Pay back of Right-First-Time (RFT) processing in a dyehouse:

Concept of right-first-time (RFT) processing gained rapid acceptance in the 1980s, when it was originally termed blind dyeing. RFT philosophy is intended to provide higher quality with quick response, as well as maximising productivity, process efficiency & profitability. To minimise fibre damage, high-quality textiles must be subjected to the shortest possible time of wet treatment compatible with achieving target properties. Cost of non-conformance is a simple but effective measure of losses incurred by production of unacceptable goods that do not meet required specification. On average, a single shading addition can add 10-30% to cost of an exhaust dyeing. If an unlevel or off-shade dyeing has to be stripped & re-dyed, cost of processing increases by more than 100%, guaranteeing either financial loss or an uncompetitive quote if this degree of inefficiency is allowed for in original price. Not only are shading additions & re-dyes bad for profit, they also interfere with productivity & cause delivery dates to be missed, resulting in loss of goodwill & future business.
Tab- 1 Cost of non-conformance to blind dyeing method (RFT=100) [33]

Process

Cost
100 110 135 206

Productivity
100 80 64 48

Profit
100 48 -45 -375

Blind dyeing Small addition Large addition Strip and re-dye

Tab-2: Important factors influencing RFT production

Starting materials
1) 2) 3) 4)

Dyeing process control

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

Purity of water Dyeability of textile substrate Preparation of textile substrate Standardisation of dye supply 5) Moisture content of dyes Weighing of substrate batch to be dyed Weighing and dispensing of dyes Weighing and dispensing of chemicals Control of liquor ratio Control of pH Time / temperature profile Control of liquor flow 8) Control of substrate movement (if relevant) 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Selection of dyes Behaviour of dyes in combination Accuracy of laboratory dyeing recipe Accuracy of transfer to bulk-scale recipe Batch to batch reproducibility in bulk-scale dyeing Method of colour assessment 7) Determination of metamerism index

Colour control

In dye-house total production cost can be calculated by adding cost of additional processes necessary to achieve required performance to standard cost for routine processing. Tab-1 shows cost of non-conformance calculated by means of computer modelling techniques for a typical knit-goods dye-house operating on a commission basis. Blind dyeing process is ideal that represents processing cost, productivity&profitability for trouble-free RFT production. If, after checking shade, a small shading addition to cooled dye-bath is required, total cost of production is increased by 10% but productivity is reduced by 20%. More importantly, profit for this production batch is reduced by more than 50%. If a large shading addition is needed, calling for exhaust dye-bath to be drained, rinsed & re-set, then impact on processing cost, productivity & profitability is even more dramatic. In this case a substantial loss of nearly 50% is incurred. The most costly scenario is to have to strip & re-dye a faulty dyeing. To recoup this loss it is necessary to dye another four RFT production batches, all of which must be problem-free.

Pay back of Right-First-Time (RFT) processing in a dyehouse:

Compiled by: M. Rezaul Karim Tutul

Page: 1

Figures in Tab-1 are only part of story since they do not allow for reduction in revenue which occurs through loss of production when machines which should be processing next batches are tied up with corrective treatments. These factors also have a bearing on designed capacity of plant&impact on capital expenditure.
Fig-1: Relationship between RFT production & return on sales

By improving capacity for RFT production, wasteful additional processing to achieve required performance can be eliminated. For knit-goods dye-house model from which Tab-1 was calculated, average number of batches per machine per week represents full capacity of dye-house when operating at 60% RFT production. Improving this figure reducesvariable costs (excluding labour)&improves return on sales (ROS) as shown in Fig-1 For example, improving RFT production from 60 to 90% increases the ROS from original 100% to 130% & generates additional capacity accordingly. In order to obtain RFT production consistently, there are numerous factors that dyer must take into account, as indicated in Tab-2. Factors associated with inherent constitution of starting materials are best monitored by laboratory testing on a regular basis. Those factors arising from requirements of dyeing process & associated colour control measures should be dealt with in a series of standard operating procedures (SOP) that need to be designed in accordance with substrates, dye classes & dyeing methods currently operated within dye-house. Factors which can be controlled by SOP, plus dye purchasing, are matters of company policy & cannot be changed without senior management approval. Similar lists can be established for preparation, after-treatment and finishing processes. Financial rewards from improved quality & efficiency include: 1) Increased sales from RFT production 2) Increased productivity from same equipment & time frame 3) Reduced working capital required because of lower stocks of material awaiting processing, shorter process routes & less strategic stocks of finished goods awaiting despatch because of quicker response to market trends 4) Reduced occurrence of shading & re-dyeing operations. This not only frees additional production capacity but ensures that production planning is much less disrupted by unforeseen delays. It is therefore easier to plan for on-time deliveries with only short lead times, maximising opportunities available to respond to fast-moving trends in market-place 5) Cost savings generated by lower processing costs & reproducibility of guaranteed quality. In order to control a process effectively it is necessary to identify & measure all relevant process variables. Microprocessor control has been successfully established for: 1) Time/temperature profile of dyeing cycle 2) Speed of fabric rope movement in jet machines 3) Dyeing machine speed/output 4) Product addition according to controlled profiles 5) Redox potential, pH & specific gravity can be controlled by on-line systems. Target set values together with predetermined tolerances are stored in control system; providing that process controller detects values within these acceptable limits, processing cycle moves on to next step. If value detected lies outside pre-set tolerance range, an alarm device calls for on-line attention so that corrective action can be taken. Systems are available to synchronise liquor circulation, fabric speed & process cycle in jet dyeing.

Pay back of Right-First-Time (RFT) processing in a dyehouse:

Compiled by: M. Rezaul Karim Tutul

Page: 2