As apparel manufacturers, there must be a constant effort to produce high-quality products. Quality control is crucial throughout the garment manufacturing process, from the initial stage of sourcing raw materials to the final garment. In the apparel industry, quality control ensures that the products you receive meet your quality standards, preserving your brand’s reputation and identity.
In addition, the measurement of product quality in the garment industry is in terms of the standard and quality of fibers, yarns, fabric construction, surface designs, and the finished garment products in the textile and apparel industries. By sending garments to a third-party lab, you can conduct additional tests to ensure quality, safety, and compliance.
Investing in your product’s quality is critical, and this article explains how and why.
What Is Quality in an Apparel Industry?
Quality in the apparel industry ensures that the product is free from stains, sewing defects, fabric faults, size measurement faults, matching of color and stripe faults, and cutting marks.
It can be challenging to judge objectively whether a garment is high-quality. But luckily, quality checking in the garment industry follows a set of industry standards for quality and how to assess quality in the apparel industry.
When evaluating the quality of your garment, the following are some of the most critical considerations:
- Variation of color shades
- Obvious fabric defects
- The texture of fibers
- Visible notches
- Loose threads and pulled the yarn
- Holes, stains, or poor stitching.
The Importance of Quality Control in the Apparel Industry
Here are some reasons for compulsory quality control in the apparel industry:
● Meet clients’ expectations
When you work with a third-party inspection company before orders leave the factory and are shipped to you, conducting final Inspections helps ensure that they meet your quality expectations. The Acceptable Quality Limit standard calculates the number of garments to be inspected during inspections. After selecting the appropriate pieces, the inspector can begin reviewing the checklist and taking measurements.
● Follows due process
Quality control is a crucial aspect of the apparel industry that helps to maintain consistency, quality, and compliance of all garments with a particular set of standards, specifications, and regulations. Depending on the region to which you are exporting, there are numerous variations in regulations that are subject to change. Consultation with an expert who is familiar with international laws is always essential.
● Helps maintain integrity
Quality control ensures that customers receive the garments promised. You can increase customer brand loyalty by proving that your garments are in good condition—if customers like what they buy, they are more likely to repurchase them. By sending garments to a third party, you can conduct additional tests to ensure quality, safety, and compliance.
● Saves money in the long run
These checks could also save you money in the long run. If a manufacturer discovers that the garments have a defect in the fabrics, it could cost a lot to replace them with new ones.
How Can You Determine A Garment’s Quality?
Several quality control procedures should be performed at various stages of production, including pre, during, and post-production levels. Having a product control form is an excellent starting point. You must ensure that each component is made of the appropriate materials and has the correct dimensions. However, importing and managing your supply chain from afar can be incredibly challenging. Therefore, having a reputable brand that would help with the whole process is essential.
Because of the nature of fabrics and textiles, it can be challenging to control garment sizes and fit, so quality inspections naturally focus on this issue. An inspector selects a sample from a production lot based on the apparel’s Acceptable Quality Limits (AQL) specifications or customer requirements. These standards and procedures are followed when inspecting samples randomly for flaws. The principles of quality control in the clothing industry are as follows:
1. Control of the Quality of the Apparel before production
Before being cut into larger pieces or sewn together, this stage covers the inspection of fabric and garment samples. It includes determining whether the fabric satisfies the necessary standards for:
- Features of colorfastness
- Texture
- Technical Characteristics
- Durability features
- Checking for loose threads in the seams
2. Controlling the Quality of Clothing during production
Production Inspection is crucial in ensuring that clothing meets customer requirements and expectations. These production garment inspections are done in various ways, usually between 15 and 20 percent of the final product.
- Visual inspection (such as evaluating cutting, putting parts together, or sewing)
- Measurement.
- Destructive testing.
3. Quality Control of Finished Garments (Pre-shipment Inspection)
When at least 80% of orders have been packed for shipping, quality control of finished garments is done before the goods are shipped to customers. This procedure aids in the detection of any flaws and lowers the likelihood of customer complaints.
Typically, the inspection process includes the following:
- Checking the labeling.
- Counting the items in the production lot.
- Visually inspect the garment for any flaws that human eyes can see.
What Are The Most Common Tests For Apparel?
A few textile testing techniques are effective for determining the quality of the fabric in apparel, including:
● Physical Tests on Apparel
The apparel fabric is subjected to physical tests to determine its quality and durability. Stretch tests, which test the elastic bands or straps; pull tests, which test the zippers or buttons; and fatigue tests, which test the usage/tear strength, are typical of the tests.
● Fabric Testing for Apparel
Fabric testing for apparel examines the fabric’s quality. A fabric sample is put through a series of tests and compared to predetermined standards. Typically, it includes: analyzing the composition, fabric grams per square meter, and stitching over an inch.
● Other Apparel Tests for Regulatory Compliance
Several regulatory changes have impacted the apparel industry. Manufacturers who want to export their products undergo a series of tests, including chemical testing of things like:
- Heavy metals, pesticide residues, and fungicides
- Banned Azo colorants and ozone-depleting chemicals.
- Flammable chemicals
- OPEO: NP, NPEO, and NP
What Are The Most Critical International Regulatory Bodies For Garment Quality Control?
A section of the quality control checklist defines the standards of the particular market, and it’s crucial to meet the market’s quality and safety requirements for garment export. For instance, the US market strictly follows the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) guidelines.
About EC Global
A trusted brand with devoted customers who make repeat purchases is crucial for clothes producers and retailers to succeed. You need a reputable quality partner to generate the high-grade garment products that savvy customers need. For all types of clothes, footwear, sleepwear, outerwear, hosiery, leather goods, accessories, and more,
EC global inspection provides top-quality monitoring, testing, evaluation of factories, consultancy services, and customized service quality Control Procedures for your garments.
Conclusion
Any brand that wants to succeed in the market for a long time must have effective quality control procedures. You can achieve this with the assistance of third-party quality inspections. As you see above, quality in garment manufacturing encompasses both the process and the product.
Most businesses that produce goods for sale have a third party that checks for product quality or assurance. With EC’s advanced technology, you can monitor your garments in real-time and get quick feedback when needed.
Post time: May-19-2023