piece or roll, do not exceed the length of fabric on it If the points exceed the length, then the roll

considered seconds, and may be rejected

Quality Control Inspection Report

Fabric Supplier: _ Total Rolls Recv'd:

Style #: _ Points Per 100 yds:

Penalty

For example if we had a roll of 50 yards of fabric and if we found defects totaling to less than 50 points, then the roll was considered good If there were more than 50 penalty points, then the piece was considered seconds.

There have been some questions raised about the fairness of the system based on the argument that this system does not allow for the inspection of various widths If one will study the system closely, it can be seen that apparent inequity of the system is just that, apparent although stringent

This method is still used by some manufacturers

2.3.0.Advantages

• In it length of fabric is used and along the length of warp and weft defects are identified

2.3.1.Disadvantage

• It has width limitation

• It is difficult in practical use

2.4.GRANITEVILLE’78 SYSTEM

It was introduced in 1975 for the field of fabric grading The system divided defects into major and minor types The major defect was one which was very obvious and lead the goods to second quality The minor defect was one may or may not have cause garment to second, depending on its location in the end use item

PENALTY POINT ASSIGNMENT OF GRANITEVILLE’78

Defect Length Penalty Points

27”-36 4

The principle was established in garment cutting piece, which the short length defects (less than 9”) will normally be removed The system tries to balance the importance of longer defects (over 9”) and put less weight on 1-10” defects such as slubs The system also suggests the viewing distance of 9 foot instead of normal 3-foot viewing distance The system tends to eliminate very small defects from the total penalty score.