Knowledge area
SMV, work study, line balancing, capacity, efficiency, takt time, WIP, OEE and lean manufacturing.
Industrial engineering in a garment factory is about standard time and how it is used: to cost garments, set targets, plan capacity and balance lines. The numbers are simple; using them consistently is the hard part.
Begin with what SMV is and how to calculate it. Then learn how line efficiency and production targets are built from it. For running lines, line balancing and bottleneck analysis are the most practical tools, supported by WIP control and lean methods.
A step-by-step method to calculate operation and garment SMV from time study: define the method, time the cycles, remove abnormal readings, rate performance, add allowances and check the result.
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.
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.
Work study combines method study (finding a better way to do a job) and work measurement (setting the time for it). An introduction for garment factories: the steps, the tools and how the results feed SMV, line balancing and costing.
How to calculate sewing capacity in available minutes and in pieces, for a line or a whole factory, and how to use it to check whether an order fits. Includes efficiency, absenteeism, working days and a full worked example.
Pitch time means two different things in garment factories: the average work content per operator used for line balancing, and the lean interval for moving a pack of finished goods. Formulas, examples and when to use which.
A skill matrix records which operators can do which operations and how well. How to build one for a sewing line, how to grade skills with real efficiency data, and how to use it for balancing, absenteeism and training.
Lean means removing work that adds no value and making production flow. The eight wastes as they appear in cutting and sewing, the lean tools that work in garment factories, and a realistic order to start.
Kaizen means continuous improvement through small, practical changes. How to run kaizen in a garment factory: finding problems, the PDCA cycle, kaizen events, suggestion systems, and 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.
Motion study looks at the hand and body movements in an operation to remove waste. Practical principles for sewing workstations, how to analyse an operation from video, and examples of improvements that shorten handling time.
19 notes, newest first.
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.
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.
How to calculate sewing capacity in available minutes and in pieces, for a line or a whole factory, and how to use it to check whether an order fits. Includes efficiency, absenteeism, working days and a full worked example.
Line efficiency compares the minutes a sewing line earned with the minutes it had. Learn the formula, work through examples, understand what drives efficiency up and down, and avoid the reporting mistakes that make the number meaningless.
A step-by-step method to calculate operation and garment SMV from time study: define the method, time the cycles, remove abnormal readings, rate performance, add allowances and check the result.
Kaizen means continuous improvement through small, practical changes. How to run kaizen in a garment factory: finding problems, the PDCA cycle, kaizen events, suggestion systems, and examples from sewing, cutting and finishing.
Lean means removing work that adds no value and making production flow. The eight wastes as they appear in cutting and sewing, the lean tools that work in garment factories, and a realistic order to start.
Line balancing spreads the operations of a garment across operators and machines so work flows at the target rate without piles of WIP or idle people. A practical step-by-step method with a worked example, balancing efficiency and common mistakes.
Motion study looks at the hand and body movements in an operation to remove waste. Practical principles for sewing workstations, how to analyse an operation from video, and examples of improvements that shorten handling time.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) splits losses into availability, performance and quality. How to calculate it for sewing, cutting and knitting machines, a worked example, and why OEE and line efficiency tell you different things.
A skill matrix records which operators can do which operations and how well. How to build one for a sewing line, how to grade skills with real efficiency data, and how to use it for balancing, absenteeism and training.
Pitch time means two different things in garment factories: the average work content per operator used for line balancing, and the lean interval for moving a pack of finished goods. Formulas, examples and when to use which.
How to set an hourly and daily production target from SMV, manpower, working minutes and planned efficiency. Worked examples for new and running styles, learning curve targets and why a target at 100% efficiency is not a real target.
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.
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.
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.
Work in progress keeps a sewing line running, but too much hides problems and stretches lead time. How to measure WIP, set a sensible level per station, and control bundles on the floor.
SMV is the standard time to complete a task at a normal pace, including allowances. Learn what it includes, how it is set, how it drives targets, efficiency, capacity and CM cost, and where it goes wrong.