Library
Practical explanations with formulas, worked examples and troubleshooting steps. Browse by knowledge area or read the newest first.
The 4-point system scores fabric defects by length and converts them into points per 100 square yards. How to inspect rolls, assign points, calculate the score for a roll and a shipment, and what the result does and does not mean.
5 Why analysis asks 'why' repeatedly until it reaches a cause that can be fixed. How to use it well, where it goes wrong, and three worked examples from sewing, cutting and finishing.
5S is the workplace organisation method behind most lean programs. What each S means on a sewing floor, in cutting, stores and finishing, how to run a 5S audit, and how to stop it fading after the first month.
AQL sampling decides how many garments to inspect from a lot and how many defects are allowed. How the sampling tables work, inspection levels, code letters, accept and reject numbers, and what AQL does and does not guarantee.
A garment bill of materials lists every material needed to make a style, with specification, placement, consumption and supplier. How to structure a BOM, calculate quantities by color and size, and avoid the errors that cause shortages.
Bio-scouring uses pectinase enzymes instead of hot caustic soda to remove waxes and pectins from cotton before dyeing. How it works, typical process conditions, a step-by-step process, how to test absorbency, its benefits and limits, and how to switch from conventional scouring.
A bottleneck is the station that limits the output of the whole line. How to find it with WIP observation and capacity studies, the common reasons a station becomes a bottleneck, and practical ways to raise its output.
Bowing and skewing happen when weft yarns or knitted courses are not straight and square across the width. How to measure bow and skew, where they come from in finishing, and why they cause twisted garments and mismatched checks.
Bursting strength measures the pressure or force needed to burst a fabric stretched in all directions. Why it is used for knits instead of tensile tests, the hydraulic, pneumatic and ball burst methods, and what affects results.
Garment factories face social, environmental, security, quality and chemical audits from buyers and third parties. What each type looks at, common audit schemes, how to prepare, and how to handle findings with corrective action plans.
CAPA is the process for recording a problem, removing its cause and preventing it elsewhere. What corrective and preventive actions mean, the steps of a CAPA, a filled example, and how to keep CAPAs from becoming paperwork.
CM (cost of making) covers cutting, sewing and finishing. Learn how to build a cost per minute from factory costs, calculate CM from SMV and efficiency, and avoid the assumptions that make CM quotes lose money.
Color fastness to perspiration checks whether a fabric's color changes or transfers when soaked in artificial sweat. The test principle, acid and alkaline solutions, grading, and how to improve results on dark shades and sportswear.
How color fastness to washing is tested with a multifiber strip, how change in shade and staining are graded with grey scales, the main ISO and AATCC methods, and what to do when a fabric fails.
Colorfastness describes how well a dyed or printed textile keeps its color and avoids staining other materials. Learn the main test types, how grey scale ratings work, how to read a report and what to do when a fabric fails.
Rubbing fastness, also called crocking, measures how much color transfers from a fabric to another surface by friction. How the dry and wet tests work, what affects the result and how dyehouses and printers improve it.
DHU counts defects per hundred garments checked. The formula, how it differs from defective percentage, a worked example from end-of-line checking, and how to turn DHU data into action on the line.
The main types of fabric used for dresses and everyday clothing: cotton, linen, silk, wool, viscose, polyester and blends, and the constructions made from them such as poplin, denim, satin, chiffon, crepe, jersey and velvet. Properties, typical weights, care and which garments each suits.