Lean manufacturing for apparel industry

Although sounds simple apparel industry has one of the very difficult manufacturing processes. It is a labor intensive, skill based industry. This industry contains lots of wastes and therefore opportunity for improvement. Apparel manufacturers allover the world is pressed to deliver high quality garments at low costs in shorter lead times. Most of the apparel manufacturers are turning to lean manufacturing to achieve these objectives. Manufacturing an apparel item involves lots of processes. Order inquiries, sampling stages, order confirmation, purchasing of raw material, inspection and storing of raw material, creation of cut plans and markers, cutting, sewing and packing are among key milestones of the process. If we define the value from the customers point of view only the cutting, sewing and packing operations adds value to the product (apart from the design and pre manufacturing processes). Lots of processes happen to achieve the efficiencies in cutting and sewing and even in packing stages. But the reality is when it is analyzed in the bigger picture the total effect is negative on the system. For an example hours of time and tons of money is spent in calculating and ordering correct economical order quantities of RM, inspecting incoming batches of material (especially fabric) and creation of efficient lay plans and tight markers to save fabric. But at the end of the day it is difficult to use the saved fabrics in other orders due to minor variations in colors and the fluctuation of the customer demands. So the material ends as write downs. Every effort and saving is lost. This is a classic example of not aligning the total process to fulfill the requirement of the customer. In lean context this is known as sub optimization.

Inspection : V is ua l e xa m ina tio n o r r e vie w o f ra w m a ter ia ls, pa r tia ll y fin ish e dcomponents of the garments and partially finished components of thegarments and completely finished garments in relation to somecompletely finished garments in relation to some standard,specifications or requirements, including standard, specifications or requirements, including the measurement of the garments to ensureth e m ea su r em en t o f th e ga rm en ts to e ns ur e the sa tis fa c tio n o f th ecustomer satisfaction of the customer

Different type of Inspections followed Garment Industry : 1. Raw Material Inspection Raw Material Inspection2. In-Process Inspection InProcess Inspection3. Finished goods Inspection Finished goods Inspection Raw Material Inspection Fabric Inspection : A.Important as it is directly co related with the quality of the finalgarment . B. Fabric Inspected to determine it acceptability from a qualityview point, other wise extra cost may be incurred due to either the loss of point, other wise extra cost may be incurred due toeither the loss of material or time material or time. C. Fabric should be inspected before cutting, the defects markedand the patterns cut around the defects so that they are notincluded in the patterns cut around the defects so that they arenot included in the final garment.D.Width of the marker is critical, specially to the manufacturer of basic garments. Garments

4-Point system Also called the American Apparel Manufacturers Association point grading .system for determining fabric quality. system for determiningfabric quality.Defects are assigned point values based on the following .Length of defect in fabric , either length or width points allotted. Length of defect in fabric , either length or width points allotted
Up to 3 inches Over 3 in. up to 6 in. Over 3 in. up to 9 in. 1 2 3

Over 9 in. Holes and openings 1in. or less Over 1 in.

4 2 4

The greatest weakness of point grading system is the difficulty ine va lua tin g s er io us n ess. N e ve rth eles s, th e q ua lit y ob ta in e d b y th issystem bases a measurable relation to garment quality. General use of this grading system will relation to garment quality. General use of this grading system will prove profitable to the seller and buyer alike.prove profitable to the seller and buyer alike.

Sewing Threads : A good quality sewing thread should be able to produce uniform canbe able to produce uniform consistent stitches in the chosen sewingmaterial at the highest machine speed chosen sewing material at thehighest machine speed under normal conditions. under normalconditions Factors which determine a good q Factors which determine a goodquality sewing thread1) Imperfections2) Finish3) Color 4) Package density Package density5) 5) Winding6) Yardage As a general guideline, natural fiber threads must be used for natural fiber fabrics and synthetic fiber threads for syntheticfabrics. Thread should match the weight of the fabric and the size of theneedle. For perfect tension, the thread must be of the same size and typein the bobbin and in the needle Buttons, Buckles and Snap Fasteners: Buttons, Buckles and SnapFasteners : Bu tto ns s ho u ld ha ve la r ge, c le a n se w h o le s tha t a re fr e e fromflash and will not cut the thread. Holes must be located properlyin and will not cut the thread. Holes must be located properly in IN-PROCESS INSPECTION IN-PROCESS INSPECTION :
It means inspection at various points in the entire manufacturingprocess from spreading fabric to pressing /finishing. Check the quality of component parts to identify the source of q u a l i t y p r o b l e m s a s e a r l y i n t h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s a s possible. To uncover deficiencies in workmanship as well as equipmentMalfunctioning . It ca n be perform ed b y either qua lit y control inspectors o r individual operators themselves after they perform their respective operations

ADVANTAGES:Reduction of major surprises from the customers due to badquality. Decrease in labor cost due to a decrease in repair rates. These advantages are generally derived from the fact that due toin-process inspections: The operators and supervisors are constantly reminded that thec om p a n y ha s a sp e cific q ua lit y le ve l to m e e t, jus t b e th e ve r ypresence of the inspectors in their section on a daily basis Because each worker will realize that his/her work is subject tobeing inspected at any time through out the day the quality of thebeing inspected work produced by workers will improve. The data obtained can be effectively analyzed and utilized by theproduction supervisors and pant manager in correcting problemsproduction or improving quality. Spreading Defects : Variation in either width or length alignment. Variation in either width or length alignment. Bowing is the distortion of filling yarn from a straight line acrossthe width of fabric. Splicing is the overlapping of two ends of fabric in a ply. A shortor insufficient overlap will result in incompletely cut patternsections and a long overlap will result in waste . Static in the fabric may cause a distorted spread, resulting inincompletely pattern sections. Following are the pattern defects: 1) Pattern parts mixing.2) Mixed parts.3) Patterns not facing in the correct direction on napped fabrics

4) Patterns not all facing in the same direction either way on a oneway direction.5) Patterns not aligned with respect to the fabric grain.6) Line definitions poor.7) Skimpy marking.8) Generous marking.9) Markers too wide.10) Not enough knife clearance freedom.11) Mismatched checks and strips.12) Notches and drill marks omitted , distinct or misplaced. Cutting Defects: The quality of work leaving the cutting room is determined by howtrue the cut fabric parts are to the pattern, how smooth or rough the cuts u r fa ce is, m a ter ia l or fa b ric de fe c ts in th e cu t fa br ic pa rts, s ha d edifferences between cut fabric pieces within a bundle. Following lists the defects that may arise in cutting: 1) Frayed edges.2) Fuzzy ragged or serrated edges..3) Ply-to ply fusion.4) Singleedge fusion.5) Pattern Precision.6) Notches 7) Drilling Sewing : In-process inspection in sewing involves the inspection of work fromeach operator, with a quality standard established to limit the amountof bad work permitted and a provision for operators to re inspect andrepair entire bundle. Various sewing defects are listed below :Needle damage as evident by holes, picked threads, rupturedthreads or other damage to the fabric, caused by wrong size or type of needle, blunt needle, needle heat or machine feedingproblem. Feed damage, particularly on thicker or sheer fabric, fromincorrect type of teeth, excessive pressure by foot, improper alignment of feed and foot damaged throat plate , excessivemachine speed. Skipped stitches, from the hook irregularly failing to pick up theloop of thread from a needles eye owing to a number of causes. Thread breaks, arising from too thick a thread for the needle, toothin an thread, needle heat, or too high tensions. Br ok e n s titc he s a r isin g fr om th e w ro ng s titch t yp e , to o tig httensions, a badly formed joint in the seam where the second lineo f s titch ru ns o ve r th e firs t a n d c ra cks it, sha rp fe e ds a n d to ogreat a pressure Seam grin, arising from too loss a tension or too large a stitch, or the use of wrong stitch type.

Sea m pu c ke r, be ca u se o f inc or re c t ha nd lin g b y th e op era tor, misaligned notches or tight thread tensions. Pleated seams,, where operator failed to ease in fullness evenly. Wrong stitch density, too many gives rise to jamming and ruptureof fabric threads, too few grinning or weak seams. Uneven stitch density, Operator causes machine to snatch anddoes not allow machine to control fabric. Staggered stitch, from faulty feed motion, incorrect needle andother machine parts. Improperly formed stitches, caused by bad tension, incorrectlyadjusted timing, ill fitting machine components. Seaming Defects: Seams burst open, raw edges show, slippage of weave threadsoccur or notches are exposed all due to uneven width of inlay ,arising from bad handling by operator. Irregular or incorrect shape of sewing line ( Sometimes calledrun-offs) in top stitching, arising from lack of or badly set guide,not following a mark or incorrect handling. Twisted seam leading to irregular puckering or the garment partsnot hanging correctly when worn, caused by improper alignmento f fa b r ic pa rts, m ism a tch e d n otc h es, a n d a llo w in g o n e p l y tocreep against another Insecure back stitching, because subsequent rows do not cover the first row of stitching. Mismatched checks or stripes. Mismatches seam( e.g.; Inside leg seam at the fork of trousers)

Extraneous part caught in the seam, an unrelated piece showingthrough the seam. Reversed garment part, where part is sewn with face s i d e opposite from specification, perhaps when the cut for one side of ga r m e nt is s e w n in th e oth er , or w h en the w h o le ga rm e n t isassembled inside out . Blind stitching showing on the face side, or not securely caughton inside, arising from improperly adjusted bender. Wrong seam or stitch type used. Wrong shade of thread used Assembly Defects : Finished components not correct to size or shape or notsymmetrical. Finished garment not to size, arising from incorrect patterns, inaccurate marking or cutting, shrinking or stretching fabric, incorrect seam widths. Parts, components, closures, or features omitted, caused by bad work flow, wrongly printed work tickets, parts omitted in cutting,careless operator. Components or features wrongly positioned or misaligned arisingfrom incorrect marking, or sewing not following the mark. Interlining incorrectly positioned, twisted too full, too tight. Lining too full, too tight, showing below the bottom of t h e garment, twisted incorrectly pleated and so on. Garments parts, pleated, twisted, showing bubbles and fullness,for e.g.; sleeve in relation to the armhole, pockets, tapes, zipspads in relation to the shoulder.

Garment parts shaded owing being mixed after cutting. Parts in one way fabric in wrong directions, usually only smallparts, such as pockets. Mismatched trimming. Control of Fusing operation : Adjustment of time, tempera ture a nd pressure for given type o f material to be fused based on the manufacturers recommendation, inorder to attain certain peel strength. Control of Screen Printing Operation : 1. Placement of Design2. Ink Coverage Control of Embroidery Operation : 1. Placement of Design2. Incorrect thread tension Pressing /Finishing : Appearance is the basis of most consumers judgment on whether or not to purchase a garment.The quality of a pressing operation can bemeasured by evaluating the following :1) Burned or scorched garment.2) Waterspots or stains3) Gloss and/or change in color.4) Flattened nap or surface.5) Broken zippers or buttons etc.6) Creases not correctly formed.7) Fabric of finished garment not smooth, wrinkle free, and its proper appearance.8) Edges wavy and stretched or thick.9) Garments not thoroughly dried.10) Pockets not smooth.11) Lining showing pleats, creases, wrinkles, shine.12) Garments not correctly molded, wither in detail or total silhouette.Garments not correctly molded, wither in detail or total silhouette.13) Shrinkage due to heat and moisture Quality/Workmanship Standards : Open Seams Open Seams Skipped Stitches Skipped Stitches Cracked Stitches Cracked Stitches Stitches/Inch Stitches/Inch Uneven seams Uneven seams Cr oo k ed, pu c k er ed, c ur led, ple a te d s ea m s Cr oo k ed, pu c k er ed, curled, pleated seamsNeedle and feed cuts Needle and feed cuts Unclipped threads and long ends Unclipped threads and long ends Raw Edge, untrimmed Raw Edge, untrimmed Labels Labels Snaps, fasteners Snaps, fasteners Buttons Buttons Elastics Elastics Measurements Measurements

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M t i i t fi t i ti st ti li consists of painstaking process of Manual process Conclusion : Final inspection is t e most important part of t e inspection process.F o r getting good result from t e production inspection must b e essential and perfectl . Wit out good inspection no body cantsatisfied t e buyer .Hence, Must be inspect carefully before shipment.A good product is a good will for a company

Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)

is the minimum percentage defective that, for purposes of sampling inspection, can be considered satisfactory as a percentage average. It should be agreed on by both buyer and seller

Fabric Inspection
Fabric inspection focuses on fault/defect rate color, end to end and edge to middle shading, hand/handle and appearance. The client will select the appropriate fault rate and standard to determine the acceptance of each shipment. This will minimize the quantity of panels or garments rejected for fabric faults, thereby ensuring the quality of the finished goods. Fabric inspection is also considered as pre-production inspection for garments or other textile products. The following aspects are assessed: Color Fabric Faults Shading Usable Width Fabric Hand/Handle Length Appearance Packaging Quantity

What is the 4-point system?

This is issued by the American Society for Testing and Materials with reference to the designation: ASTM D5430-93. Faults are scored with penalty points of 1, 2, 3 and 4 according to their size and significance. We can also assess fabric fault/defect rates against other systems as required by client, for example, jersey fabrics are often expressed in meters per fault/defect.