One of the most important things for a garment importer is the quality of the garments. This goes without saying. However, the garment is also one of the products that are highly likely to be defective given the nature of the product, as well as the fact that many of the garments are hand sewn. This situation becomes even more difficult when the importer lives far away from the manufacturing site because he won’t be able to be physically present on-site to inspect the quality of the garments.
However, this does not mean that the importer has to sit in anticipation waiting to receive the shipment in order to really find out the quality of the garments. There exist the options of hiring third-party inspectors who will visit the site during manufacturing of the products on behalf of the importer and make sure that the garments being shipped are free of defects: this saves the importer the cost, time, and energy of having to return defected products to the manufacturer.
Therefore, it is extremely important those importers, or in fact, any person interested in being in the garment business, knows about the following defects in garments:
This fabric defect is categorized by a series of lines that are scattered across the fabric, usually from one end to another. The reason for these lines is usually:
1. Horizontal Lines
- A faulty bobbin (barrel that is used to hold yarn intact).
- An irregular tension in the thread.
How can you prevent horizontal lines?
It is quite straightforward to prevent irregular horizontal lines in the fabric: you must regularly replace the worn-out bobbin and make sure that there is no unnecessary tension in the thread.
2. Variation in the Shade of the Fabric
Another dire reason for defects in garments is that there is uneven coloring in the fabric, also known as shade variation. This defect is usually found in raw textiles when there is a difference in the color of the fabric due to one of the following reasons:
- Using a mixture of different fabrics in the production of the fabric.
- Incorrect time or speed used in the production process.
- Inadequate assembly of the garment in terms of cutting, bundling, or numbering.
- Unequal stretch in the fabric.
How can you prevent shade variation?
The first key to avoiding shade variation in your garment is to use the same kind of base material for each production lot. In addition to that, the same set of parameters should be used throughout the process, such as the same speed and time.
Quality inspectors should also regularly visit the factory to make sure that workers are following all the given steps carefully: not taking any shortcuts by combining different kinds of garments when cutting or bundling. There should also be proper checks to see that textiles are numbered correctly.
3. Stains on the Garment
Stains or dirt found on the garment is one of the most frequent issues encountered by garment importers. This is because garments are extremely likely to get stained by a large number of sources such as dirt on the factory floor, oil or grease from the machines, or in fact any dirty surface that the garments make contact with. It’s thus extremely important that suppliers stay alert during the entire manufacturing process to make sure that the garments remain unstained.
How can you prevent stains?
In order to make sure that garments are not stained in the production process, it is important that care is taken regarding the following:
4. Uneven Printing Marks
- Production machines should be regularly cleaned.
- rolls of finished fabrics should be promptly wrapped up in plastic and stored in an area that is away from the dyeing process.
- Make sure that workers do not use dirty hands to handle the garments.
Print marks are basically irregular patches of dye on the raw fabric, usually caused by:
- Low-quality base fabric.
- Improper leveling agents.
- Incorrect pH in the production process.
- Dye machine entanglement.
How can you prevent printing marks?
- Ensure that there is no already existing problem with the base fabric before it is processed.
- Maintain the correct pH level during dyeing and stitching.
- Use a good quality dyeing agent.
- Make sure there is no blockage in the production process- keep backup generators ready if you need to.
5. Drop Stitches
Drop stitches are random holes, usually in the form of missed stitches that appear in the raw textile. These can significantly lower the quality of the garment if not spotted on time. A few of the reasons accounting for drop stitches are:
- Incorrect set-up of yarn carriers.
- Slubs and knots.
- Yarn overfeeding or underfeeding.
- Loose stitching during the production process.
How can you prevent drop stitches?
The following measures can help in preventing any drop stitches in the fabric:
- Check the yarn carrier to make sure it is set to the correct tension setting.
- Regulate the yarn feed rate frequently.
- Reset the pattern chain if issues of drop stitches continue.
6. Misprinting
Misprinting is when the actual print on the fabric does not match the design that was ordered. This can be in the form of missing or partially missing colors/patterns or having them incorrectly positioned on the fabric.
7. Crease Marks
How can you prevent misprinting?
- Do not use the wrong dyeing recipe.
- Use the correct leveling agent.
- Use the correct combination of dyes.
- Use the proper sourcing of grey fabric in the production process.
- Implement a uniform dyeing process.
- Use a proper leveling and scouring process.
Crease marks may not be a big issue unless an improper process in the manufacturing site causes them to be permanent; these processes include:
- Improper preparation, relaxing, or bulking of the fabric.
- Twisting the yarns too high.
- Not moving the folds in the machine properly.
- Not loading the fabric onto the machine properly which causes knotted ropes.
- Incorrect cooling or heating rates.
How can you prevent crease marks?
- Use anti-crease agents.
- Use the correct heating and cooling rates.
- Load the fabric onto the machines carefully.
8. Barre
A barre is simply a continuous pattern of bars or stripes that are unintentionally present on the fabric. It is usually of a light or dark brown color. It is not easy to detect barre until after the processing of the fabric is finished in the production process.
It is a result of differences in the yarn which may be physical, optical, or dye related. These result in a difference in the fabric structure, which causes barre.
How can you prevent barre?
- Keep the raw material consistent.
- Label the raw material properly.
- Schedule equipment maintenance frequently.
- Follow a first in first out inventory system to ensure a smooth flowing material usage.
9. Neps
Neps are basically very tightly tangled, small knots that form a sort of pinhead shape in the fabric. These are most commonly made up of any dead fibers that are left behind in the fabric during the production process.
Neps can be most commonly categorized into the following types:
- Biological: usually removed through wet processing, includes materials such as: seed coat, fragments, leafs, or stem materials.
- Mechanical: mostly a result of mechanical processing, including materials such as: ginned lint, yams, or card web.
- White speck neps: these are usually considered the most severe type of neps because they aren’t visible until the fabric is dyed. Includes immature clusters of fiber.
How can you prevent neps?
- Proper maintenance of machinery.
- Proper cleaning of roller clearers.
- Detection is key because neps can easily be removed through combing.
10. Abrasion Marks
An abrasion mark is basically an area on the fabric that loses color during to excessive rubbing or friction during manufacturing.
The ability of a fabric to resist abrasion is mostly determined by the fiber, yam, and properties of the fabric. The processes used in finishing the production process also determine how resistant the fabric is to abrasion.
How can you prevent abrasion marks?
- Use fabrics such as Nylon that are resistant to abrasion.
- Polyester is also considered to be remarkable against abrasion.
11. Splicing
Splicing is the area found between the end of one roll of fabric and the beginning of the next roll of fabric. Because textile is produced often in a continuous roll, there needs to be space between the two rolls to ensure easy partition and cutting. However, excessive splicing can result in wastage of the fabric that can be costly to the manufacturer. It is thus very important to improve efficiency in the production techniques to minimize any such losses.
How can you prevent splicing?
- Improve the overall quality of the fabric so that there is a lesser need to add extra length of material to compensate for any defects such as holes in the roll of fabric.
- The manufacturer should set a maximum length of tolerance for splicing in every roll of fabric.
12. Holes
Holes in the fabric are treated as a major defect because it often results in the rejection of the fabric by the customers. It is thereby very important that there exist no holes in the fabric.
How can you prevent holes in the fabric?
- Do not use broken needles in the manufacturing process.
- Do not use rough mechanical parts in the manufacturing process.
13. Defective Selvage
Selvage is known in the fabric industry as a densely woven piece of fabric often on the edge of the fabric. This is most commonly found in woven fabrics, where the selvage is responsible for keeping the fabric intact so that it does not unravel or fray.
A selvage in the fabric can defective due to a number of different ways such as cut, waved, or creased- in addition to these, it may also be broken or ripped.
How can you prevent defective selvage?
- Do not use an incorrect loom adjustment when you are weaving the fabric.
- Use the proper edge construction to ensure that the selvage is formed correctly.
14. Snags
A snag is usually visible as a loop of yarn that rises above the surface of the fabric- it may be accidentally pulled or plucked from the surface.
- In a wrap knit, a snag is found most commonly in a wale direction.
- In weft knitting, a snag is most commonly found in the course direction.
How can you prevent snags?
- Carefully inspect the fabric contact points to make sure that there is no mechanical strain during knitting.
- Keep sharp objects and points away from the fabric that may tug at the fabric to cause snags.
- Conduct a mace snag test to check how resistant a fabric is to snagging.
15. Thick/Thin Place
This is typically an unintended change in the thickness of the fabric as compared to the construction of the adjacent block, and if this change amounts to more than an inch it is classified as a major defect during fabric inspection. This is usually apparent in fabric made out of yarn: thick space means that an area will have more closely spaced yarn compared to the rest of the fabric, whereas a thin place will have loosely spaced yarn.
How can you prevent thick/thin places?
- Do not use irregular let-off.
- Use the correct settings on the holding and releasing pawls on the ratchet wheel of take-up motion.
- Make sure that the gears of the take-up motion are meshing properly.
- Make sure that the gear wheel teeth are not worn out or broken.
- Carry out training sessions for the factory personnel to ensure that they operate the production process correctly and according to the instructions provided to them.
16. Bowing and Skewing
Bowing and skewing are two defects that are more commonly visible in patterned or striped fabric as compared to fabrics with a solid color. These defects alter the pattern design in the fabric, causing them to be displaced at a perpendicular angle in the case of skewing, or forming a bow-shaped pattern in the case of bowing (as suggested by the name.)
How can you prevent bowing and skewing?
- Use a uniform distribution of tension across the fabric when dyeing or finishing up the production process.
- Avoid improper stretching during scouring, dyeing, or finishing-up.
- Make sure that the tension settings on the processing machines are correct.
- Examine the fabric closely during inspection to identify any bowing or skewing patterns.
17. Needle Lines
Needle lines are prominent in weft knit fabrics, appearing as vertical streaks in the fabric/
These are usually caused by defective needles which might be:
- Mixed.
- New.
- Dirty or contaminated with lint.
- Bent.
- Worn.
How can you prevent needle lines?
- Use proper dial and cylinder conditions with the machine.
- Make sure that the needles being used are not damaged or defective in any way.
18. Coarse Pick
A coarse pick occurs where the filling yarn used in the production of the fabric is larger in diameter than required- this situation is also known as coarse filling or thick filling. It is classified as a major defect during fabric inspection because it clearly damages the overall look of the fabric.
How can you prevent coarse pick?
The probable causes for the presence of coarse pick in the fabric are:
- The broken end is lashed together with the adjoining end at the roving frame.
- The slipping of the material under the back-top roller and crease at coarse yam caused by the disturbing weight of the back-top rollers.
19. Coarse End
This is present in the fabric with warp yam, also known as the heavy end. This occurs when the warp end is longer than normal in diameter, whereas the opposite is a fine end that is smaller in diameter.
It is caused when two bobbins of roving are working simultaneously during spinning. In order to prevent coarse end, you should make sure that there are no knots or irregularities in the roving before you start doubling.
20. Broken Pick
This defect is visible as a broken filling yam in the weaving fabric, usually as a sharp discontinuity in the weave pattern over the pick length.
It is the result of a cut in the filling yam. This causes the insertion of a partial pick in the fabric. This is possible after weft break, weft exhaustion, or a weft fork machine that is not functioning properly.
How can you prevent broken pick?
- Make sure that the weft stop motion is correct.
- Train the weaving personnel to identify and promptly replace any broken picks.
21. Broken End
A broken end is usually visible as an untied warp of fabric, along with equal distance along the fabric width. This is caused by yam breakage, poor preparation, or excessive warp tension.
22. Missing End/End Out
This flaw in the fabric will be visible as a fine warp way crack until it is fixed. It usually occurs when an additional piece of extra filling yarn is thrust into the fabric by the shuttle. This is because the warp yam is either broken or missing during the weaving process.
How can you prevent missing end/end out?
- Make sure that the warp stop motion is functioning properly.
- Stop the weaving process immediately if a yarn breaks.
23. Filling Bar
Also known as a weft bar, this is a bar across the entire width of the fabric that is clearly visible. This area appears different than the rest of the fabric because it contains less than the normal number of picks.
The three main reasons for a filling bar in the fabric are:
- Variation in the count of the weft yarn caused by a defective spinning process.
- A mixture of different counts or twist yarns.
- Faulty motion on the looms.
How can you prevent filling bars?
- Make sure that the yarns are properly segregated to prevent any mix-up.
- Carry out proper training sessions for the staff to make sure that they operate the spinning and loom machinery properly.
Conclusion
The above given guide is a simple, yet elaborate, an overview of the possible defects that can be present in the fabric that you are importing. Regardless of what you plan to make out of the fabric- skirts, T-shirts, football jerseys, or even table mats- knowledge of all of these defects will make sure that the fabric that you receive is of high quality and that the end product that you produce for your customers will be satisfactory.
It is also advisable to set up a QC checklist before you start production so that there exist clearly defined protocols and mutually agreed upon system to identify and categorize defects. This will make sure that you and your manufacturer are on the same page and that there will be no disagreements related to the quality of the fabric later on down the road.
If you feel like you already have a lot on your plate and cannot handle the quality inspection aspect yourself, you might want to consider hiring a third-party inspection company that acts on behalf of you. Not only will this save you time and effort, but will also make sure that each and every product that is delivered to you meets the standards that you have laid out for the manufacturer.