Process Flow Chart of Banswara Garment Kadaiya Unit-II

Fabric sourcing/receiving

Trims and accessories sourcing

Testing

Planning

Sampling

Sample approval

Marker Making

Cutting

Sewing
 Washing

Pressing

Inspection

Packaging

Dispatch

Fabric Sourcing or Receiving

Fabrics are supplied in roll package. Once these rolls of fabric are delivered the store in-
charge receives the incoming consignment. This is the first phenomenon which is done in
fabric store. Once these rolls are received, the store in-charge matches the packing list of the
fabric consignment with the original quantity of the fabric rolls (i.e. fabric width, fabric
length). He also keeps the all the record in a log book. This inventory maybe done alone by
the store in-charge or with the presence of a representative of the fabric supplier. 

Trims and accessories sourcing

After fabric is received, trims are sourced from the respective department and then after
testing of trims is done.

Testing
At the time of inventory a piece of fabric is cut form every roll. The piece is of full width of
the fabric and of a length depending on buyer (i.e. for H&M 22 inch of length, for others 12
inch of length). These cut piece is send for inspection tests like shrinkage, blanket making for
shade segregation.

Planning
 Production planning is the very important department in garments industry. Production
planning is the controlling aspect of garments industry. It is involves everything & every task
in the process to execution the delivery of goods within time frame. So, production planning
is the controlling of production & manufacturing process determined by time frame. Planning
department plan every style to execution the order within time limit. Without time frame
garment cannot sustain so garment industry must follow every task by scheduling. Each order
has a delivery date & production plan department follow production plan on the base of
delivery date. They know when fabric & trims in-house in factory will. Basically some of
fabric & trims come from Local & internationally .So, they plan both option on the base of
delivery date. A buyer can judgment by shipment percentage & where the vendor current
position? So production planning department follow some of the important tasks in the
following.
1. Capacity planning.
2. Time & Action (TNA)
3. Scheduling.
4. PP meeting.
5. Order Allocation.
6. Man power & M/C allocation.
7. Execution Of every tasks.
8. Materials planning & In-house follow up.
9. Delivery Meet.

Sampling
Factories develop garment samples and take approvals on the sample from their buyers.
Without sample approval, the factory is not allowed starting the bulk process. Factories need
to develop various types of samples at various stages of the sample development.

Marker Making
For a particular style of garments, marker is made with a thin paper which is contains all the
components of different sizes.

Cutting
This is the major operation of the cutting room when they spread and cut into garments. Of
all the operations in the cutting room, this is the most decisive, because once the fabric has
been cut, very little can be done to rectify serious defects.

Sewing
Stitching or sewing is done after the cut pieces are bundled according to size, colour and
quantities determined by the sewing room.

Garments are sewn in an assembly line, with the garment becoming complete as it progresses
down the sewing line. Sewing machine operators receive a bundle of cut fabric and
repeatedly sew the same portion of the garment, passing that completed portion to the next
operator.

Washing
Some customers request that a garment be fully laundered after it is sewn and assembled;
therefore, garment factories often have on-site laundry or have subcontract agreements with
off-site laundry operations. Commercial laundry facilities are equipped with at least three
types of machines: washers, spinners, and dryers. Some facilities also have the capability to
perform special treatments, such as stone- or acid-washing.

Pressing
After a garment is fully sewn and assembled, it is transferred to the ironing section of the
facility for final pressing. Each ironing station consists of an iron and an ironing platform.
The irons are similar looking to residential models but have steam supplied by an on-site
boiler. Workers control the steam with foot pedals and the steam is delivered via overhead
hoses directly to the iron. In most facilities, the ironing platforms are equipped with a
ventilation system that draws steam through the ironing table and exhausts it outside the
factory.

Inspection
Final inspection is very important for an export order shipment. Different parts of garments
are inspected in this stage such as garments main fabric, accessories, trims, label, fabric faults
etc. Should be inspected as initial sample.

Packaging
In the last steps of making a product retail-ready, garments are folded, tagged, sized, and
packaged according to customer specifications. Also, garments may be placed in protective
plastic bags, either manually or using an automated system, to ensure that the material stays
clean and pressed during shipping. Lastly, garments are placed in cardboard boxes and
shipped to client distribution centers to eventually be sold in retail stores.

Dispatch
After packaging garments are despatch at the delivery date.
 Process Flow of Store House

Received order sheet from mill against the PO

Fabric received from mill

Store Fabric in Quarantine area

Take Swatches of every shades Give swatches to PPD &

QA

Quality control Report to PPD & QA

Send the fabric swatches for fabric testing

Check available fabric in store Inform to PPD

Issue to cutting dpt.

Check extra fabric quantity Send back to mill

 Fabric Store House 
Based on the fabric consumption, total fabric requirement is generated for an order and the
same is sourced from the pre-approved fabric supplier. The fabrics are in-house in the
factory.
The fabric required to check 100% of other seller or can be 10% only in case of fabric
sourced from own mill. For an example, 4 Point System is used by the factories for fabric
inspection.
Some fabric tests like fabric GSM, fabric shrinkage and colour bleeding in washing are done
by the factory. If the fabric shrinkage is more than the allowance, fabrics are pre-shrunk for
bulk cutting. Sometimes patterns are modified according to the fabric shrinkage.
It is a common fact that when fabrics are sourced in bulk, the fabrics are processed in
different lots (batches) depending on dyeing machine capacity. So, there are chances of
having shade variation of fabrics of same colours. To avoid shade variation in garments shade
band is prepared by the factory.

To use 4 point system following things should be known:

1. Fabric inspection method or preparation

2. Criteria of giving penalty points based on defects and defect length.   
3. Calculation method of total penalty points for total defects found in a fabric roll.
4. A Check sheet or format for recording data
5. Knowledge of different types of defects (how a defect looks and its appearance)

Criteria for giving penalty points

In the following table the penalty evaluation points has been given for different length of
fabric defect and dimension of holes.

Table
Penalty Points
Size of Defect
Length of defects in fabric (either length or width)
Defects up to 3 inches 1
Defects > 3 inches < 6 inches 2
Defects > 6 inches < 9 inches 3
Defects > 9 inches 4
Holes and openings(largest dimension)
1 inch or less 2
Over 1 inch 4
Calculation of total points per yards
In 4 point system fabric quality is evaluated by unit points/100 yds.  
Points / 100 yd. = Total penalty points x 100
Length of fabric inspected in mtr

Normally fabric roll containing 24 points per 100 square yard are acceptable.

Process Flow of Trims Department

Material request from merchandiser

Store(check inventory) Make PO

Issue to the respective dpt, Send to purchase dpt.

Check inventory level Make inquiry to different parties

Terminate Send to respective department for approval

Make PO

Send to party

Party sends materials

 GRN made by store

GRN bill, PO, EGP given to account

Materials sent to store

Sourcing for trims and accessories:  Similar to fabric sourcing all required trims and
accessories are purchased. Trims and accessories are sourced in advanced to production start.
Quality of the trims are inspected and approved for production. Trims like laces, twill tapes,
button, zippers, and draw cords are tested for color bleeding. Defective and damaged trims
are separated and are not used in garments.

Planning
Planning is the very important department in garments industry. Production planning is the
controlling aspect of garments industry. It is involves everything & every task in the process
to execution the delivery of goods within time frame. So, production planning is the
controlling of production & manufacturing process determined by time frame. Planning
department plan every style to execution the order within time limit. Without time frame
garment cannot sustain so garment industry must follow every task by scheduling. Each order
has a delivery date & production plan department follow production plan on the base of
delivery date. They know when fabric & trims in-house in factory will. Basically some of
fabric & trims come from Local & internationally .So, they plan both option on the base of
delivery date. A buyer can judgment by shipment percentage & where the vendor current
position? So production planning department must follow some of the important tasks in the
following.
1. Capacity planning.
2. Time & Action (TNA)
3. Scheduling.
4. PP meeting.
5. Order Allocation.
6. Man power & M/C allocation.
7. Execution Of every tasks.
8. Materials planning & In-house follow up.
9. Delivery Meet.
 

Capacity planning:
Production planning department make production capacity of a factory because capacity
determined need order or not. If order capacity is full whole the year then does not take over
capacity order because it is needed over cost to make extra capacity order. On the other hand,
if capacity order is not full then take more order to fill the capacity otherwise factory will be
loser by financing. Production planning department must be inform forecast capacity order to
merchandisers & management so they can inform to buyer for order.

Time & Action:

Planning department follow every style as per schedule. Every order has own time frame &
meet delivery time. Every style follows product development to shipment. It is job task for
planning department otherwise they cannot meet delivery as per plan schedule. Planning
department take action very styles follow up within time & Action calendar.
 

Scheduling: 
Production planning department take decision when a style input into line. On the schedule
they cheek fabric & trims with store department & Merchandising department. If get on time
in-house every items they can input into line. On the other hand if not get fabric & trims on
time they can change line plan to reduce the cost.
 

PP Meeting: 
Production planning department cheek particular style fabric & trims status with store &
merchandising department. If every items & approval is done then they co-operation with all
related department like as Merchandising, Production, store, cutting, Finishing, quality &
buyer representative to make clear understanding for particular style for production. Before
PP meeting they can cheek all approval, production file, trim card & ready size set.
 

Order allocation:
Planning department does line allocation for every style. When got any order from buyer
they must allocation line plan. Without line plan an order cannot smoothly run for production.
So order allocation is very important for planning department.
 

Man power & M/C allocation:

Production planning department take decision how many operators need for particular style
to output. They can take decision line layout for a particular style. And also take decision
how many machine need to operate the line. Then they can take effective decision for
productivity for particular style.

 Execution of tasks:
Planning department must be execution every task for effective planning. Without effective
execution it cannot smoothly production. So they must execution every style planning order
placement to shipment.
 Materials planning & In-house:
Planning department must follow up the fabric & trims follow up with store & merchandising
department so they can pre-plan to effective line planning date.
 

Delivery Date: 
Production planning department follow delivery date of a garments. If not maintain the
garments delivery on time it will be loser planning & fall down of a company. So, every style
maintain meet the garments delivery. So, they can take effective decision for garments
delivery.

Sampling
After the confirmation of order, each sample sent to the buyer has the following details
attached to it, with the help of a tag. It contains the details pertaining to both, what the buyer
has demanded and what supplement fabric/trim etc they have used (if applicable).

 Ref no.
 Color
 Fabric
 Composition
 Description
 Quantity
 Style n0/ Size
 Store

 Sampling Process Flow Chart:

1. Tech Pack Receiving: This is the first stage of the sampling processes. In this stage
Tech Pack from the buyer, via merchandiser. Tech pack contains all the specifications of the
product. 

2. CAD & Pattern Making: In this stage pattern is made through CAD. Sometimes
pattern is made manually, but CAD is more popular and easy, Computer-aided design (CAD)
is the use of computer Technology for the design of objects, real or virtual. The design of
geometric models for object shapes, in particular, is often called computer-aided geometric
design (CAGD). As in the manual drafting of Technical and engineering drawings, the output
of CAD often must convey also symbolic information such as materials, processes,
dimensions, and tolerances, according to application-specific conventions. CAD may be used
to design curves and figures in two-dimensional space; or curves, surfaces, or solids in three-
dimensional ("3D") objects. Banswara Garments uses Optitex CAD software for pattern
making.

Sampling Process
The process of sample department varies from context to context, and the development
process covers a wide range of diverse products from new fibers, fiber blends, new yarns,
fabric structures, finishes and surface effects and all types of made up products such as
knitwear, hosiery, cut and sewn garments, household products, technical and medical
products.
There are different phases of sampling; the first phase covers the development of the initial
concept or design idea through its approval by the customer and full review/risk analysis by
the development and production teams.

The second phase covers the process following acceptance of the first prototype sample and
includes the functions of sourcing and ordering component, testing the product and carry out
trails once the finalized sample specifications have been drawn up, the third and final phase
commences. The phase includes a range of activities that are carried out before large scale or
bulk production capacity outside the home producer/developers wherever this is applicable.

Development samples or inquiry samples

When we work with some buyers continuously, we will have to keep on sending samples to
them very often. Whenever they have inquiries, the buyer may need samples. Buyers may
like to see the garments in a new fabric. For one inquiry, they may need samples in different
fabrics to choose from. If they want to develop a new style of new fabric, then also we will
have to send these samples.

We may have to spend too much on these samples. But these samples are inevitably
important to develop business. Sometimes, even the buyer is not so confident of some
inquiries, if our samples are good and attractive at reasonable prices, they will bring orders to
us.

Also, we will have to send samples to the newly contacted buyers to show our workmanship,
product range, quality standards and price level. These samples should be sent so that they
would attract the buyers.

So it is better for a company to have a separate sampling department so that they can create
new styles in new fabrics to impress the buyers.

Salesmen samples or promotional samples

Some buyer needs these samples for getting the orders from their customers. If the buyer is
having 7 salesmen in his office, then the buyer will ask us to make 7 samples in each style.
The salesmen will book the orders from their customers, by showing these samples. Buyer
will place the order to us accumulating the quantities.

If we have sent samples for 5 styles, sometimes, we may get orders for all 5 styles, 3 styles or
1 style. Sometimes, we may not get an order for even a single style. Expected sales may not
be possible, due to poor quality, unsuitable colors, improper measurements, unmatched prints
or embroidery, etc of salesmen samples. Or it may be due to local business recession or
competition or unsuitable prices. Anyway, we have to make these salesmen samples perfectly
with a sincere interest to get orders.

We might have spent more money, time, etc for making these samples. But as we don’t get
orders, we can not blame the buyer. He too can not help us in this regard. To avoid this
embarrassing situation, it is better to discuss the cost of these samples with the buyer before
proceeding for sampling.

Normally the sampling will cost us approximately 3 to 5 times of the garment price. We can
not expect to get the full cost from the buyer. Of course, these samples will help us for our
business. Hence we can ask the buyer to accept 2 or 3 times of garment price as the sampling
cost, for the styles which we don’t get orders. Some genuine buyers will agree to this.

Photo samples or fit samples

These samples are to be made after getting the order sheets. These samples are needed to
check the measurements, style, and fit. So they can be made in available similar fabrics but in
the actual measurements and specifications.

Some buyers may need these samples if they want to print the photos of garments on photo
inlays, packing box, hang tag, etc. These samples may be needed for local advertisement or
buyer’s promotional occasions.

In any case, the samples will be worn by the highly paid models. The buyers will arrange the
photo shoot session, by spending huge money to the advertising agencies. So the buyers will
need these samples strictly on time. If they don’t get samples on time, the buyers will have to
pay more compensation to the advertising agencies and models.

Buyers will ask us to make the photo samples according to the intended model’s body fit. So
it is important to strictly adhere to these measurements. Buyer may ask these samples to send
either from production or before starting production.

Counter samples or reference samples or approval samples

These samples are to be made in actual fabrics with actual trims. If the order is for 3 colors,
the buyer may need samples in any one color and swatches (fabric bits) in other colors. These
samples should be strictly as per the specifications in the order sheets. We have to get the
approval for these samples from the buyer before starting production.

After getting the approval, the approved samples should be followed in production.
Sometimes, the buyer may comment on fabric, measurements, making, etc. We have to
follow his comments carefully in production.

Some buyer will mention that the order sheets subject to the approval of counter samples. So
these samples are very important.

Pre-production samples
These samples are almost like approval samples. They have to be made in actual production
fabric with actual bulk trims. They will represent that the production will be like these
samples.

Shipment samples
These samples are to be sent after shipment. They should be sent in actual packing with all
labels, tags, etc. (Generally these samples will not be tested by the buyer for anything. And
even if we get some comments from buyers, we can save ourselves by saying that these
samples were sent from the leftover garments after the shipment; hence there might be some
mistakes. If we expect any comments in these samples, it is better to inform the buyer during
sending these samples).
Marker Making For manual marker making, cutter use paper pattern for marking and use
chalk to mark outlines of the patterns. After marking the outlines on the lay, patterns are
removed and the cutter follows the outline to cut the garment parts.

Component numbering on the marker: Normally in a marker, more than one

garment is cut and garment may be of different sizes. To avoid mixing of different garment
sizes during bundling and sorting, the size is marked on the top layer after manual marking.
For automatic cutting or paper printed marker, this marking is not required, as all patterns are
already come with style and size marking.

Computer Aided Design

CAD is the contraction which stands for Computer Aided Design. This term means different
things to different people involved in designing, manufacturing and mechanical engineering.
CAD or Computer Aided Design has brought a revolution in the Textile industry, specially
in apparel industry. The time consuming and cumbersome process of textile designing has
been made easier by CAD. Now thoughtful and innovative designs are available to the textile
designers and textile manufacturers at the click of a mouse.

Procedure of CAD Section:

 In CAD section at first the pattern put on the digitizer to take clear image of the
pattern part in side the CPU. 
 After making all required size patterns using the “Diamino” software pattern parts are
aligned in the mini marker. Then it is sent to CPU of CAM section for approval and
checking the length & width of marker and pattern parts alignment. 
 After getting approval from CAM section then printer is used to print out the whole
real marker then this marker as well as mini marker are provided to the CAM section for
cutting the fabric.

Fabric Spreading:
Fabric spreading is a method where piles of fabric are spread a specific length and width wise
according to the garment marker measurement. A proper fabric spreading process in
garments may effect on productivity, quality, and cost of the production. Fabric spreading is
very important task to maintain proper shape of fabric before cutting of garments. Now I
would like to discuss about the process of fabric spreading in the apparel industry.

First the fabric rolls are opened and spread on a cutting table layer by layer. This process is
done by hand or by using an automatic spreading machine. The length of the layer is decided
based on the marker size and marker length. Multiple numbers of fabric layers are spread on
the table and all the fabric layers are cut together. Depending on the fabric thickness number
of plies in a lay is decided. Normally the height of the lay is kept according to the cutting
blade.

There are two methods applied in garment industry for fabric spreading process. They are
manual method and mechanical method. The manual method is totally hand spreading
method therefore this process is quite slow. On the other hands, mechanical method is two
types. They are semi-automatic and full automatic. Before fabric spreading few perpetration
is essential both manual and mechanical methods. For smooth and proper spreading process
in garments below factors must be considered during fabric spreading-

1. Fabric Length and Width:

During fabric spreading length and width should equal to marker length and width.
This measurement must be uniform before fabric cutting. Otherwise fabric wastage may be
increased or defective garment component may be produced.

2. Fabric Tension:
The tension in fabric lay should be uniform. If the tension is higher then the smaller size of
component may be produced than the actual size. On the other hand, if the fabric lay be loose
then it may create problem during fabric cutting and lager size of component may be
produced than the actual size.

3. Fabric Splicing:
Another important factor of fabric spreading is fabric splicing. Splicing should be accurate
during fabric spreading. Excess splicing may increase faulty area and short splicing may
produce faulty component. The lay of the fabric should be maintained according to the fabric
construction and splicing methods.
4. Static Electricity:
Generally man-made fibres are may increase the charge of electricity, which is the main
reason for producing static electricity in the fabric spreading process. Static electricity should
be removed by earthing or using special oil between two layers of fabric.

5. Fabric Ply Direction:

The direction of fabric ply should be corrected. Fabric ply direction depends on the type of
fabric, Shape of the pattern and construction of fabric. Therefore, ply direction must be
checked before laying the ply on cutting table. Otherwise, they may create problem during
the sewing section in garments.

6. Ply Number:
Ply number is another important factor for fabric spreading. Ply number should be counted
during fabric spreading. The higher ply number may increase vibration between cutting knife
and fabric layer and low number of ply may reduce the fabric spreading productivity.

7. Stripe and Check Matching:

Stripe and check should be matched with every ply of fabric. Therefore stripe and check
matching are done very carefully during fabric spreading process in garments. Otherwise that
will be created problem during the sewing section in garments.

8. Fabric Faults removing:

There are different types of fabric faults are found in fabric inspection section. They are such
as hole, missing end, broken end, thick end, Reedy fabric, broken pattern, double pick, slub,
snarl, thick and thin places, temple marks etc. Before fabric spreading those faults must be
identified and also remove from fabric.

Spreading

The manual spreading process for the production in Banswara. Manual spreading is used for
all kind of fabrics, including those with complex structures and intricate patterns. In large
scale production, manual cutting is often used for working with intricately patterned fabrics.
The cost of technical equipment is low compared with automated spreading, but the
productivity is poor.
During manual spreading two workers move the fabric plies over the spreading table,
ensuring the correct placement of each ply. As they do so, they look for faults in the fabric
and make the decision to leave them or cut them out. They also count the plies required and
cut the fabric at the end of the spread. If the fabric has an intricate pattern, they ensure the
pattern matches in all the fabric plies in the spread. 
Spreading speed and quality is dependent on the properties of a fabric and the skills and
experience of the workers. There is no need for special equipment in manual spreading. All
kinds of fabric may be laid but the process is both highly skilled and time consuming.
 
Characteristics 

The spreading process is carried out on a spreading table with a smooth surface. The fabric
feeder is fixed on a rod (at the end of the spreading table). A lay end cutter is used to cut the
laid fabric plies, it is fixed on the spreading table adjacent to the fabric feeder. The fabric roll
is fixed on a feeder axis before the spreading process is started. According to the spreading
mode to be performed, the fabric roll is fixed with its face side up or down. The spreading
process is performed in sequential steps. 
These are: 

 Marking the spread data;

 Spreading the fabric plies;
 Fixing a marker on top of the spread.
Marking
The marker, which is printed on paper, is placed on the top ply of the lay. It is fixed in the required
position and the following spread data are marked on the both sides of the table: the beginning and
end of a spread, splice marks (places in the spread where the fabric may be cut and laid double to deal
with flaws without damaging the cut components) and size change places (marks used in
performing). 
Spreading: 

At the beginning of the spreading process, an underlay paper ply is laid on the table to ensure easy
transfer of the spread along the table during the cutting process. The fabric spreading process is
carried out by one/two workers at each side of the spreading table who move the fabric ply to the
beginning of a spread. The end of the fabric ply is placed precisely at the beginning of the spread and
secured. Returning to the initial position (the place where the fabric roll is fixed) one worker aligns
the laid down fabric ply with the edge of the table and the previously spread fabric plies with a
permitted variant of +/-0.5 cm. The second worker smoothes the surface of the ply, ensures an even
tension in the fabric and prevents creases or folds appearing during the spreading process. The
spreading process is repeated until the desired number of fabric plies are laid down. 

The optimal length of a manually performed spread is 4-7 m. Short markers may be joined and laid as
one spread, forming either a traditional or a step spread. The number of fabric plies in a spread
depends on the size of the order, the fabric properties (thickness, slickness, friction between the fabric
and a cutting device, etc.) and the technical limits of the manual cutting machines (the stroke size,
shape of the blade, etc.). Narrow tubular fabrics and interlinings are spreaded by a single worker. 
 
A marker printed on a paper is placed on the top of a prepared spread. Clamps are placed around the
edges of the spread to hold it in position. If the marker is printed on the paper with glue on its reverse
side, it is lightly fixed to the top ply of the spread by using a special large base iron. 
Disadvantage 

The spreading speed and quality is largely dependent on the skills and experience of the workers
performing the process. Spreading operators have a heavy load during the working day and fatigue
may influence both spreading speed and quality. Two operators are involved in manual spreading
process. 

Equipments

The equipment used in the manual spreading process is simple and comparatively cheap. The main
component is a spreading table. Special lay end cutters may be used to increase the productivity of the
process. Several other small auxiliary instruments, such as large base irons, pins and clamps may be
used. 

Spreading Modes
A spreading mode is the manner in which fabric plies are laid out for cutting. The spreading mode is
determined by the fabric characteristics, quality standards of the firm, and available equipment. Two
fabric characteristics that determine the spreading mode are the direction of fabric and the direction of
the fabric nap.

Direction of Fabric Nap:

A second consideration in selecting the spreading mode relates to the direction of the fabric
nap. Placement of the nap may be 
Nap-one-way (N/O/W)
Nap-up-and-down (N/U/D)
Asymmetric and directional fabrics must have the nap running the same direction, nap-one-
way (N/O/W). This spreading mode is the most time-consuming to lay-up but it generally
produces the best quality. N/O/W fabrics may be spread F/F and F/O/W. If napped fabrics are
to be positioned F/F the fabric needs to be cut and the roll turned at the end of each ply so the
nap will lay in the same direction on facing plies. This is suitable for directional fabrics and
to pair garment parts for the sewing operation. This is sometimes referred to as pair
spreading. Symmetric, no directional fabrics allow flexibility for spreading. These fabrics can
be spread with the nap running both up and down the spread. This spreading mode is called
nap-up-and-down (N/U/D). This type of fabric may be spread face-to-face or face-one-way
with the nap running up and down.
Direction of Fabric Face:
The fabric face may be positioned in two ways: 
Face-to-face (F/F) or with all plies facing-one-way (F/O/W)
Face up or face down.
Face-to-face (F/F) spreading may be continuous as the spreader moves up and down the
table. This is the fastest method of spreading, the least costly, and generally results in the
lowest quality. With this method of spreading the face is up on one ply and down on the next
ply as the spreader goes back and forth. Often symmetrical, non-directional fabrics are spread
continuously, which places alternate plies face-to-face or back-to-back. Quality is affected
because the operator is only able to monitor the face of fabric half the time.
F/O/W spreads, face up or down, are more time-consuming and expensive because fabric
must be cut at each end of the spread and the new end repositioned. If a rotating turntable is
used to turn the fabric roll 180 degrees at the end of each ply, the fabric can be spread from
both ends of the table without a wasted trip. F/O/W spreading may be done with the fabric
face up or face down. When the fabric faces up, the operator is able to monitor the face for
flaws and imperfections as the fabric is being unrolled. This is particularly helpful when
spreading prints. Pile fabrics, corduroy and velvet, are often spread face down, other high-
quality fabrics are spread face up.

Cutting:
This is the major operation of the cutting room when they spread and cut into garments. Of
all the operations in the cutting room, this is the most decisive, because once the fabric has
been cut, very little can be done to rectify serious defects.

A first planning consideration is whether the totals arrived at in the cutting room are the same
as those required to maintain full production in the sewing room and subsequently the
planned delivery schedule. Any cloth problems created in the cutting room can affect the
output in the sewing room. Assuming all components of fabric, design, and trims are
acceptable and correctly planned and cut, the next stage is to extend the cutting room
programme to the sewing room.

Requirements of Fabric Cutting:

The objective of cutting is to separate fabric parts as replicas of the pieces in the marker plan.
To achieve this objective, certain requirements must be fulfilled:
 Precision of cut
 Clean edges
 Infused edges
 Support of the lay
 Consistent cutting
 Methods of Fabric Cutting: 
 During cutting, separate garment components are cut out from the fabric spreading in
accordance with their shape and number determined by the marker. Fabric cutting is
completed by different types of fabric cutting machines. In most of the cutting methods, a
sharp blade is pressed against the fibers of the fabric to separate them. The cutting knife has
to present a very thin edge to the fibers, to shear the fibers without exerting a force that will
deform the fabric. The act of cutting desharpens the blade, which should be sharpened
frequently.
 Mannual 

1. Hand shears – Hand shears are commonly utilised for cutting single or double
fabric plies. The lower blade passes under the plies; however, the consequent
distortion of the fabric is temporary and accurate cutting to the line can be attained
only with practice. The major drawback in this method is that it is a time intensive
one and incurs a higher labour cost per garment.

Semi-automatic 

Portable power knives are normally moved manually through a lay by means of an operator. Two
main kinds of power knives are vertical straight knives and round knives. Construction-wise, both the
knives have a base plate, power system, handle, cutting blade, sharpening device and blade guard. The
round knives operate with a single force as the circular blade makes contact with the fabric, but the
vertical knives cut with an up-and-down action. A straight blade will always maintain a perpendicular
contact with the lay (90°) so that all the fabric plies in a spread could be cut at the same time.
However, this will not be the case for a rotary knife blade as it contacts the spread at a certain angle.
In both cases, the fabric that has to be cut is kept stationary and the knife blade fixed on the machine
is moved by an operator to cut the fabric.

Elements
 Knife blades – Knife blades have a major influence on the quality of the cut. The
performance of the knife blades are influenced by factors such as the blade edge, surface
texture of the blade, fineness of the blade edge and blade composition. Blade edges may
be straight with a flat surface, saw-toothed, serrated or wavy surface. Straight edge
blades are used for general-purpose, serrated blades to reduce heat generation during
cutting, wavy edges for cutting plastics and vinyl, and saw-type blades for cutting
canvas.
Base plate – It supports and balances the equipment. It guides the knife along the cutting
table and raises the spread off the table for contact with the blade. It is normally
supported by bearing rollers at the bottom to facilitate easy movement of the base plate.
Power system – The power required to cut a lay depends on the lay height and fabric
weight (grams per square metre, GSM). The motor horsepower determines the cutting
power of the blade; higher horsepower increases machine power as well as the motor
weight.
Sharpening devices – Blades become blunt very quickly while cutting higher spread
height or heavy weight fabrics which leads to frayed or fused edges. Sharpening devices
such as emery wheels, abrasive belt sharpeners or stone could be used on the machine.
Handle – It is used to guide and impel the knife through the spread. The operator
stabilises the fabric plies on the other hand, which is ahead of the knife to prevent
bunching of the fabric.

Straight knife fabric cutting machine:

This is the most frequently used equipment for cutting garments in bulk. It comprises a base plate,
vertically moving blade, an upright, a motor for providing the power for cutting the fabric plies, a
handle for the cutter to direct the blade, and a sharpening device. 

Typically, the height of the knife blade varies from 10 to 33 cm and strokes vary from 2.5 to 4.5 cm.
The straight knife is versatile, portable, cheaper than a band knife, more accurate on curves than a
round knife, and relatively reliable and easy to maintain. In a few cases, a straight knife system is used
as the preliminary process to cut the lay and then a band knife is used for accurate cutting as the final
process.

Band knife cutting machine:

It is normally engaged for accurate cutting of garment components. It consists of an electrically
powered motor and a constantly rotating steel blade mounted over it . In this cutting system, the knife
is stationary which moves through a small slot provided in the table and the fabric has to be moved
manually to the blade area for accurate cutting.

 Computer controlled knife cutting: 

This method gives the most precise and accurate cutting at high speed. The complete setup of
a computerised cutting system is shown in Figure-3. A characteristic computerised cutting
system has nylon bristles at the top of the cutting table to support the fabric lay, which is
flexible enough to allow penetration and movement of the blade through it. It also allows
passage of air through the table to produce a vacuum for decreasing the lay height. The
frame/carriage supporting the cutting head has two synchronised servo-motors, which drive it
on tracks on the edges of the table. A third servo-motor keeps the cutting head at an accurate
position on a beam through the width of the carriage. The cutting head includes a knife,
sharpener and a servo-motor to rotate the knife to position it at a tangent to the line of the cut
on curves. An airtight polyethylene sheet could be spread over the top of the lay to facilitate
vacuum creation in the lay to reduce the lay height. A control cabinet houses the computer
and the electrical components required to drive the cutter, its carriage and the vacuum motor. 

An operator spreads the fabric lay on a conventional cutting table or cutting table equipped with air
flotation or conveyorised cutting table. Perforated paper is spread below the bottom fabric ply to
support it during cutting as well to avoid distortion during moving to the cutting table. After loading
the disc having the marker plan into the computer, the operator positions the cutting head’s origin
light over the corner of the spread (reference point). A motorised drill at the back of the cutting head
provides drill holes as required and facilities are available to cut the notches as well. The maximum
height is usually 7.5 cm when compressed, with the height before compression.

As the computerised cutting system works on the predetermined instructions from the computer/disc,
markers are not compulsory for this type of system. However, to identify the cut garment panels for
sorting and bundling, labelling of garment components that are to be cut is required.  

Lay Cutting: After marker making, the lay is cut by using a cutting machine. For a
single ply and a small number of plies, hand scissors are used.

Ply numbering: Ply numbering is done to all the garment components. This

process is included to avoid color variation in the garment components of the same
garment. In single piece production system bundle numbering is not required. A
hand machine is used for numbering the cut plies.
Sorting and Bundling: Cut components are sorted by size, color, and bundle size.
Then bundling is done and stored in the cutting room. A ticket (bundle tag) is
attached to the bundle to identify the component and style details.

Dispatch cuttings to stitching section: Cut bundle are sent to stitching section as

per the need of sewing floor and loaded to the line. Some factories prefer to send
the whole lay to stitching section and bundling of the layer are done on the
production line.

Quality checking in cutting section: In the cutting section, quality of the cut
components like notches, pattern shape, components measurement, and major
fabric defects (hole in the fabric, cut mark etc.) are checked. Parts measurement is
taken from the top, middle and bottom plies and compared with the actual patterns,
and shapes etc.