Spinning Educatee Textile Testing and Quality Control-I Spinning Educatee

Chapter-1: Introduction to Textile Testing

Textiles: The word textile is from Latin, from the adjective textilis, meaning woven, the past participle of
the verb French word texere, ‘to weave. The word Textile when used as a noun means anything woven or
suitable for weaving.

Any fabric or product manufactured from fabrics, filament or yarns, natural or artificial – by means of
interlacing, interlooping, felting or stitching the fibre web, for example, thread ropes, knitted fabrics, etc.
Hence this is a very comprehensive term that includes all clothing, carpets, curtains, tapes, upholstery,
etc.

The word Textile when used as an adjective, means manufacture of raw materials, processing machinery,
buildings, personnel used in the organization connected with the technology of their manufacture, which
includes the following: Textile Mill, Textile Institute, Textile Engineer, Textile Research, Textile
Printing, Textile Designer, Textile Technologist, etc.

Testing: A means of determining the capability of an item to meet specified requirements by subjecting
the item to a set of physical, chemical, environmental or operating actions, and conditions.

Textile Testing: Applying engineering knowledge and science to detect the criteria and properties of any
textile material or product (such as fiber, yarn, and fabric) is called textile testing.

Reasons for Textile Testing:

1. Checking the quality and suitability of raw material and selection of material.
2. Monitoring of production i.e. process control.
3. Assessment of final product, whether the quality is acceptable or not, (how will be the yarn
performance in weaving? etc).
4. Investigation of faulty materials (analysis of customer complaint, identification of fault in
machine etc.).
5. Product development and research.
6. Specification testing: Specifications are formed and the materials are tested to prove whether they
fall within the limits allowed in the specification (e.g. specified by a customer).
Spinning Educatee Textile Testing and Quality Control-I Spinning Educatee

Chapter-1: Introduction to Textile Testing

Standardization of Testing:
Different principles and instruments may be employed to test a single criterion. Hence it is important to
standardize the testing methods or procedures. Various national and international organizations have
established standards for textile testing.

The lack of reproducibility of results of material may be due to:

a) Variation in the material

It can be solved through,

**By proper sampling

**Use of suitable statistical methods to analyze the results

b) Variation due to test methods

**Due to operator (care in mounting of specimen, adherence to the test procedures, etc.)

**Specimen size

**Atmospheric condition

**Type of test equipment

**Test condition – speed, pressure, etc.

Testing methods (sources of testing standards):

Various national and international organizations have established standards for textile testing. Some of the
organizations involved in developing textile testing standards are as follows:
1. AATCC - American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
2. ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials
3. ANSI - American National Standards Institute
4. ISO - International Organization for Standardization
5. BSI - British Standards Institute
6. BIS - Bureau of Indian Standards
7. BS EN - British Standard European Norm
8. IS - Indian Standards
9. Deutsches Institut fur Normung (DIN) – Germany Standards Institute
Spinning Educatee Textile Testing and Quality Control-I Spinning Educatee

Chapter-1: Introduction to Textile Testing

Quality:
According to International Organization for Standardization (ISO): “Ensemble of properties and
characteristics of a product or a service which confer on it the capacity to satisfy expressed or implicit
requirements” - “suitable for use” or “fitness for use”.

What is ISO???

• The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international standard-setting body

composed of representatives from various national standards organizations.
• Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial and
commercial standards.
• Its headquarter is in Geneva, Switzerland, and as of 2013 works in 164 countries.

Quality Characteristics:
Every product possesses a number of properties that jointly describe what the user or consumer thinks of
as quality. These properties are known as quality characteristics.

Quality control:

Inspection, analysis and action applied to a portion of the product in a manufacturing operation to
estimate overall quality of the product and determine what, if any, changes must be made to achieve or
maintain the required level of quality.

Benefits of quality control:

1. Encourages quality consciousness

2. Satisfaction of consumers
3. Reduction in production cost
4. Most effective utilization of resources.
5. Increased sales
6. Improved techniques and methods of production
Spinning Educatee Textile Testing and Quality Control-I Spinning Educatee

Chapter-1: Introduction to Textile Testing

Comparison between quality control and quality assurance:

Topic Quality Assurance Quality Control

QA is a set of activities for QC is a set of activities for ensuring quality
ensuring quality in the in products. The activities focus on
Definition
processes by which products identifying defects in the actual products
are developed. produced.
QA aims to prevent defects
QC aims to identify (and correct) defects in
with a focus on the process
Focus on the finished product. Quality control,
used to make the product. It is a
therefore, is a reactive process.
proactive quality process.
The goal of QA is to improve
development and test processes The goal of QC is to identify defects after a
Goal so that defects do not arise product is developed and before it's
when the product is being released.
developed.
Establish a good quality
Finding & eliminating sources of quality
management system and the
problems through tools & equipment so
How assessment of its adequacy.
that customer's requirements are
Periodic conformance audits of
continually met.
the operations of the system.
Prevention of quality problems
The activities or techniques used to achieve
through planned and systematic
What and maintain the product quality, process
activities including
and service.
documentation.
Everyone on the team involved
Quality control is usually the responsibility
in developing the product is
Responsibility of a specific team that tests the product for
responsible for quality
defects.
assurance.
Verification is an example of Validation/Software Testing is an example
Example
QA of QC
Statistical Tools & Techniques
can be applied in both QA &
QC. When they are applied to When statistical tools & techniques are
processes (process inputs & applied to finished products (process
Statistical Techniques
operational parameters), they outputs), they are called as Statistical
are called Statistical Process Quality Control (SQC) & comes under QC.
Control (SPC); & it becomes
the part of QA.
As a tool QA is a managerial tool QC is a corrective tool
Orientation QA is process oriented QC is product oriented
Spinning Educatee Textile Testing and Quality Control-I Spinning Educatee

Chapter-1: Introduction to Textile Testing

Model Questions:
1. What are understood by textiles, testing, textile testing? Mention the reasons for textile testing.
2. What is understood by Standardization of Testing? Explain the reasons behind establishing
testing methods.
3. Enlist the organizations involved with textile testing standards.
4. Define the term, “Quality”. What are the benefits of quality control?
5. Differentiate between quality control and quality assurance.
6. What is understood by quality assurance?
7. Define online quality control and off-line quality control.
8. What are understood by process control and product control?

Reference Books:

1. Booth J.E., “Principle of Textile Testing”

2. Saville B.P., “Physical Testing of Textiles”,
3. A Practical Guide to Textile Testing by K. Amutha
4. Handbook of Textile Testing and Quality Control by Elliot B. Grover and D. S. Hamby
5. John W. S. Hearle, W. E. Morton-Physical Properties of Textile Fibres