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Industry Articles

Defects in garments
By : D.Gopalakrishnan, Arpita Nayak For ev ery industry or business, to get increased sales and better nam e am ongst consum ers and fellow com panies it is im portant to m a intain a lev el of quality . In the garm ent industry quality control is practiced right from the initial stage of sourcing raw m aterials to the stage of final finished garm ent. For textile and apparel industry product quality is calculated in term s of quality and standard of fibres, y arns, fabric construction, colour fastness, surface designs and the final finished garm ent products. Howev er quality expectations for export are related to the ty pe of custom er segm ents and the retail outlets. There are a num ber of factors on which quality fitness of garm ent industry is based such as perform ance, reliability , durability , v isual and perceiv ed quality of the garm ent. Quality needs to be defined in term s of a particular fram ework of cost. The national regulatory quality certification and international quality Program m es like ISO 9 000 series lay down the broad quality param eters based on which com panies m aintain the export quality in the garm ent and apparel industry . Here som e of m ain fabric properties that are taken into consideration for garm ent m anufacturing for export basis: Ov erall look of the garm ent. Right form ation of the garm ent. Feel and fall of the garm ent. Phy sical properties. Colour fastness of the garm ent. Finishing properties Presentation of the final produced garm ent. There are certain quality related problem s in garm ent m anufacturing that should not be ov er looked: Sewing defects - Like open seam s, wrong stitching techniques used, sam e colour garm ent, but usage of different colour threads on the garm ent, m iss out of stitches in between, creasing of the garm ent, erroneous thread tension and raw edges are som e sewing defects that could occur so should be taken care of. Colour effects - Colour defects that could occur are difference of the colour of final produced garm ent to the sam ple shown, accessories used are of wrong colour com bination and m ism atching of dy e am ongst the pieces. Sizing defects - Wrong gradation of sizes, difference in m easurem ent of a garm ent part from other, for exam ple- sleev es of XL size but body of L size. Such defects do not occur has to be seen too. Garment defects - During m anufacturing process defects could occur like faulty zippers, irregular hem m ing, loose buttons, raw edges, im proper button holes, unev en parts, inappropriate trim m ing, and difference in fabric colours. Various defects in garments: v v v v v v v v v v v v v Broken buttons Broken snaps Broken stitching Defectiv e snaps Different shades within the sam e garm ent Dropped stitches Exposed notches Exposed raw edges Fabric defects Holes Inoperativ e zipper Loose / hanging sewing threads Misaligned buttons and holes
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v v v v v v v

Missing buttons Needle cuts / chews Open seam s Pulled / loose y arn Stain Unfinished buttonhole Zipper too short

Garm ent defects, classified according to the v arious m anufacturing stages are: Pattern defects in garment: Som e parts of pattern are m issing, probably because the m arker did not include the correct num ber of parts. Mixed parts, probably because the m arker is not correctly labeled, resulting in a m arriage of wrong sized parts. Patterns not facing in correct direction on napped fabrics. Not all patterns facing in sam e direction (either way ) on a one-way fabric. Patterns not aligned with respect to the fabric grain. Poor line definition (e.g. too thick chalk; indistinctly printed line, perforated lay not powdered) leading to inaccurate cutting. Skim py m arking, caused by either the m arker did not use the outside edge of the pattern; or the pattern was m ov ed or swung after partial m arking to squeeze the pattern into a sm aller space for econom izing the fabric. Marking back from m iniature m arkers also can cause trouble unless the m iniature m arker m aking is in the hands of experienced operators. Alternativ ely the full size pattern m ay be hav ing worn out edges. Generous m arking, especially in com bination with skim py m arking results in com ponents being sewn together with puckering and pleating. When the m arker is too wide, the garm ent parts at the edges of the lay get cut with bits m issing. Not enough knife clearance freedom . Wrong check m atching, i.e. lines across the seam are not m atching. Wrong check boxing, i.e. checks are not showing a full or partial box across the seam . Notches and drill m arks om itted, indistinct or m isplaced. Spreading defects in garment: Not enough plies to cov er quantity of garm ents required. Plies m isaligned, resulting in garm ent parts getting cut with bits m issing in som e plies at the edge of the spread. Narrow fabric, causes garm ent parts at the edge of the lay getting cut with bits m issing. Incorrect tension of plies, i.e. fabric spread too tight or too loose. This will result in parts not fitting in sewing, and finished garm ents not m eeting size tolerances. Not all plies facing in correct direction (whether 'one way ' as with nap, or 'one way either way ' as with som e check designs). This happens when fabric is not spread face down, face up, or face to face as required. Unacceptable dam ages in the garm ent parts. Parts not fully included owing to splicing errors. Spread distorted by the attraction or repulsion of plies caused by excessiv e static electricity . Plies are not spread accurately one abov e another for cutting. This results in m ism atching checks. Cutting defects in garment: Failure to follow the m arker lines resulting in distorted garm ent parts. Top and bottom plies can be a different size if the straight knife is allowed to lean, or if a round knife is used on too high a spread. Notches, which are m isplaced, too deep, too shallow, angled, om itted, or wrong ty pe to suit fabric .Drill m arks, which are m isplaced, wrong drill to suit fabric, om itted, not perpendicular through the spread. Fray ed edges, scorched or fused edges, caused by a faulty knife, not sharp enough, or rotating at too high a speed. Knife cut. Garm ent part dam aged by careless use of knife, perhaps ov errunning cutting prev ious piece. Marker incorrectly positioned on top of spread. Garm ent parts hav e bits m issing at edge of lay . If too tight or too loose then garm ent parts are distorted. Slits opened inaccurately or om itted. Garment Twist A rotation, usually lateral, between different panels of a garm ent resulting from the release of latent stresses during laundering of the wov en or knitted fabric form ing the garm ent. Twist m ay also be referred to as Torque or Spirality . Identification of knitted fabric defects:
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It is v ery natural that in the course of knitting fabrics, im perfections occur. The im perfections m ay be the result of faulty y arn, knitting m achine m alfunction or im proper finishing. The defects in knitting construction are considered in term s of appearance and nature.

Various Types of Defects in Knitted Fabrics

Bands and Streaks There are different kinds of bands and streaks that m ay occur in knitting. Som e of the popular defects are as follows: v Barrie Effect: A Barrie effect has the appearance of a stripe with shaded edges. It is horizontal in weft knits and v ertical in warp knits. The barrie effect is caused by v arious factors like: Lack of uniform ity in y arn size, color or luster. Mush tension on the y arns during knitting one section of the fabric. Unev en shrinkage or other finishing defects. v Bowing: A line or a design m ay curv e across the fabric. This bowing is the distortion caused by faulty take-up m echanism on the knitting m achine. v Streak or Stop Mark: A straight horizontal streak or stop m ark in the knitted fabric is due to the difference in tension in the y arns caused by the m achine being stopped and then restarted. v Skewing: Skewing effect is seen as a line or design running at a slight angle across the cloth. v Needle Lines : Needle lines or v ertical lines are due to a wale that is either tighter or looser than the adjacent ones. This is caused by needle m ov em ent due to a tight fit in its slot or a defectiv e sinker. Stitch Defects There are v arious kinds of stitch defects like: v Boardy: The knitted fabric becom es boardy (a stiff or harsh hand) when the stitches hav e been knit v ery tightly . v Cockled or puckered: If the knitted fabric is cockled or puckered, it is due to unev en stitches or unev en y arn size. v Dropped Stitch: This is an un knitted stitch caused either by the y arn carrier not hav ing been set properly or the stitch hav ing been knitted too loosely . v Run or ladder: A run or ladder indicates a row of dropped stitches in the wale. v Hole: A large hole or a press off is the result of a broken y arn at a specific needle feed so that knitting cannot occur. v Tucking: This is the result of an unintentional tucking in the knitted fabric. This is also called the bird's ey e defect. v Float: This is caused by a m iss stitch which is the result of failure of one or m ore needles to hav e been
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raised to catch the y arn.

Common Denim Seam Quality Defects Broken Stitches - Needle Cutting: Where the thread is being broken where one seam crosses another seam (ex: bar tacks on top of waistband stitching, seat seam on top of riser seam ) resulting in stitch failure.

Minimizing broken stitches due to Needle Cutting v Use a higher perform ance Perm a Core or D-Core thread. v Use a larger diam eter thread on operations where the thread is being cut. v Make sure the proper stitch balance is being used. On a chain stitch seam on denim , y ou norm ally would like to m aintain a 6 0%/4 0% relationship of Needle thread to looper thread in the Seam . v Use needles with the correct needle point. v Change the needles at regular interv als on operations where the Needle Cuts are occurring frequently . Broken Stitches: Where thread on the stitch line is broken during stone-washing, sand blasting, hand sanding, etc. Broken stitches m ust be repaired by re stitching ov er the top of the stitch-line.

Minimizing broken Stitches due to abrasion v Use a higher perform ance Perm a Core or D-Core thread; v Use a larger diam eter thread on operations where excessiv e abrasion is occurring v Make sure stitches are balance properly , v Use a Magic air entangled thread in the Looper due to its lower seam profile m aking it less susceptible to abrasion v Monitor the Finishing Cy cle for com pliance to specs. Broken Stitches by Chemical Degradation Where thread is being com prom ised by the chem icals used during laundering resulting in loss or change of color and seam failure.

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Minimizing broken stitches due to Chemical Degradation: v Use a higher perform ance Perm a Core NWT that has greater resistance to chem ical degradation. v It is recom m ended to go to larger thread sizes when the Denim Garm ents will be subject to Harsh Chem ical washes. v To achiev e the best laundering results m ake sure that the water tem peratures and PH Lev els are correct and that the proper am ounts and sequence of chem ical dispersion are within guidelines.

v v

Make sure the garm ents are being rinsed properly to neutralize the chem icals in the fabric. Monitor the dry ing process, cy cle tim es, and tem peratures to m ake sure they are correct so that the best possible garm ent quality can be achiev ed.

Unraveling Seams: Generally occurs on 4 01 chain stitch seam s where either the stitch has been broken or a skipped stitch has occurred. This will cause seam failure unless the seam is Re stitched.

Minimizing unraveled Stitches: v Use a high perform ance Perm a Core or D-Core thread that will m inim ize broken stitches and skipped stitches; v Insure proper m achine m aintenance and sewing m achine adjustm ents; v Observ e sewing operators for correct m aterial handling techniques. Restitched Seams Where there is a "splice" on the stitch line. If this occurs on Topstitching, then the seam does not appear to be 1 st quality m erchandise. Caused by : 1 . Thread breaks or thread run-out during sewing; or 2 . Cut or broken stitches during a subsequent treatm ent of the finished product (I.e., stone washing).

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Minimizing Restitched Seams: v Use a better quality sewing thread. This m ay include going to a higher perform ance thread designed to m inim ize sewing interruptions. v Insure proper m achine m aintenance and sewing m achine adjustm ents; v Make sure sewing m achines are properly m aintained and adjusted for the fabric and sewing operation v Observ e sewing operators for correct m aterial handling techniques. Sagging or Rolling Pockets: Where the pocket does not lay flat and rolls ov er after laundering.

Minimizing Sagging or rolling front & back Pockets: v Make sure the sewing operators are not holding back excessiv ely when setting the front pocket. v Make sure the hem is form ed properly and that excessiv e fabric is not being being put into the folder that will cause the hem to roll ov er. v Check to m ake sure pocket is cut properly and that pocket curv e is not too deep. v Use a reinforcem ent tape on the inside of the pocket that m ay help prev ent the front panel from stretching along the bias where the front pocket is set. v The ty pe and weight of denim , along with the fabric construction, m ay contribute to this problem . Skipped Stitches: Where the stitch form ing dev ice m isses the needle loop or the needle m isses the looper loop. Skips are usually found where one seam crosses another seam and m ost of the tim e occurs right before or right after the heav y thickness.

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Minimizing Skipped Stitches: v Use core spun thread. v Use m inim um thread tension to get a balanced stitch. v Use the ideal foot, feed and plate that help to m inim ize flagging. v Training sewing operators NOT to stop on the thickness. v Make sure the m achine is feeding properly without stalling. v Make sure the m achine is not back feeding.

Ragged / Inconsistent Edge Where the edge of the seam is either extrem ely "ragged" or "rolls" inside the stitch.

Solutions to Ragged / Inconsistent Edge: v Make sure the sewing m achine kniv es are sharpened and changed often; v The kniv es should be adjusted properly in relationship to the "stitch tongue" on the needle plate to obtain the proper seam width or width bite. Wavy Seams on Stretch Denim: Where the seam does not lay flay and is wav y due to the fabric stretching as it was sewn or during subsequent laundering and handling operations.

Solutions for wavy seams on stretch Garments v Use m inim um presser foot pressure v Instruct sewing operators to use proper handling techniques and not stretch the fabric as they are m aking the seam . v Where, av ailable, use differential feed to com pensate for the stretch of the fabric. Ropy Hem: Where hem is not lay ing flat and is skewed in appearance.

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Solutions for Ropy Hems v Usually caused by poor operator handling. v Instruct the sewing operator to m ake sure they get the hem started correctly in the folder before they start sewing. Also, m ake sure they don't hold back excessiv ely as the seam is being sewn. v Use m inim um roller or presser foot pressure.

Twisted Legs: Is where the side seam twists around to the front of the pant and distorts the appearance of the jeans.

Solutions for Twisted Legs: v Usually caused by poor operator handling. Instruct the sewing operator to m atch the front and back properly so they com e out the sam e length. Som etim es notches are used to insure proper alignm ent. They should NOT trim off the front or back with scissors to m ake them com e out the sam e length v Make sure the cut parts are of equal length com ing to the assem bly operation. v Check fabric quality and cutting for proper skew v Make sure the sewing m achine is adjusted properly for uniform feeding of the top and bottom plies. Disappearing Stitches in Stretch Denim: Is where the thread looks m uch sm aller on seam s sewn in the warp direction than in the weft direction of the fabric.

Solutions to minimizing disappearing stitches on stretch Denim: v Use a heav ier thread size on topstitching. v Go to a longer stitch length (from 8 to 6 spi).
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Make sure the thread tensions are as loose as possible so the thread sits on top of the fabric rather than bury ing in the fabric on seam s sewn in the warp.

Thread discoloration after Laundry It is the thread picks up the indigo dy es from the fabric giv ing the thread a 'dirty ' appearance. A com m on discoloration would be the pick-up of a greenish or turquoise tint.

Solutions to Thread Discoloration v Use thread with proper color fastness characteristics. v Correct PH lev el (too low) and Water Tem perature (too low) during laundry . v Use the proper chem icals & laundry cy cles. v Use Denim col PCC in wash or sim ilar additiv e v Do not ov erload washers with too m any garm ents at one tim e. Poor Colorfastness after Laundry is where the thread does not wash down consistently in the garm ent or changes to a different color altogether.

Solutions to poor Colorfastness after Laundry: v Use thread with proper color fastness characteristics. v Use threads from the sam e thread supplier and do not m ix threads in a garm ent. v Alway s do preproduction testing on denim garm ents using new colors to assure that they will m eet y our requirem ents. v Make sure sewing operators select thread by ty pe and color num ber and do not just pick a thread off the shelf because it looks close in color. Conclusion Quality is ultim ately a question of custom er satisfaction. Good Quality increases the v alue of a product or serv ice, establishes brand nam e, and builds up good reputation for the garm ent exporter, which in turn results into consum er satisfaction, high sales and foreign exchange for the country . The perceiv ed quality of a garm ent is the result of a num ber of aspects, which together help achiev e the desired lev el of satisfaction for the custom er. Therefore quality control in term s of garm ent, pre-sales serv ice, posts sales serv ice, deliv ery , pricing, etc are essentials for any garm ent exporter.
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About the Authors: D. Gopalakrishnan is the faculty in South India Institute of Fashion Technology & Arpita Nay ak is the student of UG Technology Program m e (Apparel Manufacturing & Inform ation Tech.)

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