SOP on Snap Fastener

and sewn Button safety

SQAD Bangladesh
April 2016
SOP ON SNAP
FASTENER
SAFETY
 INTRODUCTION
What would a small child do with a button or snap or any
small part that is found on the floor?

1. Throw it away

2. Give it to his or her mother

3. Put it in his or her mouth

 INTRODUCTION TO CHILDREN WEAR SAFETY
• So does the earlier video have anything to do with
our business?...... The small part shown could
have been any of the following…..
- Snap
- Button
- Plastic clip
- Laundry stone
- Zipper pull etc…
 IMPORTANCE OF SNAP FASTENER SAFETY SOP
• Why do we need snap fastener safety SOP ?
• To ensure that our products are safe for
Children – start fom 0-3 months up to age-12 -
14 years

• To avoid product recalls & comply with all legal

safety requirements per CPSIA requirements.
• To protect Gymboree brand image as safest kid brand
with fashionable products.
• To ensure production premises know & follow as
necessary steps needed for snap button, hook & bur &
rivets attachments with correct machine & mold set-up
Case 1

Customer is
injured by the
sharp point on
snap.
 INITIAL DISCUSSION

•Do you have an implemented snap control

policy?

•How do you measure the effectiveness of

the implementation ?

•If snap failure is found, what will be the

subsequent control process ?
 CRITICAL AREA
• Have you implemented a snap control policy?
• Gymboree Corporation’s Snap Control Program
• Snap purchase from Gymboree designated supplier
(YKK/PRYM/SCOVILL/ WING HING BUTTONS/YIK CHEONG
METAL)
• Correct snap component and application must be
determined through designated supplier.
• Submit sample of garment to designated snap supplier with
Snap Fastener Data Sheet.
• No manual press. Only use pneumatic or electric press that
is coming from snap supplier.
• Dies : must match with snaps / avoiding metal fatigue
• Set pinch settings
• Check and validate equipment by machine supplier technician
before production & have machine service report for every PO.
• Check during production.
• Record keeping.
 CRITICAL AREA

 How do you measure the effectiveness of the implementation ?

 Follow snap supplier’s recommendation for snap selection
and application
 Check during production :
 Check snap machine at least twice a day to ensure snaps
are secure and consistent
 At least twice a day on every snap machine’s output with
approved “Imada Pull Tester” to measure attachment strength,
REQUIREMENT : 21 lbs. x 10 sec

 Keep record of daily inspection (Snap Production Control.pdf)

 100% inspection of all snaps at end of production lines.
Unsnapped and re-snapped every garment to insure attachment
and push/pull standards are met (Snap Audit Report.pdf)
 PULL TEST CALIBRATION
• Pull Tester- Instrument used to Document time and date when
measure the pull force. calibration is performed, and name of
• Gymboree Brand have adopted the person who performed calibration
AATCC standard -part1 and BS to
test attached sundries in Children
Wear product.

• Report
• Calibration verification
test procedure.-
– Use a known or pre-measured weight
– Set dial to Zero
– Attach known weight to pull tester
– Lift weight with pull tester
– Pull tester dial should read the
value of the known weight being
used.
– If weight displayed in dial do not
match the known weight being lifted,
pull tester is out of calibration.
– Calibration to be done and
recorded daily. Record readings in
proper Units.
 Presenter
2016-04-17 22:16:24
--------------------------------------------
Factory need to arrange nominated

SMALL PART SAFETY TESTER

supplier
onsite seminar in timely basis, and
must need to install QC tools for
small pull test, force gauge and stop
watch, 3 prong clamp for button,
digital caliper for pinch setting, long
nose grip, round head grip for labels
or bow.

3 Prong Clamp Digital Caliper

Force Gauge
& Stop
Watch

Long Nose Grip Round Head Grip

 Presenter
2016-04-17 22:16:24
--------------------------------------------

Gripper Pull Test Clamp Here is highlight of different gripper

clamp, Saf-Q and the clamp in A has
a C rail to hold the rim of gripper, B
clamp L jaw insert in between gripper
and garment, if the checker not train
properly, insert too deep, it could lift
up the gripper, it show fail during pull
test.

A B
Saf-Q Gripper
Clamp A : “C” rail hold the rim of gripper
B : “L” jaw insert in between gripper
and garment (Not Recommended).
PRE-PRODUCTION ATTACHMENT CONTROL FORM
SNAP BUTTON PULL TEST REPORT – BULK
MEASURE PINCH SETTING
PINCH SETTING SHOULD BE
MEASURED FROM RUNNING
PRODUCTION IN EVERY 02
HOURS INTERVAL TO
UNDERSTAND MACHINE SET-UP
IS OKAY. MEASUREMENT OF
PINCH SETTING IS VERY
IMPORTANT AS THIS IS THE
ONLY TECHNIQUE TO IDENTIFY
WHETHER BUTTON SET-UP IS
OKAY ON BULK PRODUCTION
PCS THAT WILL BE PACKED
FOR SHIPMENT.
 PINCH-SETTING INSTRUCTION
B + S = A

Fabric Actual Pinch

Foundation
Basic Pinch

Pandora Associates Ltd : PRYM's associate in

 MEASURING OF PINCH SETTING

spring A

A
A
S-spring

A
Grip fix

A
Grip fix

A
Gripfix

Pandora Associates Ltd : PRYM's associate in

 HOW TO READ DATASHEET AND PINCH SETTING
Prym Fashion Asia Pacific PRESSFASTENER / RIVETING
普利民亚洲太平洋 ARTICLE DATASHEET 钮扣数据表
GYMBOREE
Customer 客户 ABC Garment Address 地址 China
Phone 电话 852-1234567 Contact person 联络人 Esther Date 日期 7 May 2011

Customer product 客户产品 PO# 191089 Style no 款号 GSH141

Recommended Pressfastener / LH 10mm Rhinestone Rivet w/ LH 8mm Machine Tolerance

+/-0.20mm
Riveting Article 成衣上使用钮扣建议 Capped Washer 可接受偏差
Internal use pinch setting (confidential )內部文件,只供普利民公司內
Pinch setting 钮扣数据 ( mm 毫米 )

Position on product Article Code no. Die No. S A S S

A
min
A
max Remarks
用
min max
钮扣位置 钮扣 钮扣编号 模具编号 净布 总厚 最低 最高 备注
厚度 度 最低 最高
总厚 总厚
布厚 布厚 度 度

10mm LH10MM9
Rhinestone Rivet 01 D60630LH
1 Shoe Position x 1 3.40 8.55 2.65 3.95 8.15 9.10
8mm Capped LH8MM06
Washer 4BURR D60338LH

Recommended Assembly Machines 建议打钮机类型 Possibly Existing Machines 现存打钮机类型

Machine Type 钮机类型 PP5/ 600 Producer 钮扣供货商 Prym
For the assembly of 钮扣类别 Bur & Rivet
 Ensure even foundation snap attachment at mentioned position.
 Prym Fashion will not take any responsibility in the quality of snap attachment if Prym die is not used.
 Industrial washing and ironing not recommended after attachment to avoid reaction between snaps and washing chemicals & steam.
Pinch Measurements Comments 建议
S
+
B
=
A
Attaching pressure:
Rhinestone Burr ----2.5 bar.
S B A
+ = Step processing, put rhinestone rivet on pre-punched hole completely on attaching position then
stud & stud eyelet
insert capped burr on rhinestone rivet . Push down machine handle until upper die fit on capped
burr . Make sure alignment is good then step down foot pedal to process attachment .
S B A
+ =

stud & pronged ring

Paul.Chan
Checked by 检查人员: Pandora Associates Ltd :
PRYM's associate
EXAMPLE OF DATA SHEET FROM YKK
EXAMPLE OF MACHINE SERVICE REPORT
100% Snap Audit Form
 Critical Area
If snap failure is found, what will be the
subsequent control process?

– Stop production
– Isolate problematic production garment for
rechecking. For post type snap
– Recheck process/machine setting, snap to identify
source of failure
– Correct & validate the machine setting before restart of
production
 Presenter
2016-04-17 22:16:27
--------------------------------------------

Snap Pull Off Attach on uneven thickness on seam

or too close to seam.

Attach on uneven thickness or too close to seam

 Presenter
2016-04-17 22:16:27
Snap – Uneven Thickness cause by sewing workmanship--------------------------------------------
Some uneven thickness is
cause sewing,
not the construction.
 Presenter
2016-04-17 22:16:27

Grippers Leg Out

--------------------------------------------
These pictures showing the leg out,
it could
be application error, gripper storage
might not good, machines having
problem, no matter what, it rely on
factory checker to find it out during
inspection not only by visual, use
thumb to check it.
 Presenter

Grippers Sharp
2016-04-17 22:16:28
--------------------------------------------
This either double punch or machine

Point problem,
checker should found it if they do
their job.
 LOCK STITCH
BUTTON
MACHINE SAFETY
SOP
• Button is considered as a
small object.
• If swallowed, that could
cause Choking &
suffocation - hence
potential life threat to kids

• The regulator in USA-

CPSC, consider any small
object attached to
Children’s wear should be
well secured
 Choking can be deadly

Lets help building a safe world for

kids….!
GYMBOREE SAFETY STANDARDS ON BUTTON
ATTACHING

• All 4 hole buttons must be ‘cross and

lock – stitched’ and all other button must
be lock-stitched using a polyester or
polyester cotton wrap thread
• Must pass the pull test requirement 21
lbs 10 seconds
• No hand stitch is allowed
THE FAILURE – MISSING CROSS STITCH
From Jan 2015 – Oct 2015, Gymboree has rejected 25
POs globally based on DC audits, as buttons ‘MISSED
CROSS STITCH’ on attachment.
Over 1350 pcs did not meet the criteria.
LOCKSTITCH VS CHAIN-STITCH MACHINE

LOCK STITCH MACHINE WITH CHAIN STITCH MACHINE-

BOBBIN CASE -ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
ROOT CAUSE OF ‘MISSING CROSS STITCH’
Lock stitch Buttoning machine is not used
Machine is faulty- not well maintained
Appropriate thread is not used
Button Operators are not well trained
Button operators are not checking or has no commitment to
check
The button attachment SOP is not followed
End of the line QCs & final auditors have failed to detect.
 MACHINERY
• Only Lockstitch machines are allowed for button
attachment
• Sufficient no of lockstitch machine should to be
available. (Hourly output is a good measure)
• Machinery list with Model/Year/Serial No
• Routine (Periodic) servicing and recording
• Machine Suppliers should be called in to review
the status of machines and to educate factory
maintenance team
• Daily maintenance by factory mechanics
 DAILY MAINTENANCE
• Daily Machine and bobbin Cleaning.
• Thread tension, Bobbin
Tension Checking.
• Use correct Types of Needle (#11-
#16)

• Needle change – every 4

hours
• No bent or tipped needle in
use
• Daily activity should be
recorded
 BUTTON PULL TEST
Random pull out 20 pcs from every 5,000 pcs of bulk for
internal pull test
All the testing record must be documented
At any failure, must stop the bulk production immediately
 CREATE A UNIQUE TEAM

• All Button Operators

• Mechanics
• Button Checkers
• Auditors
Pick up, train and register.
They should understand their responsibility, importance of thei

• Special attendance record

• Trained Pool- to cover absenteeism
• Re-training to be done every six months
PROCESS -PRE-PRODUCTION CONTROL

• Verify Foundation Thickness

• Apply 25 buttons in a mock seam
• Verify button attachment strength (Pull Test)
• First Button attach in a mock seam and also at every
bobbin re-fill.
• Remove the last Button from body at every bobbin
depletion.
PRE- PRODUCTION CONTROL CHART – LOCK STITCH BUTTON ATTACHMENT
 PROCESS – PRODUCTION CONTROL

• Collect every 2 hours production, count,

record with machine no before start checking
• Construction and Complete stitch pattern
Review
• Clearly Visible rabbit Ear and Knot
• Pull test (21 lbs / 10 sec) with record
DAILY PRODUCTION CONTROL CHART – BY VISUAL CHECK ON RABBIT EAR ,
COMPLETE STITCH PATTERN
Process – PSO’s role
• Cross check the record book of the
mechanic’s checklist
• Ensure the button operator follow the
SOP when buttoning
• Check the mock up in every 2 hours
• Educate the trimmers don’t treat the
“Rabbit Ear” as an uncut thread ends
PROCESS – OPERATOR’S ROLE
Clean the buttoning machine everyday
Do not allow button operator to adjust the thread tension on
the bobbin case
Call out the mechanic to adjust the thread tension when
the button is too loose or too tight
Remove the last attached button when bobbin is empty
Attach the first button at the mock up after refill the
bobbin
 PROCESS – DQA’S ROLE

Check PSO record book and buttoning mock up record in

every factory visit
Random pull 50 pcs of garment to review the performance
of the button attached
Evaluate the entire button operation process
Pull out 20 pcs of garment for internal pull test in every
5,000 pcs of button attached
Bobbin changing 1st button attachment form
LOCK STITCH MACHINE DAILY CLEANING REPORT
PULL TEST RECORD ON DAILY PRODUCTION –LOCK STITCH BUTTON
INITIATIVE TAKEN WITH ALL FACTORIES TO TRAIN ALL CONCERNS TO AVOID BUTTON
SAFETY FAILURE
INITIATIVE TAKEN WITH ALL FACTORIES TO TRAIN ALL CONCERNS TO AVOID BUTTON
SAFETY FAILURE