Quality Control Of Garment

QUALITY SYSTEMS FOR

GARMENT
MANUFACTURE
ACHIEVING THE RIGHT FINAL PRODUCT ON TIME

1. PLAN OF THE OVERALL FUNCTION OF QUALITY

CONTROL

The cost of quality

Functions of Quality Assurance
Commercial advantages form effective
control systems
Economic aspects of quality assurance
The role of quality control

2. THE ROLE OF QUALITY CONTROL IN

THE CONTEXT OF QUALITY
MANAGEMENT
Outline of quality control systems
requirements
Data generated
British Standard 5750

3. FINAL PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Quality control in the sampling/development
department
From sample to full production
The Specification layout
Process specification
Sample garment specification
Seam specification
Performance specification

4. THE MAIN RAW MATERIAL - FABRIC

Fabric and garment dimensions - fabric
stability and finished width
Fabric inspection - examination of fabric
on receipt

5. BASIC SEAMING TECHNOLOGY

Basic technology of seams
Stitch forming action
Quality checks on seams

6. LAYING-UP AND CUTTING

6. QUALITY MONITORING THROUGH

CUTTING AND GARMENT ASSEMBLY
7.1 Recording
Recording systems - making up
Supervisors check list

7.2 Tolerances
Tolerance limits
7.3 The threshold of faults
Training quality standards and faults
analysis
7.4 Sampling techniques
Checking levels of faults and seconds

7.5 Technology if Inspection

Garment examination
Seeing colour and the effect of type of
illuminant on the apparent shade of a
sample
Effects of intensity, angle of illumination
and type on the apparent shade of a
sample
Effects on shade of other colours in
adjacent areas
Mounting and displaying for viewing
Colour vision

7.6 checking operatives and examiners

Assessment of operative effectiveness
from records
The supervisor and quality control
Weather trials
7.7 Auditing Boxed Stock
Boxed Stock Quality Audit

8. QUALITY COMMUNICATIONS
Control of quality in garment assembly
Example of quality feedback - marks and
stains
Action checklist to improve garment
cleanliness
economics of cleanliness
Fault cost assessment record
Quality Control Requirements - Order of
Priorities

"Quality" is defined as that combination of

design and properties of materials of a
product which are needed for the intended
end use and level of the market in which it is
sold.
"Requisite Quality" is defined as the
design and composition of a product, which
has been thoroughly proved by adequate

Quality Assurance
"The establishment and maintenance of ALL
activities and functions concerned with the
attainment of requisite quality"
Quality Control
"The systems required for programming and
co-ordinating the efforts of the various

Quality for textile and apparel:

Quality may be defined as the level of
acceptance of goods or services.
For the textile and apparel industry, product
quality is calculated in terms of quality and
standard of fibers, yarns, fabric construction,
colour fastness, designs and the final finished
garments. Quality control in terms of garment
manufacturing, pre-sales and posts

sales service, delivery, pricing, etc are essential

for any garment manufacturer, trader or
exporter.
Certain quality related problems, often seen in
garment manufacturing like sewing, colour,

Sewing defects
Open seams, wrong stitching techniques, nonmatching threads, missing stitches, improper
creasing of the garment, improper thread
tension etc. are some of the sewing defects
which can affect the garment quality adversely.

Colour defects
Variation of colour between the sample and the
final garment, wrong colour combinations and
mismatching dyes should always be avoided.

Sizing defects
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.

Garment defects
Broken or defective buttons, snaps, stitches,
different shades within the same garment,
dropped stitches, exposed notches, fabric
defects, holes, faulty zippers, loose or hanging
sewing threads, misaligned buttons and holes,
missing buttons, needle cuts, pulled or loose
yarn,

stains, unfinished buttonhole, short zippers,

inappropriate trimmings etc. all can lead to the
end of a brand name even before its
establishment.

Some of main fabric properties that are

taken into consideration for garment
manufacturing for export basis:
Overall look of the garment.
Right formation of the garment.

 Feel and fall of the garment.

Physical properties.
Colour fastness of the garment.
Finishing properties
Presentation of the final produced garment.

Methods of quality control:

Basically two methods are used for garments
quality control
i) Testing
ii) Inspection.
Maximum garments manufacturers apply
inspection method due to high cost of testing
equipments.

Inspection:
Inspection may be defined as the
visual examination in relation to some standards.

Objective:
The main objectives of inspection are
i. Detection of defects.
ii. Correcting the defects or defective
garments.

 To inspect garments an integral method

named Inspection Loop is used given
below
Inspection
Correction of the defects

Detection of defects
Inform defects to
appropriate personnel

Determination of
causes of defects
Fig: Inspection Loop.

Steps of inspection in garments industry:

i) Raw materials inspection (Fabric
and Accessories)
ii) In Process inspection.
iii) Final inspection.

Raw Materials

Shade - checked to be within tolerance

of standard pattern.
Delivery weights - checked and any
shortfall claimed.

Fabric Parameters, Fabric or Garment Blank Checks

:
Shade and appearance correct jacquard pattern
correct, absence of barrenness.
Width normal - (this is only a guide with grey fabric).
Fabric weights per square metre (or preferably weight
per predetermined revs) - checked to within tolerance
of specification.
Blank weight per dozen to be within tolerance of
specification.
Check fabric for faults and stains.
Finishing loss - on-going record of losses on scouring
etc.
Accountability of knitters.

Sewing thread inspection:

A) Thread construction:
To know about thread construction the
following should be tested
i. Thread count.
ii. Thread ply.
iii. Number of twist.
iv. Thread balance.
v. Thread tenacity.
vi. Thread elongation

B) Sew ability:
The sewing ability of a thread is
called sew ability. During sew ability test
the following quality of thread should be
tested
i. Imperfection
ii. Finish
iii. Package density
iv. Winding
v. Yardage

What are the things used to check to

determine the quality of Zipper:
i. Measuring Zipper Dimension
ii. Top and Bottom stops should be secured
iii. Uniform in color
iv. Slider should ride freely but not so free
v. Slider lock must be secured.
vi. Durability of finish of zipper chain to
laundering or dry cleaning.
vi. Color fastness to zipper to light, to
crocking (rubbing) and to laundering.

In-process Inspection
Sewing Checks

Stitches per cm. and thread run-in ratio

checked to be within tolerance of
specification.
Evenness, balance and correct bight, no
stitching missed
Extensibility and security correct (i.e. no
cracking or laddering).
Absence of skip stitching.
Accountability of machinist.

Final Inspection

Shade correct and not varying from one part of

garment to another.
Cut is correct - e.g. neck, collar and sleeves
balanced, pockets correct.
Measurements within tolerance of specification,
weight correct.
Appearance correct, patterns matching.
Seams finished correctly, absence of miss stitching,
cracking and laddering.
Accessories correctly applied and working.
Absence of fabric faults and stains.
Correct labelling.

Recovery Inspection

Check whether remedial works

satisfactory.
Check on volume of work successfully
recovered.
Avoidance of work recycling.

Product Tests

Colour fastness to agreed agencies: (e.g.

washing, rubbing, perspiration, lights) - checked
and on-going continuity cards generated, showing
rating, checked against specification.
Stability:
Shrinkage, and extension recovery where needed
- to be within tolerance of specification
Endurance:
Abrasion, pilling or snagging - tested where
needed. Rating checked against specification
Flammability:
Performance rating in appropriate test checked
against specification.

AQL Random Sampling Inspection

# The AQL inspection takes the
samples from a goods, inspect
them and depends on the quality of
samples inspected and decide to
accept or reject them.
# The standard is based on Military
Standard 105D (MIL-STD-105D)

# It provides with the sampling plans,

the number of samples to be
inspected and the acceptable
quality level (AQL)
# AQL 1.5 is applied to very severe
inspection on high-class expensive
item.

AQL (II)
# Three types of sampling plans
-single, double and multiple.
# Each sampling plan can be
performed in three levelnormal, tightened and reduced,
depending on quality of products.

Sample Size Code Letter

The Sample Size Code Letter shows
different lot sizes to different code letter.
There are seven inspection level, four for
general inspection and three for special
inspection
For garment inspection, General
Inspection level II would be used.

Sample Size Code Letter

Single Sampling Plan for normal inspection

Double Sampling Plans

Example
Single Sampling Plan-Normal Inspection
Assume AQL is 2.5% and lot size is 600
garments, find out the following :
The total number of samples need to
inspect
The acceptable number of the samples
The rejection number of the samples

Answer
Single Sampling Plan
First, from Table 1 find out the code letter for
lot size of 600 and inspection level II is J
From Table 2 (single sampling plan), the letter
J corresponds to sample sizes of 80.
So, 80 samples are needed to inspect out of
600
At AQL 2.5%, if defective garments are less
than or equal to 5, whole lots will be accepted,
if it is found to be 6 or more, whole lots will be
rejected.

Try this one

If the garment lot is 300 dozens, and AQL
is 4.0%, find out
the number of samples to be inspected
the acceptable number and rejection
number

Example II
Double Sampling Plan
Assume AQL is 4% and lot size is 2000
garments, find out from double sampling
plan on the following:
The total sample sizes need to inspect
What is the first acceptable number
What is the second acceptable number

Answer
Double Sampling Plan
First, Table 1 of 2000 lots at inspection level
II is letter K
Table 3, double sampling plan shows the
sample size of letter K is 80.
First inspection, at AQL 4%, the acceptable
number is 5, rejection number is 9
If any number between 5 to 9, second
inspection is needed

Answer
Double sampling Plan (II)
For second inspection, the sample sizes
again is 80
At AQL 4%, the cumulated acceptable
number is 12 and rejection number is 13.
Conclusion
If the number of defective garments found
in the first sample is 6, and in second
sample is 5, making a total of 11, then the
whole lot of 2,000 pieces will be accepted.

References
Garments and Technology
Prof. M. A. Kashem
Jimmy K.C. Lam
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Introduction to garments manufacturing
Harold Carr
Fashion dictionary
Engr. Mohammad Faizur Rahman (Rashed),
Assistant Professor (Garments Technology),
Department of Textile Technology, AUST

THANK
YOU
ALL