Steps to be taken for quality improvement of textile

processing
Introduction
Quality is of prime importance for every industry or business, to get increased
sales & better name amongst Consumers & fellow Companies. Generally Quality
control Standards for export are set strictly, as this business also holds prestige
of the country, whose company is doing export. Quality standards like ASTM,
AATCC, BS, DIN & JIS & ISO must be recognized & agreed by all levels of
management. However quality expectations for exports are related to type of
customer segments & retail outlets. For textile & apparel industry product
quality is calculated in terms of quality & standard of fibres, yarns, fabric
construction, colours fastness, Surface designs & final finished garments products.
Present paper was aimed at investigating important testing parameters for textile
products & steps to be taken to improve these testing parameters.

Different testing parameters:

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Tensile strength
Tear strength
Seam properties
Pilling
Colour fastness to light

a) Tensile strength
It is the strength of fabric which denotes breaking force required to rupture
fabric. A tensile tester is used to determine strength in which central part of
width of specimen is gripped in clamps. It determines effective strength of
specified width with assistance of adjacent yarns. Fabric assistance depends on
type of fabric & construction variables.

Recommendation for Improvement:

Tensile strength is a property that cannot be improved once a fabric is produced. For future
production, a higher thread count or use of stronger yarns should result in a fabric with
better tensile strength properties.

b) Tearing Strength
Tear force required to propagate a single-rip tear of defined length from a cut in
fabric when a sudden force is applied. This test is performed by measuring work
done in tearing fabric through a fixed distance on tearing strength tester. This
test is mainly applicable for woven fabrics not for knitted fabrics.

Reasons for poor tear strength:

Basically yarn is weak; hence fabric constructed with such yarns will produce a
weak fabric with less strength. In rare cases during various treatments fabric
may become weak.

Recommendation for Improvement:

Tearing strength is a property that cannot be improved once a fabric is
produced. For future production, yarns with longer fibre length & higher twist
may result in higher tear strength properties. Since core of fabric is having
Steps
to
be
taken
for
quality
Page 1 of 4
Compiled by: M. Rezaul Karim Tutul

improvement

of

textile

processing

problem there are no definite remedies to improve upon.

improvements may be possible with washing or some treatment.

Marginal

c) Seam properties
To determine seam maximum force of sewn seams is when force is applied
perpendicularly to seam. Test applies to standard seam applied to fabric
samples or Production seam as received in finished garments. Major
contributors to seam strength are fabric type & weight, thread type & size, stitch
& seam construction, stitches per inch & stitch balance. Seam Strength in
woven & knit is same as fabric breaking and bursting strength respectively.

Reasons for poor seam properties:

Yarn slippage occurs in fabric along a seam when stress is applied results in
pulling out of yarns but thread & stitch doesn't rupture. Seam slippage is usually
caused by poor fabric design (too loose of a weave) or too narrow of a seam
margin. Not using enough stitches per inch & a poor stitch balance can also
contribute to seam slippage.

Recommendation for improvement:

If fabric construction or weave is loose then drastic improvements are difficult.
Seam Slippage can be marginally improved by increasing the SPI (Stitches per
Inch) & Seam margin. If it is failing by Single needle stitch, then can try with
Double needle stitch.

d) Pilling resistance:
Pilling is serious problem of textile industry. A finished fabric may have pleasing
handle & smooth surface but when converted into garment & while wearing &
as well as washing pills are formed due to rubbing action. First entanglement of
loose fibres which protrude from surface takes place; this further appears like a ball
anchored to fabric surface through unbroken fibre.

Recommendation for improvement:

Selection of fibres: Manufacturing of yarn & fabric based on low pilling tendencies.
Prevention of abrasion during batch processing by using suitable lubricant in
pre-treatment as well as in dyeing process is necessarily required. Shearing &
cropping with brushing to eliminate surface fibre & protruding fibres Singeing on
both surface to remove surface fibres.

e) Colourfastness to light:
It is resistance to degradation of fabric dyes & prints due to light is an important
requirement of a garment because without such resistance, garment may
change colour & such colour may not be acceptable to a consumer from an aesthetic
point of view. Samples are placed in special holders & exposed to artificial daylight
produced by a special light source which mimics action of sunlight, but in a more
intense manner so as to speed up fading effect. A standard (blue wool reference) is
also exposed with sample & colourfastness is being assessed by comparison of
colour change of exposed portion to unexposed portion of test specimen using
scale or blue references used.

Recommendation for Improvement;

Here regarding colour fastness to light, there are certain controllable &
uncontrollable factors. Uncontrollable factors are Light, Environmental factors
Steps
to
be
taken
for
quality
Page 2 of 4
Compiled by: M. Rezaul Karim Tutul

improvement

of

textile

processing

such as temperature & relative humidity & controllable factors are chemical
reaction of fading reaction, degree of dye association with fibre, diffusion
characteristics of fibres, chemical nature of fibres, contaminants, delustrants,
UV stabilizers & finishes. Thus by improving certain processing conditions & by
using good type of stabilizers & finishes improves light fastness.
Tab-1: Average water consumption by fibre type

Sl.
no

Fibre type

Consumption
(l/kg)
1966
1975

01
02
03

Wool
Cotton
Syntheticpolymer

150550
100300
25200

Remark
s

75300
50200
10100

Tab-2: Water consumption by process

Sl. no

Fibre type

01

Cotton

02
03
04
05

Wool
Synthetic-polymer
Acrylic
Wool

06

Nylon

07

Wool

08

Cotton

Process

Consumption (l/kg)

Scouring
Bleaching
Jig dyeing
Winch dyeing
Hank dyeing
Fabric dyeing
Garment dyeing
Sock dyeing
Sock dyeing
Hose dyeing
Loose stock dyeing
Continuous dyeing
Yarn dyeing
Printing
Fabric dyeing
Garment dyeing

10-80
10130
10-60
100450
40-65
65190
100-230
265465
125150
100-240
40-60
60-80
100-140
140200
100180
80140

Tab-3: Measures to reduce water consumption

Sl.
no
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Measures to be taken

8)
9)
10)

Development of efficient standard operating procedures (SOP)

Following SOP exactly, assisted by automation
Installation of machines operating at low liquor ratios
Operating at minimum liquor ratio by processing full machine loads
Monitoring liquor levels, assisted by automation, to avoid overfilling
Improved production scheduling to avoid unnecessary machine cleaning &
downtime
Replace direct heating by heat exchangers to avoid liquor volume
increases
Control rate of flow of cooling water through heat exchangers
Return cooling water from closed-coil systems
Use of water-soluble lubricants to eliminate separate scouring

11)

Combine processes or use one-bath methods whenever possible

7)

Steps
to
be
taken
for
quality
Page 3 of 4
Compiled by: M. Rezaul Karim Tutul

improvement

of

textile

processing

12)

Avoid after-treatment or excessive rinsing, especially overflow rinsing

13)

Allow drainage time between rinses

14)

Adopt counter-current rinsing methods in continuous processing

15)
16)

Reuse relatively clean rinsing water for processes not requiring highquality water
Partial purification and bath reuse

17)

Total water purification and recycling

Tab-4: Water usage & pollution loads in cotton finishing processes

Sl.
no

Process

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08

Desizing
Scouring
Bleaching
Mercerising
Dyeing
Printing
Wash-off
Finishing

Water
usage
(l/kg)
(%)
20
4
180
7
30
25
110
5

5
1
46
2
8
7
30
1

Steps
to
be
taken
for
quality
Page 4 of 4
Compiled by: M. Rezaul Karim Tutul

Approx.
BOD
(mg/l)
4500
11000
1000
30
1000
1200
200
1500

improvement

BOD
(%)
22
54
5
5
6
1
7

of

Pollution
load
(%)
>50
10-25
3
<4
10-20
10-20
5
16

textile

processing