Procedures Practiced for Quality Control and Assurance

(Cutting)

• Process of Inspection,
• Types of Defects and their possible solutions,
• (Marker making, spreading, cutting,
• bundling , ticketing quality parameters and
formats )
• Quality Specs.
Introduction – In-Process Inspection

• In-process inspection means the inspection of parts before

they are assembled into a complete product.
• In apparel manufacturing, this means inspection at various
points in the entire manufacturing process from spreading to
pressing / finishing
• The idea behind the in process inspection is to inspect or
check the quality of component parts close to the
manufacturing a possible and thereby identify the source of
quality problems as early in the manufacturing process as
possible.
Contd..
• This type of inspection can be performed by either quality
control inspectors or individual operators themselves after
they perform their respective operations.
• This will minimize the need for later repairs and rework.
• Each production operation performed correctly makes for a
smooth running plant with low operating costs. Poor quality
at any stage in production compounds itself and can be
expected to increase total cost.
• In – process inspection is also called as during production or
du-pro inspection
In-process Inspection - Advantages
• Reduction of major “surprises” from the customers due to bad
quality.
• Decrease in labor costs due to decrease in repair rates.
– These advantages are generally derived from the fact that due to in-process inspection
• The operators (workers) and supervisors are constantly reminded that
the company has a specific quality level to meet, just by the very
presence of the inspectors in their section on a daily basis.
• Because each worker realize that his/her work is subjected to being
inspected at any time throughout the day the quality of work produced
by workers will improve
• The data obtained can be effectively analyzed and utilized by the
production supervisors and plant manager in correcting problems or
improving quality.
• The day is long past when apparel manufacturers can
depend solely on 100% final inspection at the end of
a production line.
• The quality cannot be “inspected into” a garment
after it has been made; instead, quality should be
“manufactured into” a garment at every step and
checked repeatedly during production.
In-Process inspection - Spreading defects

• Various factors that affect the spreading process are

1.Ply alignment
2.Ply Tension or Slackness
3.Bowing
4.Splicing
Ply Alignment & Ply Tension
• The greater the variation in width or length
alignment, the greater the waste in the precision
cutting because the ends and sides must be trimmed
to the narrowest and shortest plies.

• A tight spread will contract after cutting, resulting in

smaller and skimpier components than what should
be. A slack spread possesses excess length within the
stipulated end of the spread. Cut components from a
slack spread will tend to be oversized
Bowing
• Bowing is the distortion of filling yarn from a straight
line across the width of the fabric.
• This would cause unbalanced stresses in fabric,
resulting in slackness and tightness in the ply that will
lead to undersized components.
• Also the garment component containing such a
defect will tend to twist or distort in laundering or
dry-cleaning.
Splicing & Static
• Splicing is the overlapping of two ends of fabric in a
ply. A short or insufficient overlap will result in
incompletely cut pattern sections and a long overlap
will result in waste.
• Static in the fabric may cause a distorted spread,
resulting in incompletely cut pattern sections. Static
can be eliminated by either increasing the humidity
in the cutting room or using static eliminators.
Some more possible spreading defects
• Not enough plies to cover the quantity of garments
required.
• Narrow fabric
• Plies not all facing in the correct direction. That is,
not all the plies are spread face down, face up, or
face to face, as required.
• Mismatching of checks. Plies not spread accurately
one above another ready for cutting.
Pattern Defects – Marker making Defects

• Pattern Parts Missing Correct number of parts for all sizes

not included by the marker maker.
• Mixed parts- Parts not correctly labeled in the marker;
therefore, a marriage of wrong-sized parts.
• Patterns not facing in the correct direction on napped
fabrics
• Patterns not all facing in the same direction on a one way
fabric
• Patterns not aligned with respect to the grain line of the
fabric. As a result, a garment may not drape or fit properly
Pattern Defects – Marker making Defects – Contd..

• Line definitions poor (e.g., chalk, too thick, indistinctly

printed line, perforated lay not fully powdered), leading to
inaccurate cutting.
• Skimpy marking – Either the marker did not use the outside
edge of the pattern or the pattern was moved or sewing
after partial marking to squeeze the pattern into a smaller
space in the interest of fabric economy. Alternatively, the
pattern is worn around the edges and should be replaced.
• Generous marking – A combination of points 7 and 8
results in the components being sewn together with
puckering or pleating
Pattern Defects – Marker making Defects – Contd..

• Marker too wide – Garment parts at the edge

of the lay are cut with bits missing
• Not enough knife clearance allowance
• Mismatched checks and stripes
• Notches and drill marks omitted, indistinct, or
misplaced.
Cutting Defects

• Cutting quality is a prerequisite for quality in a finished

product. In addition, cut work quality affects the ease and cost
with which construction is accomplished.
• The quality of work leaving the cutting room is determined by
how true the cut fabric parts are to the pattern; how smooth or
rough the cut surface is; material or fabric defects in cut fabric
parts; shade differences between cut fabric pieces within a
bundle.  
• In addition various factors in cutting that can affect the
subsequent quality should be checked, such as under- or
overcut, size, placement and sequence alignment of notches
and drill holes, ripped or pulled yarns etc.
The defects that may arise in the cutting

• Frayed Edges
– May impede cutting time by clogging the knife
action and / or mar the fabric with the rips or
pulled yarns.
– The amount of fraying depends on fabric
construction and finish.
– Improper cutting tools or dull knives cause
excessive fraying in a pattern as section is cut.
Cutting room defects

• Fuzzy, ragged or serrated edges

– This is the result of the poor cutting.
– Such edges will impede sewing and / or diminish
sewing quality.
– Such a condition is caused by faulty knife edges
such as burrs, chips, or dullness
Cutting room defects

• Ply to ply fusion

– More common and troublesome.
– Adjacent plies in a block are fused together, which
makes if difficult for the sewing machine operator to
pick up a single ply quickly.
– Fusion occurs due to heat created by excessively
high speed of cutting or by friction of a dull knife.
– To prevent fusion, check knife speed, keep knives
sharp, place wax paper between fabric plies, and
lubricate cutting blade.
Cutting room defects

• Single edge fusion

– Consists of a single ply whose cut yarn ends are
fused to form a hard brittle rim on the cut edge.
– Sometimes, this is desirable to prevent fraying;
however hardness and brittleness are undesirable
it they impede sewing manipulation or may result
in seams uncomfortable to the consumer.
Cutting room defects

• Pattern Precision
– Misshape or distortion of the pattern perimeter as
cut. Whether it is under-or overcut is due to poor
manual control of cutting machine and poor lines on
the marker.
– To assure precision in a pattern, check markers
before cutting, use tensionless spreading, or allow
time for fabric to relax.
– After a cut, check the top, bottom, and middle plies
against the pattern.
Cutting room defects

• Notches
– Notch size refers to the depth of the notch. If the depth of the
notch is too great, the notch may show after a garment is sewn.
– If the notches are too small, sewing operators may have
difficulty locating them quickly, resulting in decreased efficiency.
– Misplacement of a notch may be due to an improper spread
marker, poor control of cutting machine with cutter’s notching
tool stroking diagonally instead of vertically, incorrect marker in
that notches for mating parts do not coincide.
– Check notch placement against mating pieces. Quality control in
stitching may be a problem if notches are not aligned.
Cutting room defects
• Drilling
– The drill hole may be too large or too small in diameter.
– In addition, a drill may become too hot due to high speed or wrong
size, causing the plies to fuse together at the drill hole.
– The drill must stroke vertically to the table for uniform placement
throughout the bundle.
– Sometimes fabric properties are such that the slight movement of
yarns in a fabric would close a drill hole.
– In such cases, it is necessary to drill holes with a marking fluid. The drill
used for such purpose is hollow and carries marking fluid (ink) that is
deposited at the drill point on the fabric as the needle is withdrawn.
– Such marks should last long enough so that further processing can be
finished without difficulty, but should be easily removable after
processing or in case of an error.
 Glossary of Cutting room defects
(Pattern, Marker, Spreading and Cutting room defects)

Pattern Grading Defects

01 Finished product not measuring to specified
Grade not conforming to
Specification dimensions and component parts not fitting in
Measurements relationship to notches, openings, and seams
such as armholes, sleeve heads, neck bands,
neck openings, side seams, inseams and waist
measurements etc.,

02. Unbalanced patterns which would cause

Distorted Grading:
twisted seams, puckering, pleating and a
  general uneconomical yardage waste.
 Marking Defects
Shaded Parts: All component pans not included in same section.
Pieces not Symmetrical Will not sew together without puckering or pleating.
Not Marked by Directional Bias will not fit together, causing twisting, puckering,
Lines: pleating and a general mismatching of component
  parts.

Skimpy marking Marker did not use outside perimeter of pattern.

Pattern moved after partially marked to fit into space.

Notches and Punch Marks: Left out, not clearly marked or misplaced.
Marker Too Wide Parts will not catch in the lay causing skimpy garments
or requiring recuts

Marker Too Narrow Results in wasted material.

Mismatched Plaids Marker did not block component parts to match.
   

Misdirected Napping Patterns not marked in same direction on napped

fabrics
 Spreading Defects
Uneven Spreading: Front edge of lay is not even, resulting in front or back edge
  of marker not catching all plies.

Narrow Material Bolts or rolls of material too narrow to cover marker width

Missed Sectional Sectional marker breaks too long or too short. Parts in lay will
Breaks: be short or material wasted.

Improper Tension Cloth spread too tight or too loose, causing parts not to fit in
sewing or distorting dimensions of garments.

Mismatching Plaids: Material spread too loose or too tight causing plaid lines to
run diagonally or bow.
 

Misdirected Napping: Air pockets not removed. Napped material reversed in

spreading.
 

Improper Matching of Not spread face down, face up or face to face as required
Face of Material
 Cutting Defects
Marker or Perforator Not stapled or stenciled on lay to catch both edges
causing parts to miss in cutting. Too tight or too loose
distorting dimensions of garment. Perforated stencil
not powdered, or inked sufficiently to show distinct
lines, notches and punch marks

Misplaced Piece Rate Tickets Attached to, or marked on, wrong bundles causing
or Bundle Members mixed sizes and/or shades.
Drill Marks Drill marks misplaced, not perpendicular, omitted or
wrong side drill used.
Opening Slits Cut under above to the side or at incorrect angle. Not
cut through ·entire bundle or omitted.
Improper Cutting Not following marker lines resulting in distorted parts.
Letting knife lean, causing top and bottom ply to be of
different sizes.
Notches Misplaced, too deep, too shallow or omitted.
Oil Spots Equipment improperly oiled or cleaned.
Improper Knife Sharpening Causing ragged, frayed or fused edges on bundles.
Knife or Scissors Cut Piece damaged by over run in cutting previous piece
 Shade Marking Defects
Pencil or Machine Too dark, too light, bleeding through, not legible
marking or marked on wrong side.

Stains Ink stains from stamping or pin ticket machines.

Thermo ply or Pin Ticket Improperly placed or marked

marking:

Mixed Plies Results in mixed shades