APPAREL-INDUSTRY    (STITCHING DEPT)

      Hello Everyone!!!!  I hope all are doing well . Today we will learn about workflow about Stitching dept.  In this section we will learn how garment  cut parts are assembled and convert into a finished garment. We will learn about standard process which is being followed  for stitching floor in apparel industry. So lets start…

INTRODUCTION

The sewing process is the attachment of different parts of the cut pieces. In this work place there are many operators who perform single operation. All this factor decides what parts of garment can be sewn at that station.

Machine used in the sewing section:

1.     Single Needle Lock Stitch machine

2.     Double needle Lock stitch machine

3.     Vertical Lock stitch machine

4.     Single needle Chain Stitch machine

5.     Pointer (collar. Cuff)

6.     Halamark m/c

7.     Overclock Machine ( 5Thread )

8.     Feed off the Arm machine

9.     Flat bet fusing machine

10.  Continuous fusing Machine

11.  Kansai machine etc.

Process flow of sewing section:

Figure 2- Diagram in how sewing section perform

Working way of sewing floor:

Product Analysis & set up target for Line: Here usually find the critical operation of theproduct by analyzing the product and decide where need help, which operator works on which operation. After analyzing the product line target is set for per hour production. Line supervisor Monitoring target production achieving or not.

Set up machine layout on the basis of Target: On the basis of operation layout and target of per line, machine layout is setup to ensuring target per hour production.

Line balancing: Line balancing is a tool used for production line to capacitate the flow line of production. If line is not balanced properly, required target result will not be achieved properly. Some work have higher work load, some have lower load which caused bottleneck in the line.

Bundle Input to Line: After ensuring line balancing, , bundle wise cut panel input to line as per pre-determined manner to workers.

Sewing: Workers sew different parts as per pre-determined manner according to machine layout for ensuring right operation is made by right machine and right operator.

Online Quality check: In this stage, front and back part sewing quality checked by on-line quality inspector .if found any defect, send the garment to that operator who sew the defective for repair the sewing faults.

End line Quality check: Here Full garments of both inside and outside checked properly to ensure the garments is defect free. If found any defect, repair that defect by who are responsible for that defect. Here also count the body to comparing if target is achieved or not.

Body sends to finishing section: After end line quality inspector, garments are sending to finishing section for finished the body for shipment as per buyer’s requirements.

Process Breakdown of basic Shirt (Full Sleeve):

Table 5- Basic Shirt Manufacturing Process

SL No.#	Process name	Machine & Attachment
Collar
1.	Collar top part Fusing	Continues Fusing m/c
2.	Collar finish pattern mark on Collar	Pencil and pattern
3.	Collar trim	Overclock m/c(without thread and needle )
4.	Collar run stitch (top and in part)	SNLS
5.	Collar Turn	Hand work
6.	Collar point	Pointer + Collar stay
7.	Collar outline (1/4 top stitch)	SNLS
8.	Collar band fusing	Continuous fusing m/c
9.	Collar band hem	SNLS
10.	Finish pattern mark on collar pattern	Pattern .pencil
11.	Collar and collar band attach	SNLS
12.	Collar band turn	Hand work
13.	Collar band (1/4 top stitch)	SNLS
14.	Collar Band point	Pointer
Cuff
15.	Cuff fusing	Continuous Fusing machine
16.	Cuff hem	SNLS
17.	Cuff Run stitch	Vertical Lock stitch machine
18.	Cuff turn in pair	Hand word
19.	Cuff outline (1/4 top stitch)	SNLS
Front part
20.	Front Pair tuck + care label joint	SNLS
21.	Front BTN placket make	Kansai machine + folder
22.	Front Placket Fusing	Flatbed fusing machine
23.	Box placket make	SNLS + Folder
24.	Pocket positioning	Pattern
25.	PKT Rolling	SNLS
26.	PKT iron  + scissoring	Iron + scissor
27.	PKT Attach to front + placket close	SNLS
Back part
28.	Main and size label joint	SNLS
29.	Label attach to Bk part	SNLS
30.	Yoke attach to BK part	SNLS
31.	Yoke top stitch	SNLS
Sleeve part
32.	Gamble attach to body	SNLS
33.	SLV placket fold and iron	Iron + folder
34.	SLV Placket attach	SNLS
Assembly
35.	Shoulder Joint	SNLS
36.	Shoulder top stitch	SNLS
37.	SLV Joint to body	Overlock m/c
38.	Armhole Top stitch	SNLS + Folder
39.	Collar joint to body	SNLS
40.	Collar Closed	SNLS
41.	Collar to Stitch	SNLS
42.	Side seam	Feed off the arm machine
43.	Cuff attach to SLV	SNLS
44.	Bottom hem	SNLS + Folder
45.	BTN Hole	BTN Holing Machine
46.	BTN Attach	BTN Attaching machine

Elements of sewing section:

§  Sewing thread

§  Needle

§  Sewing Machine

Sewing Defects:

§  Needle damage

§  Skip stitches

§  Thread breakages

§  Broken stitches

§  Seam puckering

§  Pleated seam

§  Wrong stitch density

§  Uneven stitch density

§  Staggered stitch

§  Improperly formed stitches.

For making a Basic Shirt, we need 7 types of sewing machines. They are given below:

1.     Plain Machine or Lock Stitch Machine

2.     Over lock or over edge Stitch Machine

3.     Button Holing Machine

4.     Button Attaching Machine

5.     Feed of the Arm

6.     Kansai or Multi needle chain stitch machine

7.     Single Needle & Double Needle Chain Stitch Machine (with or without edge cutter & thread cutting mechanism)

Important sewing machine descriptions are given below:

Plain Machine or Lock Stitch Machine:

§  No. of needle: Generally 1 needle or 2 needles

§  SPM (Stitches per Minute): 1500-5500

§  Stitch Length: 5mm in Juki

§  Automatic Thread Cutting

§  Automatic Bobbin Winging

§  Edge Cutting System

§  Most commonly used for sewing of woven garments.

Over lock or Over edge Stitch machine:

§  No. of needle: one or 2 needle

§  No. of thread: 2-5 threads

§  SPM: 6500-8000

§  Stitch length: maximum 4mm and stitch length can be changed by push button.

Button Holing Machine:

§  Stitch group: lock or chain stitch

§  Arrangement of button hole size being small or larger

§  Arrangement of stitch density being increased or reduced.

§  Button hole can be made to cut the hole before or after sewing a button hole.

Button Attaching Machine:

§  Productions lock stitch, chain stitch or hand stitch.

§  Various types button clamps needs for attaching various sizes and types of button.

§  The bottom may be 2 or 4 holes. 4 whole button may be sewed by cross or parallel.

§  If chain stitch is used, the sewing looks nice, but the security of stitch is comparatively less.

§  In case of lock stitch used no possibility of sewing opening. But not looks nice. In fully automatic machines, button feeding and positioning inside the button clamp is performed by a hopper and pipe.

§  It can attach predetermined number of buttons at a predetermined distance in acyclic order.

Feed of the Arm:

§  Number of needle: 2

§  SPM: 3000 -3200

§  Number of thread: 4 threads

§  Twist per inch: 15 – 20

§  Stitch group: chain stitch

§  Mainly sewing shirts, Jeans, Gridding goods & double stitching pants 

Kansai or Multi needle chain stitch machine:

§  Number of needle: 6-17

§  Number of thread: 12 – 34

§  SPM: 4000 – 4500

§  Stitch group: Chain Stitch

Chain Stitch Machine:

§  No. of needle: one or more needle

§  No. of thread: one or more thread (Single thread or multi thread)

§  SPM: 1800-6000

§  Stitch length : 1.4 to 4.5 mm

§  Automatic thread trimmer

§  Various types of feed mechanism is adjusted to the machine. Used in knitted wear and jeans

THE END