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Sewing machine consists with production or sewing lines and the packing or finishing section. Garment manufacturing process start with the pre-production meeting, basically this meeting held before start cutting.
Pre-Production meeting
Pre production meeting will link the merchandising & development with the production, which guide and provide customers requirement to production to follow.
The main purpose of this Pre-Production meeting is to share information and difficulties faced during the development stage with all concern people.
Auto Textile PP meeting will be arranged by the central planning department and meeting minutes will be taken by the planner.
During the meeting discuss the delivery and production plan, sample comments and approval sample will be present to the meeting by sample room, trim card will be approved during the meeting by quality responsible by reviewing the buyer approvals. Further sample room will present approval sample and technical package to the production during this meeting. Technical people will give the instruction to production people how to do the production. Quality manager will explain the critical quality points should maintain during the production.
Production supervisor will be attending to the meeting with the supervisor sample and quality department comment sheet and this will be review in the meeting when discussing quality points.
Line feeding & Mock-up system
During the feeding technician will test the machine setting and teach the operator how to stitch. At this movement in line QI will make sure SPI & appearance of the sewing. Once the operators comes to the desired level of the quality, technician and in line QI will put one good piece as mock-up sample which operators should follow rest of the order and this will be applied mainly on the critical operations. Once the sample select technician, QI, supervisor, mechanic has to sign on the mock up card and assure all aspect of the operation being achieved, after that operator has to sign on the mock-up sheet accepting the requirement of the operation. QI and technician are responsible for mention any critical points on the mock-up sheet which should follow by operator. After that mock-up and the sheet will be hang in front of the machine for the ease of operator view. Once this is process finished only technician can feed the next operation. Putting mock-up will be applicable only for the Critical operations and depend on the complexity of the style quality manager will decides the number of points mock-up should be.
First Production Meeting
First Production meeting is another technique that Auto Textile used to control the quality of the product. After line feeding finish, first out put will be reviewed by the production, technical & quality teams against the customer specifications and sample to assure quality standard. If there are any deviation will be address immediately by the team and then only continue the production.
At this stage first in line QI will measure & check the out put and make a report, with this report and garments this meeting will be held. First production meeting minute will be taken by the Quality officer of the section.
Sewing quality control
During the production continue will use different systems to assure the quality of the product. Auto Textile has in line quality controller who will closely monitor and control the measurement & quality each & every process.
Trim card
Each and every line provided the approved trim card and approved/ similar sample. During production input supervisor will check each and every input raw material randomly against the trim card before release to operators. If any raw material not matches with trim card he/she will stop and informed to quality and production officer, if the case is serious will informed to quality manager for corrective action. If the items are rejected will return to the stores or cutting. In line QI will do random check the out put with trim card & sample minimum twice a day.
Traffic light system
Each production line has one in line Quality Inspector and responsible to maintain traffic light system.
In-line QI must conduct the random inspection all the work station hourly or once in two hours, the frequency of the inspection based on the operation difficulty & damage level but minimum 4 time a day each operation should audit.
Traffic Light Process
Base of the traffic light system is seven-zero audit that is randomly select seven pieces from the bundle and inspect if one or more defects found bundle will reject and depend on the result red, green or yellow card will hand on the work station. Each work station consists with the hourly audit sheet and QI is responsible for the marking the result of the audit in this.
First inspection fails Quality inspector will informed to the supervisor and technician. Supervisor and technician are responsible for the corrective action and the duration of fixing the matter will be recorded. If third time inspection fail in the same operation Quality Inspector must stop the machine & informed to quality and production manager. So production & quality manager has to provide solution with senior technician immediately.
Measurement procedure
In Line Quality Controller is responsible for maintain measurement of the garments. Minimum twice a day he has to measure the finish garment covering the 2pieces per size which produce in the particular day.
If the measurements are out of tolerance QC will made additional 10 measurements in the same point to verify the deviation. If this proves measurements are out of tolerance has to informed QA manager and he suppose to guide the corrective action.
End Table Inspection
100% end line inspection will be conduct by each and every end line table by the Quality Inspector. The main object of this inspection is to pass 100% reject free garments to Finishing. QI are trained to follow the cycle of checking to avoid missing any operation checking and take 100% Bottom Band measurement to make assure there is no garment size mixed-up. QC will responsible to mark all the findings in the end table report & line supervisor and officer has to monitor this report and take necessary corrective actions.
Audit at Sewing Section
Every 4 sewing line have one Q.C Auditor. Auto Textile uses 2.5 AQL systems to audit complete garments of each line and for check workmanship & measurement. In this stage Auditor should considering approval standard, Buyer Comments, PO sheet, and Swatch card. The main purpose of this inspection is to identify any major mistake in very beginning.
In-line Inspection Packing
When we start poly in packing section we do in-line inspection. The main purpose of this inspection to check & confirm the folding method, hungering (If Need) ,Price ticket placement, Hang tag placement, poly etc. this stage we are using as per reference by buyers requirements.
Assortment Check
When we start assortment we do random assortment check. The main purpose of this inspection is to check & confirm the assortment. In this Stage we also check Shipping mark of Carton & item qty in a carton. To do this job we maintain the below format.
Packing audit random
Finishing Table Inspection
Here inspection is done randomly after Attached packing material & before send to carton. In this stage we take random under bust & Cup measurement for the all kind’s bra and waist, side seam & leg opening measurement for under wear.
Shipment Sample Inspection
In every style buyer require shipment sample from bulk production. The shipment sample is very important for any order because after getting this sample buyer check this sample properly & confirm us to ship the goods. One quality inspector is confirming the workmanship & measurement of shipment sample.
Pre-Final Inspection
When finish 80% carton packing, conduct in house Pre-Final Inspection as per 2.5 AQL systems. The main object of this inspection is to check & confirm garments workmanship, Measurement, packing accessories & packing method before complete full boxing.
Note: For all types of random audits use 2.5 AQL system for major defects and 3 minor defects will consider as 1 major where unless specified.
General Guidelines
All measurement must meet specifications assigned by the Q.A Department (Auto Textile Limited) or specific buyer’s requirements. Auto has tolerances for all measurements. Measurements outside of tolerances are unacceptable.
Garments should be measured on a clean, flat, smooth surface, never on other fabric, carpet or other surface that may distort the garments.
No
Document
Section
Responsibility
Supervision
1
Daily Quality Audit sheet
Sewing
In Line Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
2
Hourly corrective Action report
Sewing
In-Line Quality Inspector
Technician & Production Officer
3
Measurement Report Sheet
Sewing
In-Line Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
4
Traffic Light Highest 3 defects report
Sewing
In-Line Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
5
Mock-up Sheet
Sewing
In-Line Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
6
End Line Inspection Report
Sewing
Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
7
Hourly End Line AQL Report
Sewing
AQL Auditor
Quality Officer
8
AQL Measurement Audit report
Sewing
AQL Auditor
Quality Officer
9
Top 3 Offender Report
Sewing
Quality Officer
Quality Manager
10
Daily Quality Meeting Report
Sewing
Quality Officer
Quality Manager
11
First Out Put Analysis Report
Sewing
Quality Officer
Quality Manager
12
Finishing Quality Audit Report
Finishing
Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
13
Packing Inspection Report
Finishing
Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
14
Pre-final inspection Report how a sewing machine works
Cloth Cutting Machine room is the key area in garment manufacturing. Each and every process of the cutting room has being monitor and controlled by the quality team to assure the customers specification.
GSM & Shade band Maintain
For each lot of the fabric GSM & Shade Band is maintaining by the quality team. For shade band swatch size is about 4”x4” and it indicates the roll number too. Before start cutting process responsible cutting quality person will compare Shade Band with the approval and approve it for production. If there is any discrepancy will hold the rolls, and informed to higher authority or return to fabric stores. Final decision to these reject rolls will be taken by the Quality manager and the General Manager of the operation.
Cutting Process
Fabric relaxing
Before laying each fabric roll is being relaxed to avoid shrinkage of the cut panels after cut. For different fabrics will use different duration as bellow
Fabric type Roll form Bale form
Single jersey (cotton) 12 06
Single jersey (Lycra) 24 12
Rib 24 12
Micro 12 08
Nylon 20 08
Simplex 24 12
During the start of the relaxing “relaxing sticker” being apply to each and every roll and it states fabric relax start time and relax finish time to avoid cutting non relaxed rolls.
Further relevant quality person is responsible to allow approve fabric rolls being relaxing comparing to shade band and responsible to check widthwise and lengthwise shade variation. If there is running shade (widthwise & lengthwise) need to hold the particular fabric roll. These hold rolls are being cutting using different type of marker such as “short marker or narrow marker” etc to avoid cut panel shading with the advice of quality manager.
Marker checking
Marker checking Quality Controller is responsible for the checking markers with the original patterns before releasing to production. QC will randomly check each size one garment parts before confirm it. He is responsible for checking width & length of the marker too.
Laying
Quality Controller is responsible for assure cleanliness of the cutting table before start layering. Before start layering paper is put on the cutting table to avoid the possible damages of fabric due to sharp parts.
QC is responsible to audit all rolls has been properly relaxed by checking relaxing sticker. Further QC has assure correct lot & roll being laying by checking the lot number & roll number of the fabric rolls and cross-check the fabric rolls with the shade bands to assure the shade wise cutting.
During laying audit QC will check number of layers, length of the layer, assure the paper separator is use for each roll finish and correct lay tension has been applied during each layering.
During the layering QC has to assure red “tape system” is follow by the production team when fabric fault observed to minimize possible fabric faults go into sewing. After QC confirms layering has being done accurately he has to authorize for cutting.
Finally all lay summary report has to maintain by the QC for management information.
Cutting
In Auto Textile have both straight & band knife facility for cutting. Straight knife we do only layer separation and our cutting complete on the band knife.
After band knife cutting, do 10% random inspection to assure the cut work quality. First QC select randomly cut pieces of each size from bundle (cut cake) and check cut mark depth & its position is correct and shape of the cut comparing to the pattern. After that he will check top, middle & bottom of the cut for the cutting accuracy. If random inspection fails will arrange 100% cut panel inspection to sort out bad cuts.
Bundling
First step in bundling is to separate cut bundle into roll-wise. Then cut work will separate into bundles. This stage bundling QC will conduct random inspection to assure correct quantity, correct parts, correct trims are being put into the bundle. If there is any discrepancy will conduct 100% bundle inspection to sort out the issue.
Documents
Each stage of the process respective quality person will responsible for making reports and documents. All these documents are being files in the cutting department and MIS reports are being generates where necessary.
Cutting quality in-charge is responsible for maintain quality standard as well as all these documents as management advice. Further each and every style shade band, GSM report and all other documents being maintained in a style wise.
Note: Shade will be checked under the buyers’ reference light source in light box.
Fabric is the key raw material in garment it will take about 80% of the total cost. Auto Textile has special care of their main raw material before goes into production.
This point production (fabric) or stores will provide complete shade band to the quality department. Once out source fabrics comes to stores or in house fabrics before comes to stores will conduct 10% inspection and will accept or reject lot based on 4-point system. More Raw Materials
GSM & Lab test reports
Initially with the shade band GSM of the each roll will be check by the QC against buyer standard. QC is responsible for the getting lab test report for each lot as per the customers’ requirements such as color fastness, shrinkage, ph value, bowing etc. If GSM and lab test is pass then will go for the 10% fabric inspection to analyze visual defect level.
In the case of failure of the above for in house fabric will send into to the mill for re-processing, but in the case of out source quality manager and merchandiser will take final decision after discussion with buyer and the supplier.
Shade variation checking
Fabric rolls are feed into the fabric machine face side up and cut approximately 6” panel across width to asses the within roll shade variation. 6” wide panel must mark their left & right just after cutting it. While conducting visual inspection start, middle and end of the roll will check for shade deviation by placing 6” cut band left, middle & right alternatively.
Visual inspection of defects
After the fabric been load to inspection machine start inspection. Machine speed should be set to the 10 to 15 m/min. When fabric is moving on the machine inspector will observe possible defects and mark them on his inspection report
After completion of the inspection result will be compute as per 4-ponit system
4-point system (Reject length point system)
Length of defect Penalty Points
Less than 3” 1
3” to 6” 2
6” to 9” 3
9” above 4
Finally calculate the total point per 100 yards or meters. Depend on the different customer number of points allow will be differ and Auto standard is 40 point above will be fail. If the inspection “passes” whole fabric lot will be releasing to the production.
If the inspections “fail” QC will conduct 100% fabric inspection and accept good rolls for the production. For reject rolls quality manager will advise the corrective action.
For in house fabric 10% inspection fail will return to the fabric department for re-processing.
No
Document
Section
Responsibility
Supervision
1
10% Fabric Inspection Report
Fabric inspection
Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
2
Swatch Card-GSM
Fabric inspection
Quality Inspector
Quality Officer
3
Lab test report
Laboratory
Trims & Accessory inspection
Trims and accessories inspection will conduct in lot wise. Initially 10% of the material will be inspected. Decision of the acceptance or rejection will be done as bellow;
a. If lot has less than 2% defect it will be accept
b. If lot contains above 2% and less than 15% take another lot for the second inspection.
c. If more than 15% defect found will conduct 100% inspection and replace the damage quantity.
QC will conduct the inspection and test trims & accessories against the buyer standard.
Hook & Eye section
Before goes in to the production QC will ensure the shade of the fabric as per the buyers’ standard. Once the production start first out put will check and approve by the quality team for production. In first out put will check the shade (again), measurement, hook and eye strength. Further for the first out put will conduct lab test as per customer’s requirement.
During production QC will conduct 100% inspection.
