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TEXTILE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Assignment 02

Bachelor of Applied Science (Textile Technology)-2012/2013 Lasitha Nawarathna

Assignment 02 Think of a procedure or a method to control the quality of a clothing factory. Produce formats if necessary.

Introduction For every industry or business, to get increased sales and better name amongst consumers and fellow companies it is important to maintain a level of quality. Especially for the businesses engaged in export business has to sustain a high level of quality to ensure better business globally. Generally quality control standards for export are set strictly, as this business is also holds the prestige of the country, whose company is doing the export. Export houses earn foreign exchange for the country, so it becomes mandatory to have good quality control of their products. In the garment industry quality control is practiced right from the initial stage of sourcing raw materials to the stage of final finished garment. For textile and apparel industry product quality is calculated in terms of quality and standard of fibres, yarns, fabric construction, colour fastness, surface designs and the final finished garment products. However quality expectations for export are related to the type of customer segments and the retail outlets. There are a number of factors on which quality fitness of garment industry is based such as performance, reliability, durability, visual and perceived quality of the garment. At present many firms around the world are practicing quality management to achieve those benefits in order to be competitive in the market. It is accepted world-wide that one of the key factors for forms to be successful in the global market is quality.

What is quality? Quality has many connotations. Quality is a relative term. It means customer needs is to be satisfied. Quality is of prime importance in any aspect of business. Customers demand and expect value for money. As producers of apparel there must be a constant endeavor to produce work of good quality.

The subjective definition of element of quality relation to the design, style, color, and aesthetics. Objectively, quality is the ability to meet consistently the return and clearly started specification. These aimed at producing a product suitable for end use and price. According to (Garvin, 2007 ) four principal approaches to defining quality

1. Product-based quality view 2. User (customer) based quality view 3. Manufacturing based quality view 4. Value-based quality view

Product-based quality view In this view, quality is determined as a precise and measurable variable and difference in quality reflects differences in the quality of some ingredient or attitude seen to be possessed by a product. In this view quality and quantity has direct relation

User (customer) based quality view

In this view, definitions are based on the premise that solely the user determined quality. Individual customers are assumed to have different wants or needs and goods that best satisfy the preference are the one they regarded, as having the highest perceived quality. Quality is fitness for use that this view also reflects a highly personalized and subjective view

Manufacturing based quality view

This view focuses on manufacturing and engineering practices. It emphasis conformance to specified requirements. The higher the degree that meets specified requirements the higher the quality. This view seeks to ensure that the deviations from standards set design specifications are minimized. To achieve the quality of conformance means improving in the design of the Equipment Materials Supervision Control Training

4. Value based quality view

The base for this view is physiological understanding of the meaning of value. Consequently, customers have been conditioned to accept that the quality of product is determined by the price. There for price and quality have a direct relation ship

Why quality is important 1. Greater market share 2. Higher growth rate 3. Higher earning 4. Premium price 5. Loyal customers 6. High motivated employs

Quality control

Quality control is concerned with the operational techniques for detecting, recording and taking action to eliminate quality problems. It refers to all activities (process) and technologies that are used to achieve or maintain the quality of a product or service.

Quality control focuses on finding and eliminating of source of defects and monitoring the manufacturing process. Quality control consists of developing, designing producing, marketing, service products and services with optimum cost- effectiveness and usefulness, which customers will purchase with satisfaction.

For effective quality control, it is necessary to exercises control over the input material, process, and employment of skilled labor, management techniques and use of appropriate tools, equipment and machines Quality control in eliminating of material wastes and ensures in quality product and full customers satisfaction.

In the garment industry quality control is practiced right from the initial stage of sourcing raw materials to the stage of final finished garment. For textile and apparel industry product quality is calculated in terms of quality and standard of fibres, yarns, fabric construction, colour fastness, surface designs and the final finished garment products. However quality expectations for export are related to the type of customer segments and the retail outlets.

Quality control and standards are one of the most important aspects of the content of any job and therefore a major factor in training.

Procedure to control the quality of a clothing factory

Who shall be involved in the quality control procedure?

For controlling the quality have to involve top management to bottom level worker in that organization. Especially individual machine operators should have good knowledge about quality. Responsibility for the production of good quality lies with and in the hand of the person teaching the job. Primarily by good communication by making new comer aware of specifications, importance of right first time, faults themselves, their effect and the appropriate action to take. Such communication or training if properly planned and executed (implemented) will greatly assist in minimizing the cost of poor quality. If operators know important of right first time concept organization can increase them quality level.

Give main place for individual operators. when recruiting new employees giving the effective training about this factor and develop their mind.

Why is quality important, Sewing Machine Checklist, Operator's responsibilities, Housekeeping, Sewing defects Colour effects Sizing defects Garment defects Environmental effects Do right first time how it can affect you and the company.

Main sections of quality control 01. Raw material inspection 02. Cutting room quality control 03. Sewing room quality control 04. Finishing department quality control

Raw material Inspection department The quality of a final garment depends on the quality of a fabric when it is received as a roll. After fabric is received, it should be inspected to determine its acceptability from a quality view point; otherwise, extra cost in garment manufacturing may be incurred due to either the loss of the material or time, to say nothing of customer returns and dissatisfaction due to poor quality. Some garment manufacturers rely on their fabric suppliers to perform fabric inspection and mark fabric defects

Cutting room quality In cutting section quality control in two stages

a) Spreading quality control: Following the point are checked during spreading II. Ends III. Tension IV. Leaning V. Narrow Goods VI. Counts VI. Ply height VII. Remnants VIII. Fabric flaws IX. Market placing

b) After cutting quality control: After each cutting blocks and bundles are checks on the following points.

I. Miss cut II. Ragged cutting III. Pattern checks IV. Matching Plies V. Notches The main thing is the quality of the cut pieces to product the good and quality garments. Therefore it is important to check quality and accuracy in the cut pieces before they used to the production. For that panel inspection is carried out. All operators should trained about right fist time concept Panel inspection is control by the lab and also quality peoples are there to ensure the quality. Every 20% of the cut quantities are checked cutting room quality checkers.

Sewing room quality control


Defects found from sewing room Common sewing defects I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. Open seams wrong stitching techniques Nonmatching threads missing stitches, improper creasing of the garment, Improper thread tension etc. Variation of colour between the sample and the final Garment wrong colour combinations Mismatching dyes. Wrong gradation of sizes (Difference in measurement of various parts of a garment like sleeves of XL size for body of L size garment can deteriorate the garments beyond repair)

Production process quality control Model line has (20-30) machine operators One in line quality checker End line quality checker

Machine operators approach of quality control 1. The operators and when recruiting new operators giving the effective training about below factors and develop their mind. . 2. Display operational wise guide card in front of each operator. Why is quality important, Sewing Machine Checklist, Operator's responsibilities, Housekeeping, How to identify Sewing defects How to identify Colour effects How to identify Sizing defects How to identify Garment defects Environmental effects Do right first time how it can affect you and the company.

Example:Operation guide card Sample of operation Critical points of that operations 1. 2. 3. 4.

S.P.I:- ..

Using above guide card operators can self-check them own operation under given
Technician When signature .. introductions. change styles in line quality checker and supervisor responsible for In line Q.C signature ..

the change operations

guide card.

3. Inspection of every 5th piece of operation by the operator. The operator should inspect his part of operation, on every 5th piece to determine any faulty stitching.

In-Line Quality control Recruiting one in-line quality checkers for every module. The in-line checker is the major role to ensure the quality level in the garments. In line quality checker has been got the information about the quality level in the ongoing garment style from the pre- production meeting. She checks the quality level in the process is ongoing and also after the sewing the full garment. In-Line Quality Checker (QC) should be responsible to maintain the quality in her/him module. He/she visited near to the every operator adjusted and checked the followings. Appearance Is the operation balanced/ symmetric Measurements to specifications Stitches per inch (SPI)

Suggested monitoring system of in line quality checker

This system is based on three lights red, yellow and green. The lights are used to symbolize the quality status at the operation and make supervisor aware of where problems are occurring and give the in line controllers an idea where they have to spend more time.

Green: Good Yellow: Isolated defects found Red: Recurring defects or major defects found

Action Chart of new system


Defects Colour code Frequency of in line Action QC visit None One green yellow One time per hour Twice per hour None Check other pieces of In line QC that In-line QC/supervisor Involve persons

operation Two red Twice per hour Show correct method again to In-line QC/supervisor/ operator by technician Two or more 2 red Give main attention technician/mechanic

Operation stop and Show correct In-line QC/supervisor/ method again to operator by technician/mechanic/Q technician C executive

In line QC has to check a minimum of 10 piece each visit to the work station. The In line controller will monitor the inspection and record it. The traffic lights must work in sequence unless the frequency of defects it too high.

End line quality checkers Recruit two End line quality checkers for one production line. All line out garment defiantly pass though this checker to end line checkers. End line quality should be use clock wise checking method. Should be check 100% quantity. Checking table should under the correct light conditions.

Approved sample should display in end of every production line End line quality checkers should be maintain past defect records.

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