QUALITYDOES YOUR CUTTING ROOM CUT IT

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QUALITYDOES YOUR CUTTING ROOM CUT IT?

• by
• Robert L. Lowder,
• Principal
• CHARLES GILBERT ASSOCIATES, INC..

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DEFINING QUALITY IN THE CUTTING ROOM
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QUALITY IS DEFINED BY THE CUSTOMER

• WHO ARE THE CUSTOMERS IN THE CUTTING PROCESS?

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THE VENDOR/CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

• PIECE GOODS MILLS
• PATTERNS MARKERS
• SPREADERS
• CUTTERS
• ASSEMBLERS
• NUMBERING

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THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF THE CUSTOMER/VENDOR
RELATIONSHIP

• EACH STEP IN THE PROCESS BECOMES ONE PART OF THE
  CHAIN OF VENDOR TO THE NEXT STEP.
• PIECE GOODS IS THE VENDOR TO SPREADING. P/GS AND
  SPREADING ARE VENDORS TO CUTTING. ETC.

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THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT

• WHILE EACH STEP IN THE CUTTING PROCESS HAS ITS
  OWN SLANT ON QUALITY AND CAN BE JUDGED
  INDEPENDENTLY, THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF CUTTING
  STEPS IS THE WAY TO MEASURE QUALITY IN CUTTING.

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QUALITY OF PIECE GOODS

• SOME THOUGHTS ON THE QUALITY OF PIECE GOODS

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DISCUSSION QUESTION?

• WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS THE QUALITY OF PIECE
  GOODS?
• WHO STANDS TO GAIN THE MOST FROM IMPROVEMENT IN
  QUALITY TO PIECE GOODS?

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DEFINING DEFECT LEVELS IN CUTTINGCRITICAL.

• CRITICAL DEFECTWILL CAUSE FAILURE OF THE CUT
  PARTS UNLESS MAJOR REVISIONS ARE MADE.
• SOME CRITICAL DEFECTS WILL CAUSE FAILURE AND
  CANNOT BE UPGRADED.

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DEFINING DEFECT LEVELS IN CUTTINGMAJOR.

• MAJOR DEFECTS WILL CAUSE A FAILURE OF ONE OR MORE
  GARMENTS UNLESS SPECIAL ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE
  DEFECT.
• MAJOR DEFECTS MEAN LOST TIME IN THE SEWING ROOM.

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DEFINING DEFECT LEVELS IN CUTTINGMINOR.

• MINOR DEFECTS WILL NOT CAUSE A FAILURE IN A
  GARMENT OR THE CUTTING, BUT ARE NEVERTHELESS LESS
  THAN PERFECT QUALITY.

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MAJOR AREAS OF QUALITY OF PIECE GOODS

• FABRIC WIDTH
• LENGTH OF BOLT
• SELVAGE EDGE
• SHADE
• CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS
• DAMAGE

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FABRIC WIDTH

• CUTTABLE WIDTHNARROWEST POINT IN THE ROLL
  MEASURED FROM INSIDE THE SELVAGE
• ANY GOODS UNDER WIDTH IS A CRITICAL DEFECT AND
  SHOULD BE RETURNED OR A PRICE REDUCTION SHOULD BE
  NEGOTIATED, INCLUDING THE COST OF NEW MARKERS AND
  EXTRA YARDAGE.

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LENGTH OF BOLT

• WHILE VARIANCE IN YARDAGE IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN
  BE REMEDIED THROUGH PRICE ADJUSTMENT, IT MAY BE A
  SIGN OF OTHER QUALITY CONCERNS, SUCH AS
  SHRINKAGE.
• YARDAGE LENGTHS LESS THAN TICKET YARDS ARE
  CONSIDERED TO BE CRITICAL. THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED
  BEFORE USING THE GOODS.

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AN OLD RULE THAT STILL WORKS

• USE ONLY MEASUREMENT DEVICES RECOGNIZED BY THE
  VENDOR TO DO A SAMPLING OF GOODS.
• A YARDAGE PROGRAM DOCUMENTS THE YARDAGE USED ON
  EACH ROLL. IT CAN CONFIRM PROBLEMS IN SAMPLING.

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SELVAGE EDGE

• EDGES SHOULD BE SMOOTH ON THE ROLL AND OF
  CONSISTENT WIDTH.
• WAVY OR TIGHT SELVAGE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE
  CRITICAL DEFECTS THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED WITH
  THE VENDOR BEFORE USE.

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SHADE OF PIECE GOODS

• SOME TYPES OF PIECE GOODS HAVE MORE VARIATIONS IN
  SHADING THAN OTHERS.
• THERE ARE SOME RULES CONCERNING SHADING THAT CAN
  BE USED TO GRADE GOODS BY SHADE.

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SHADEcontd.

• PIECE GOODS CAN VARY IN SHADE A GREAT DEAL
  DEPENDING UPON TYPE, PROCESS, AND CUSTOMER
  TOLERANCE TO VARIATION.
• SHADE RANGES ARE AGREED BEFORE GOODS ARE
  PRODUCED.
• THESE SHOULD BE DEMONSTRATED WITH RANGE CARDS.

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SHADETHE BASIC RULE IS A BOLT OF GOODS CONTAINS
ONLY ONE SHADE.
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SHADE DEFECTS...

• VARIATIONS IN SHADE FROM END TO END OR SIDE TO
  SIDE ARE CRITICAL DEFECTS.
• SHADES OUTSIDE THE RANGE ARE CRITICAL DEFECTS.
• THESE SHOULD BE RESOLVED WITH THE MILL BEFORE
  USING.

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CONSTRUCTION DEFECTSWeaving, Knitting, Finishing

• NEARLY ALL PIECE GOODS HAVE SOME DEFECTS.
• SOME TYPES HAVE MORE THAN OTHERS.
• DIFFERENT MILLS JUDGE DEFECTS DIFFERENTLY.
• KNOW YOUR MILLS PROGRAM.