BEYOND DEFECT DETECTION: The True Meaning Of Garment Checking

Why I'm Writing About This Topic?

I'm writing about this topic for two main reasons: to clear up misunderstandings and to talk about the need for better training when it comes to checking garments.

Misunderstanding

When I talk to people who work in garment factories and quality control, I've noticed a common misunderstanding. Many people think that checking garments is only about finding defects in them. But that's not quite right. Finding defects is just one part of the job, not the main focus. For me, finding defects is just the outcome of the proper checking process.

If you ask workers and managers in garment factories, you'll see that a lot of them share this misunderstanding.

Lack of Training

When I speak to workers and quality control staff in the garment-checking area of a factory, I often ask them about their jobs. Most of them tell me, "I'm responsible for checking garments to find problems like skip, broken, missing stitches, tears, loose threads, stains, and fabric issues."

In these factories, training for this important job is often overlooked. Workers are expected to find mistakes without proper training, which might work for a little while. But if they receive good training on how to do their job and why it's important, it can make a huge difference. Investing in training helps workers improve their skills and knowledge. This, in turn, makes them better at spotting and fixing issues in the manufacturing process. Ultimately, this leads to better-quality products and a more efficient production process.

Simply,? just telling someone to do something might work for a short time. But explaining things clearly and setting expectations leads to better results in the long run.

To sum it up, checking garments in factories isn't just about finding mistakes. You might be wondering, if it's not about defects, then what is its real purpose? But before we can answer that, we need to understand what checking means in this context.

What is Checking in Garment Manufacturing?

Checking means carefully looking at something to make sure it meets the quality standards we want. In the world of making garments, checking involves looking at materials like fabric, cut pieces, accessories, and different stages of making the garment, like sewing, trimming, and packing.

Why Do We Check?

When we make clothes, we go through many steps like fabric, cutting, sewing, and packing. At each step, workers do their part, and there are people called checkers who make sure everything is done correctly. So, the purpose of checking in garment making is to make sure everyone did their job right.

Why Do Defects Present Even After Checking?

The reason is quite simple: the mistakes weren't noticed during the checking process. To spot mistakes easily, you need to know what counts as a mistake. If the person checking the garments doesn't know what mistakes to look for, they might miss them completely. So, how can we fix this?

One way is to make a list of all the mistakes that can happen and give proper training to the people in charge of quality control. If they know what to look for and are well-trained, they are less likely to miss a mistake.

But it's not as easy as it sounds. There are challenges when it comes to training people to be good at checking clothes.

Challenges in Training Garment Checkers

1. Incomplete Defect List:

Garments can have many different types of defects because of materials, workers, and machines. It's hard to make a list of all these defects without missing some. For example, there can be problems with the materials used, mistakes made by workers, and issues with the machines. Trying to make a super long list of defects isn't practical because it makes it tough to train people effectively.

1. New Defects:

Sometimes, a new problem shows up in a garment that wasn't in the training. If that happens, the people checking the quality might not notice the new problem, and it could go unnoticed. So, even with quality checks, the garment might still have a problem.

1. Remembering All Defects:

Quality checkers might not remember all the possible defects, especially if they aren't highly educated. More than half of them might not have a lot of education or a high IQ. While giving them training can help them remember better, it might not completely solve this issue.

1. Missing Requirements:

If a checker doesn't know what's the requirement, they might miss something important. This is the main reason why some garments might be missing labels, buttons, embroidery, prints, stitches, or other important things when they should have them.

Even though there are challenges in finding defects, it's still the manufacturer's job to make sure the garments meet the buyer's standards and don't have any problems. If they don't address these challenges, then the purpose of checking the garments isn't being done effectively.

So, the big question is: How can we easily find defects in garments?

How to Easily Find Defects in Garments?

Finding defects in garments might not be as hard as you think, and it's not about searching for defects and mistakes directly.

You might have been taught to look for defects, but that's not the best way to do it. I've been in the manufacturing industry for more than 20 years, and I've realized that the usual way of searching for defects is flawed and needs to be fixed.

The people who check garments for quality don't usually know what defects are there before they check. And if they're trained to find specific defects, they might spot those, but they could miss other issues because they're only focused on that list.

In my experience, quality checkers are usually told to look for things like skip, broken, missing stitches, open seams, stains, and more. If they are good at finding these issues, they can catch more than 70% of the defects in a garment. But here's the thing: most of the defects in garments from factories fall into this list. If you ask a factory about the top three defects, they'll probably mention things from this list.

So, even if checkers look for these defects, they might still miss some. That's why I say, "The easiest way to find defects in a garment is not by searching for them."

You might be wondering if we shouldn't search for defects, what should we look for?

Well, the answer is simple: look for perfection. Yes, if you focus on finding everything perfect in a garment, you'll automatically notice all the things that are not perfect, which are the defects. It's like when you're looking for a clean room, and you notice every bit of dirt because it's not perfect. The same idea applies to finding defects in clothes.

Assessing Garment Quality: How to Spot Defects by Checking for Perfection

Over time, I've learned that you can find defects in garments by simply looking at how perfectly they are made. This method has worked well for me, and I'll explain how you can do it too.

Checking the Fabric:

Color and Surface: The fabric should have the same color throughout and a smooth surface. By checking this, you can spot issues like color problems, flaws in the fabric, or problems with how it was ironed.

Checking the Seams:

Flat Seams: First, make sure the seams are completely flat. You can do this by looking closely at the seam and making sure it's nice and flat. If it's not, you might see it stretched, wavy, bunched up, or uneven. Sometimes, there might be specific styling requirements like gatherings or pleats, but they should be evenly distributed as required.

Stitching and Seam Consistency: Next, check if the stitching and seam allowances are the same throughout. Look for the right distance between stitches, the correct placement of stitches, and the right hem/seam allowances. If there are problems, you might find stitches running off, uneven seam or hem widths, irregular stitching distances, or stitches placed in the wrong spots.

Stitch Density and Thread Tension: Lastly, make sure the stitches are evenly spaced and the thread tension is consistent. Look for stitches per inch and the right thread tension all along the seam. If there are issues, you might see missing stitches, broken stitches, irregular stitches, or thread that's either too loose or too tight.

Important Note: These guidelines work for all types of sewing, like single-needle, twin-needle, or three-needle, and all kinds of sewing machines, including lock stitch, chain stitch, and overlocking seam machines. If you want to learn more about examining seams, you can read my article titled "THE ART OF FLAWLESS SEWING: Mastering Inline Quality Control In Sewing Operations/Machines ". It's mainly about sewing quality control, but the principles and techniques in it also apply to checking seams in a finished garment.

Checking Trims and Accessories:

When looking at labels and other added things on the garment, make sure they're perfect. Check for things like:

• Correct labeling
• Proper sizing
• Right placement
• No missing labels
• Labels in the right spot/order
• For functional trims, make sure they work the way they're supposed to.

To sum it up, I hope this article helps you understand why checking garments is important and how to do it effectively. By looking for perfection, you can easily spot any possible defects in the garments rather than searching for them.