Library
Practical explanations with formulas, worked examples and troubleshooting steps. Browse by knowledge area or read the newest first.
Repairing defects fixes garments; root cause analysis fixes the process. A step-by-step method for garment factories using defect data, the 5M categories, fishbone diagrams and 5 Why, with a worked example on open seams.
SAM and SMV usually mean the same thing: standard time in minutes. This note explains where the two terms come from, when companies use them differently, and how to avoid confusion when comparing numbers.
Seam strength tests measure the force needed to break a seam; seam slippage tests measure how far yarns pull away from a seam under load. Methods, how seams fail, and how thread, stitch density and seam design affect results.
An overview of the sewing defects that cause most repairs and rejections, grouped by stitch, seam and assembly problems, with the usual causes and where to look first.
How to choose industrial sewing needles: needle systems, metric and Singer sizes, point types for knits and wovens, matching the needle to the thread, and how the wrong needle causes skipped stitches, needle cuts and thread breaks.
How to choose sewing thread for garments: core-spun, spun polyester, filament and textured threads, ticket numbers and sizes, matching thread to fabric, seam and needle, and the thread-related causes of seam failures.
Single jersey is the basic weft-knit fabric behind most T-shirts. How it is made, the settings that control its weight and shrinkage, its typical problems (curling, spirality, laddering) and how to specify it.
Spirality makes wales slant and side seams twist around T-shirts after washing. Why single knits twist, how spirality is measured, the main causes in yarn, knitting and finishing, and how to reduce it.
Stitches per inch (SPI) or per centimeter affects seam strength, appearance, puckering and thread use. How to count stitch density correctly, typical ranges by fabric and seam, and what goes wrong when it is too high or too low.
The stitch classes used in garment making, how each is formed, where it is used and its strengths and weaknesses. Based on the ISO 4915 stitch classification, with the common stitch numbers you will see on spec sheets.
Stretch is how far a fabric extends under load; recovery is how well it returns. What drives stretch and recovery in knits and wovens, elastane content, how the properties are tested, and what goes wrong in garments.
The body block method for calculating fabric consumption of a basic T-shirt in kg per dozen, with a worked example, how to handle neck rib, size ratios and wastage, and how to check the estimate against a marker.
Takt time is the pace at which garments must be finished to meet demand. How to calculate it, how it differs from cycle time and pitch time, and how to use it to size and balance a sewing line.
Tensile tests pull woven fabric until it breaks to measure maximum force and elongation. The difference between strip and grab methods, the main ISO and ASTM standards, how to read a result, and what lowers fabric strength.
A walk through the cutting room from fabric receipt to bundles issued to sewing: inspection, relaxation, planning, spreading, cutting, numbering, fusing and audit, with the controls and measures that keep it accurate.
Frequent thread breaks stop operators, cause skipped and broken stitches and destroy line efficiency. A step-by-step way to find the cause in the needle, thread path, tension, timing, thread or fabric.
How to calculate sewing thread consumption per garment using seam lengths and measured thread-to-seam ratios for each stitch type, then convert it into cones per order by color and ticket.
How to carry out a stopwatch time study on a sewing operation: break it into elements, take enough cycles, rate the operator's pace, add allowances and arrive at a standard time. With a worked example and the mistakes that spoil results.