Fashion Production &

Quality Management

Created & Presented by

Bharghavee Kumar Iyer
 About the subject

Reference books:

1. Glock & Kunz; Apparel Manufacturing

2. Carl & Latham; Quality of Clothing Manufacturing
3. Pradip V. Mehta & Satish K. Bhardwaj; Managing Quality in the Apparel Industry
4. Dr. Prabir Jana; Apparel Care Labeling
 About the subject

Suggested reading:

1. Gioello & Berke; Fashion Production Terms

2. Lee & Steen; Technical Sourcebook for Apparel Designers
3. Ann Marie Fiore; Understanding Aesthetics for the Merchandising & Design Professional
 What is a typical garment
manufacturing process ?
Design Pattern Making Fit Sample Making

Marker Making Grading Production Sample Making

Fabric Spreading Fabric Cutting Sorting/Bundling

Ironing & Finishing Garment Inspection Sewing

Final Inspection Packaging & Cartooning Shipment

T-shirt production process at Bella+Canvas (2017)
Garment production process at K Mohan & Co Exports (2010)
Glimpse of the production flow at Raymonds’ Silver Spark
Apparel Ltd (2019, Gauribidanur)
How T-Shirts Are Made In America - Production Flow (2020)
PRE-PRODUCTION PROCESSES
Departments in a Garment Manufacturing Unit

Admin/HR, Accounts/Finance,
 Process Flow in Merchandising Department
Recept of Techpack Fit Sample Approval* TOP/Shipment samples
shared with buyer/client
BOM Draft for sampling BOM Draft for production
Coordinate with Finishing
& Packaging + Shipping &
Pattern Making Pre-Production & Size Set
Logistics depts.
Sample Development**
Raw Material Procurement
Follow up till shipment
Sampling & Order Approval
& delivery complete
Raw Material Inspection
Raw Material Procurement
& Inspection Ensure payments are closed
Proto Sample Development

PO fwd to Production dept.

Proto Sample Approval

Follow up with PD
Fit Sample Development *Further sampling
**GPT/FPT (Garment/Fabric Performance Testing) also completed
 Pre-Production Meetings
Recept of Techpack
BOM Draft for sampling
Pattern Making
Raw Material Procurement
Raw Material Inspection
Proto Sample Development
Fit Sample Approval*
BOM Draft for production
Pre-Production & Size Set
Sample Development**
Sampling & Order Approval
Raw Material Procurement
& Inspection
TOP/Shipment samples
shared with buyer/client
Coordinate with Finishing
& Packaging + Shipping &
Logistics depts.
Follow up till shipment
& delivery complete
Ensure payments are closed

PO fwd to Production dept.

Proto Sample Approval

Follow up with PD
Fit Sample Development *Further sampling
**GPT/FPT (Garment/Fabric Performance Testing) also completed
 Outline of the Pre-production Process

Planning done prior to the bulk garment production to enhance

efficiency. That includes samples development and approvals,
sourcing and testing raw materials, garment costing, pattern
making, and process planning.
 Understanding
Pre-Production Meetings

Working Procedure of Pre Production Meeting:

1. Review checklist of Purchase Order

2. Share draft of BOM (costing) & tech pack
3. Review PP ( & other) samples
4. Make a plan for bulk production
5. Discussing all the process parameters of every section involved
6. Discuss special instructions for bulk production (if any)
Types of Samples
 Types of Samples

Design development sample:

● This is the first sample which is made for any style by most of the buyer
● Design development is either done by buyer or factory
● The main purpose is to take the decision to proceed with the same line or not
 Types of Samples

Proto sample:

● Developed at very initial stage and normally order is confirmed to the factory based on it
● Normally, buyers send proto sample request to 2-3 factories at a time
● The factory which submits the good quality and optimum price will get confirmation from buyer
● Normally prepared in similar fabric if actual fabric is not available with substitute trims
● As proto sample is given first time to the factory, the buyer needs to provide necessary information: Specification
Sheet (Tech Pack), Bill of Material, Development sample (optional), Paper patterns (optional), Sample of novelty
trims, Sample of fabric yardage (it may be send by buyer or asked to develop), Details of Print or Embroidery, if any.
● Generally proto request is responded within the 7-10 days by merchandiser
● Factory need to submit at least 4 proto samples (quantity may change buyer to buyer)
● If buyer does not approve the proto sample, factory needs to submit the 2nd proto sample to get approval
● Once proto get approved buyer asks to start working on fit sample
 Types of Samples

Fit sample:

● Fit sample is made and sent to conform the fit of the garment on live models or on dummy for approval of
construction details and fitting of the garment
● At this stage of sampling, the merchandiser makes sure that factory understands the construction quality and
details as well as standards required by the buyer - based on approval of the fit sample
● The sample is sent mostly in medium and large sizes or as mentioned by the buyer
● The fabric used for fit sample production is usually the actual fabric which is going to be used for bulk production
but sometimes sample yardage fabric is used if mentioned by the buyer
 Types of Samples

Ad or photo shoot sample:

● In order to promote the new style in the market, normally buyer asks for AD sample for photo shoot
● Buyer uses this photo for marketing purpose either on catalogue or various media like print, TV or websites to see
the response of the consumer
● This sample mainly sends in extra small, small or medium OR sizes specified by buyer
 Types of Samples

Salesman / Marketing /Showroom sample:

● The main purpose of salesman sample is to collect the order from the retailers
● In this sample, the actual accessory and fabric is used
● This is a very important stage of sampling as the sales of buyer depends upon this sample’s presentation, so the look
and feel of the finished garment sample is crucial for approval of bulk order
● The quality of the sample should be up to the standards requested by the buyer; hence the merchandiser should
ensure that the product development team is well aware about the sample quality parameters
● The cost of sample production is given by buyer
 Types of Samples

Size set sample:

● The main purpose of size set sample is to check the factory’s capability to make the sample in all sizes
● The size set sample should be made in the actual fabric and trims
● The samples can be made in the sampling room or actual production floor, as required by the buyer
● Bulk cutting of fabric for production should start only after size-set sample get approved
● Normally, 1-2 samples (or quantity specified by buyer) of each size needs to be sent to the buyer
● If sizes are more in number then buyer may ask to skip some sizes, called jump-size set sample
 Types of Samples

GPT (Garment Performance Test) sample:

● The purpose of GPT is to perform the physical and chemical testing on garment to ensure the performance of the
garment (can also be done on the fabric - FPT, separately)
● The tests done on garments are: Shrinkage, Color Fastness, Seam performance etc
● Garments for GPT sample can be made along with the Size Set sample
● Normally, GPT Sample is sent for 3rd-party inspection and results are shared with both factory as well as buyer for
complete transparency
● If same style is having 3-4 different colours then only one color sample is tested completely and other colours
samples are tested only with colour way test i.e. only colour fastness tests are conducted
● In FPT, the details of the fabric like fibre-composition are useful in creating washcare labels
 Types of Samples

PP (Pre-production) sample:

● The PP sample is considered to be a contract between the buyer and the factory - it provides the FINAL seal of
approval required before bulk production is initiated
● It has to be made in original fabric and trims
● Washing, embroidery and printing should match the actual requirements of the buyer
● It becomes the standard for further bulk production - ALL of the garments should be identical to this PP sample
● The factory can start the production of bulk garment only after the approval of pre-production samples
● Often, 1-2 samples in the same size are shared with the buyer OR as specified by the buyer
 Types of Samples

Wash sample:

● Wash sample is made and submitted to buyer for assessment of feel and handle of fabric after the typical washing
program, hence either at size set stage or PP stage a washing sample is also sent to buyer for approval and carry
forward of washing program (the existing samples are simply put through the washing program)
● If sample is not approved or approved with comments, factory needs to submit 2nd sample to get approval
● After feel-assessment, the buyer may suggest some changes in the washing program
 Types of Samples

TOP (Top of Production) sample:

● The top of production is sent to the buyer as soon initial pieces are come out of sewing line, along with suggestions
of the Quality Assurance department
● In TOP sample, the buyer tries to evaluate the actual manufacturing of the garment
● It allows the buyer to assess whether the bulk production is as per the previously submitted and approved samples
or not
● It also helps the buyer check for any packaging-related issues
 Types of Samples

Shipment sample:

● Few buyers may ask for the shipment samples which the merchandiser needs to pull from the actual shipment and
send to the buyer
● The main purpose of this sample is to assure buyer about the actual shipment dispatch and product quality
● A shipment sample is needed after completing the final inspection when goods are ready for shipment
● It is a sample that reflects what buyers will receive down to Q.C, folding, tagging, bagging, labeling and final
packaging included
● This involves random pieces to be shared to ensure conformity with the required quality standards across the entire
shipment
Understanding Parts of a shirt,
PoM & Patterns
Parts of a shirt
Parts of a shirt
 Points of Measure on a shirt

Points of measure:

● Points of measures (POM) are descriptions of each measurement point for the garment within the spec sheet,
housed within the tech pack
● The description of each POM has to be precise, standardized, and easily understood by technical, production, and
factory teams

Tolerance:

● Tolerance for each point of measure indicates the acceptable number of inches (plus or minus) over specified quality
standards.
● For example, if required measurement for the chest circumference is 38 inches with +/- tolerance of ½” and the
garment QC (quality control) measurement is 38 ½”, the garment will pass the quality standard set by you at 38”.
 Points of Measure on a shirt

Common abbreviations:

● HPS-High Point shoulder OR HSP-High shoulder point OR SNP-Side Neck Point

● CF-Center Front
● CB-Center Back
● SS-Side seam
● AH-Armhole
● NCK-Neck
● FND-front neck drop
● BND-back neck drop
● SLV-Sleeve
How to measure a shirt
How to measure a shirt
 How to measure a shirt

Garment Measurement Specification Guideline:

● O Body Length – From HPS / SNP straight down to hem,

staying parallel to the center front
● Y Centre Front Length – From closed front neck to hem
● A Chest – 1″ below armhole measure straight across, edge
to edge. Y
● B Waist – At point specified below HPS (High Point
Shoulder) or SNP (Side Neck Point). Measurement is
taken straight across, edge to edge.
● C Bottom Hem – Measured straight or curved along the
bottom edge, side seam to side seam (as specified on
measurement chart)
 How to measure a shirt

Garment Measurement Specification Guideline: Z

● D Shoulder Seam – From HPS/SNP measure along the

seam or along the natural fold line to the outer shoulder
edge.
● K Across Front – From specified point below HPS/SNP,
measure straight across, edge to edge of armhole Y
● M Front Neck Drop – From back neck seam to top edge of
the front neck
● V Placket Width - From one edge to other edge of entire
placket
● Z Shoulder Forward Depth - From fold to yoke-seam
 How to measure a shirt

Garment Measurement Specification

Guideline:

● F Sleeve Overarm – From outer shoulder edge W

measure along the fold to the edge of cuff
● J Armhole Curved – Measure from outer shoulder
edge along the curve to bottom of armhole
● H Bicep – 1″ below armhole, measure straight across
edge to edge parallel to the sleeve opening
● I Cuff/Sleeve Opening – Measure along cuff/sleeve
opening, edge to edge
● W Cuff Depth / Cuff Height – Measure from the
seam to edge of cuff
 How to measure a shirt

Garment Measurement Specification

Guideline: X

● P Centre Back Length – From the center back neck,

measure straight down to the hem
● E Across Shoulder – Outer shoulder edge to outer
shoulder edge
● L Across Back – From specified point below
HPS/SNP, measure straight across, edge to edge of
armhole
● X Back Yoke – From yoke seam line to the top edge
of back neck seam
● G Armhole Straight – Measure straight from outer
shoulder edge to bottom of armhole
 How to measure a shirt

Garment Measurement Specification

Guideline:

● S Collar Band/Stand Length – From first button to

first button hole
● T Collar Band/Stand Height or depth – From top to
bottom (usually measured at centre)
● Q Collar Length – From one peak of collar ot the
other peak (aka Collar Leaf Edge)
● R Collar Height or depth – From top to bottom
(usually measured at centre)
● U Collar Point Length - From collar peak to point of
intersection with collar band
Points of Measure on a shirt
How to measure a shirt
How shirt measurements are used to create patterns
Parts of a shirt pattern
Callouts in PoM sheet
Callouts in PoM sheet
PoM sheet
PoM sheet
Techpack sample - SHIRT
Techpack sample - JACKET
Fabric Store & Cutting Processes
Fabric Store
 Fabric Store

What is it?

● Fabric inventory maintained by the factory/manufacturing unit.

● Before starting the process of garment production, the required amount of fabric has to be stored in-house. All the
next processes such as spreading, cutting, sewing, etc. are planned and conducted basis this fabric.

● For a bulk production industry it is essential to maintain a well-organized and well equipped inventory system.
 Fabric Store

What are their functions?

● Receive the fabric as per BOM

● Fabric inspection (four point system - widely used)

● Conduct fabric test (e.g. Shrinkage, colour fastness etc.)

● Issue to the production department as per the requirement

 Fabric Inspection

What is it and why is it important?

● Examining the fabric to detect any defects that can potentially degrade the quality of final garments. If the defects
are left unchecked and detected at any later stage, it can cause loss of time and resources. The fabric inspection and
grading system is a method of carefully examining the fabric rolls and grading them accordingly. There are various
methods of inspection and grading system that can help you deliver maximum first-grade quality fabrics. Let’s
explore more about the purpose and process of inspection and grading for a better understanding.

● Fabric - most essential raw material in the textile and apparel industry, needs to retain certain desirable qualities.
Defects = poor quality of end garment / loss of time and resources.
 Fabric Inspection

What is its purpose?

● To prevent any rejection at later stages, leading to unexpected losses in manufacturing.

Examine the fabric construction, color, edge-to-edge shading, fabric feel, length/width, print defects, appearance to
determine the defect rate. As a result, it minimizes rejections and enhances efficiency and timely deliveries.

● To determine the quality and acceptability of fabrics. Generally, garment manufacturers rely on their fabric suppliers
to deliver quality fabrics so that they can produce quality garments. If the quality is not checked properly at the
initial stages, the end product will suffer.

● It also lets us determine the width of the fabric rolls. Based on it, you can easily group the fabric rolls according to
the various width sizes. Thus, you can ensure optimum utilization of fabric with a proper marker and lay division.
 Fabric Inspection

What is its process?

● Generally, most factories take a sample of rolls from the entire fabric lot to examine thoroughly. If the sample
passes the test, the quality inspector checks the rest of the fabric visually while spreading it on the cutting table.
This can also be achieved on specialized machinery as using fabric inspection machines offers better defect visibility
and reduces time and energy deployed.

● The ideal procedure for quality check is to inspect the fabric full fabric length before carrying out the cutting process
where the operator/inspector will inspect, map, and mark defects before spreading and cutting the fabrics because:
- It accelerates the spreading process as the spreader doesn’t need to inspect the fabric
- The cutter’s productivity increases due to advanced marking of defects
- It lets you conveniently cut out the patterns around the defects so that the final garments are free of any flaws
Fabric Inspection
 Fabric Inspection
What are FABRIC INSPECTION SYSTEMS?

● 4-point system
Assigns points to the fabric defects based on the length or width of the defects. The defects are based on the
following criteria: (see next slide)
The total defect points are calculated per 100 square yards of fabric. Then, based on a predetermined acceptance
criteria, the fabric rolls are graded. The formula to calculate total penalty points per 100 square yards of fabric is:
____Total points scored in the roll x 3600____
Fabric width in inches x Total yards inspected
First-grade fabric rolls = less than or equal to 40 penalty points per 100 square yards. Beyond = second grade.

● 10-point system
Assigns he penalty points to each defect based on the length of the defects, measured either across warp or weft.
The criteria for assigning the points are as follows: (see next slide)
First-grade = If the total defect points do not exceed the total yardage of the fabric piece.
Second grade = If the defect points exceed the total yardage of the fabric.
Fabric Inspection
Fabric Testing
 Process Flow in Fabric Store
Receipt of Fabric Consignment

In-House Inventory Fails inspection

Cutting for Inspection Inspection

Passes Inspection Lot Counting

Shade Checking

Fabric Grading & Lot Rejection (QC)

Merchandiser’s Approval

Registered & Stored as Fabric In-House

Cutting Department
 Cutting Room/Department

What is it?

● The cutting department is responsible for cutting fabrics and forwarding to the sewing department.

● It’s capacity is planned based on the daily feeding requirement of the sewing lines.

● The cutting department is comprised of a cutting department head, cutters, spreaders, quality checkers and helpers
for sorting and bundling.
 Cutting Room/Department

Why is it important?

● The cutting room is the feeding point to the factory and has a massive impact on all the further processes of
garment manufacturing i.e. sewing, finishing etc.

● Efficient and well-planned operations in cutting room ensure smooth flow of work to all further processes.

● It controls the utilization of fabric ,which is the biggest contributor to the cost of any garment. Even sa mall wastage
or saving of the fabric will have a huge effect on the margins of the orders.

● Cutting being the first operation of garment manufacturing lays the foundation of quality of the garment to be made.
Any imperfection in cutting process can result in non-conformance of the quality standards of all further processes.
Process Flow in Cutting Department

Planning

Spreading

Cutting

Preparation for Sewing

 Process Flow in Cutting Department
Spreads

Planning Markers

Production
Manual
Spreading
Machine

Manual
Cutting
Machine
Ticketing

Preparation for Sewing

Bundling
 Cut Order Planning

What is it?

● It translates customer orders into cutting orders to:

a) minimize total production costs
b) meet deadlines
c) seek most effective use of labor, equipment, fabric and space
 Cut Order Planning

What does it include?

● Examining incoming orders and ascertain fabric width and availability

● Determining volume, size ratios, and sectioning procedures for marker making
● Determining whether file markers are available or new ones are needed
● Developing specifications for optimum marker making and fabric utilization
● Determine most effective use of spreading and cutting equipment and personnel
● Issuing orders for marker making, spreading and cutting

This leads to marker planning & lay planning stages.

 Marker & Lay Planning

What is it?

● Marker is a diagram of a precise arrangement of pattern pieces for a specific style and the sizes to be cut from a
single spread.
● The purpose of marker planning is to determine the most efficient combination of sizes and shades for each order
and to produce the best fabric yield and equipment utilization.
● One cutting order may require several markers to achieve optimum efficiency.

● A lay is a stack of fabric plies that have been prepared for cutting.
● Lay planning is the basis of managing cutting room labor and table space.
● Spreading and cutting schedules are affected by: table length, type of equipment, spread length, spreading time
and cutting time.
 Marker Making

What is it?

● Marker making is a critical step in the manufacturing process.

● Marker making is the process of determining the most efficient layout of pattern pieces for a specified style, fabric,
and distribution of sizes.
● By retaining strict control over this critical step, they keep the fabric consumption as low as possible.
● It also ensures that the issues that affect quality will be given proper attention. These include placing patterns on
grain, keeping patterns paired, and attending to details such as drill holes and notches.
● Depending on the relative efficiency of each marker produced, the company may save or waste a lot of fabric (and
money).
Marker Making
 Marker Making

Types of Markers:

● Open marker: Marker made with full pattern pieces.

● Closed marker: Marker made with half garment parts pieces for laying along the folds of the tube (tubular knit).
 Marker Making

Types of Markers:

● Blocks or Sections: Blocked or sectioned markers contain all of the pattern pieces for one style in one or two sizes.
● Continuous marker: Continuous markers contain all the pattern pieces for all sizes included in a single cutting.
 Marker Making

Manual v/s Computerised Markers:

● Manual marker: Created on marker paper or directly on fabric ply- tracing by pencil or tailor’s chalk.
It is time consuming, subject to errors like pattern overlap, wrong grain line, poor line definition, omission of pieces
as it’s accuracy depends on an individual’s skill.

● Computerised marker: It is considered more accurate and has the shortest response time. It ensures no
overlapping/no omissions.
CAD-based marker making can be direct (technician) or digitized - the parameters (style #,size, etc.) for markers
are entered into the computer which can also be printed/recalled/modified. Can be used to determine fabric
requirement.
 Marker Making

Down
Types of Naps in Marker Making:

● Nap indicates the direction or mode of the marker to be laid on the lay for cutting procedure.

● Nap/ One/ Way (N/O/W) is made with every pattern placed on-grain and in the same direction (down, so the top lies
on the left). It is the highest quality but least efficient of the three nap directions for a marker.

● Nap/ Either/ Way (N/E/W) is made where there is no restriction of which way the patterns are oriented. The
patterns may be oriented either “down” or “up”, placed wherever they fit best, only making sure that the patterns are
on-grain. The Nap/ Either/ Way marker is usually the most efficient mode yielding the highest fabric utilization.

● Nap/ Up/& Down (N/U/D) is more efficient than the Nap/ One/ Way marker, but not as efficient as the Nap/ Either/
Way marker. In order to get a better fit between the patterns, alternating sizes of patterns are oriented in opposite
directions. This method yields moderately good fabric utilization, and good quality.
 Nap/One/Way

Nap/Either/Way

Nap/Up/&Down
 Marker Making

Marker Efficiency:

● Calculation: (Area of patterns in the marker plan / Total area of the marker plan) x 100%

● It is determined for fabric utilization and to ensure minimum waste

● Factors affecting marker efficiency

a) Fabric characteristics (fabric width, length of design repeat etc.)
b) Shape of pattern pieces (large pieces – less flexibility)
c) Grain requirements
Marker Making
Cutting Department: SPREADING
 Spreading

What is it?

● Fabric spreading is a very important part of the production process because it is basic for obtaining a high quality
final product.

● It is the process of unwinding large rolls of fabric onto long, wide tables in preparation for cutting each piece of a
garment.

● The number of layers of fabric is dictated by the number of garments desired and the fabric thickness.

● Fabric Spreading Machines are used for bulk production.

 Spreading

What is it?

● Spreading is the processes of superimposing lengths of fabric on a spreading table cutting table or specially
designed surface in preparation for the cutting process

● Spread or lay is the total amount of fabric prepared for a single marker
Spreading
 Spreading

Objectives of Fabric Spreading:

● To place a number of plies of fabric under the marker according to the planning process

● In the color required

● Correctly aligned as to length and width

● At correct tension
 Spreading

Spreading Quality Specification:

Spreading quality must be measured with respect to the following factors:

● Ply alignment: length and width should match

● Ply tension: no stretching or slacking across or at the edges
● Grain alignment and no bowing
● Splicing: waste and precision (a process of cutting fabric across its width and overlapping layers in between the two
ends of a lay to avoid faults found in the fabric)
● Damage placement and economy of marker placement
● Surface direction
● Static electricity
Spreading
Splicing
 Spreading
Types of Fabric Spreading:

The spreads can be of two basic types:

● Flat spreads – All plies are of the same length.

1. Single Ply is a single layer of fabric generally to make samples.
2. Multiple Ply is a number of fabric layers stacked on one top of
other.

● Stepped spreads – This as the name suggests, is built up in steps, with

all the plies in one step having the same length. A stepped spread is
generally used when the quantities to be cut precludes the use of a flat
spread. The cut order plan details the colors and ply lengths for a
stepped spread, if it is needed.
 Spreading

Types of Lay Plan:

1. Half Garment Lay includes only half of the garment pieces for example one side left or right. Generally used for tubular
fabrics.

2. Whole Garment Lay includes garment pieces, left and right sides. Generally used for Open width fabrics.

3. Single Size Lay is used using all garment pieces of one single size. Disadvantageous as the consumption of fabric is
higher.
 Spreading
Requirement of spreading:

1. Shade sorting of cloth pieces - allows identification and grouping together of rolls of fabric with a negligible shade difference
from which garment panels can be cut and sewn together to produce final garments with no noticeable shade variation

2. Correct ply direction and adequate lay stability

3. Alignment of plies

4. Correct ply tension

5. Elimination of fabric faults and folds

6. Avoidance of distortion in the spread

 Spreading

Spreading equipment:

● Spreading surfaces - table, pin table, vacuum table

● Weights and/or clamps - to hold the fabric in place

● Spreading machines (in case of mechanised spreading)

Spreading types:

● Manual Spreading

● Mechanised Spreading
 Spreading

Manual Spreading

● In manual spreading, fabric is drawn from its package which, if it is a roll, may be supported by a frame and carried
along the table where the end is secured by weights or by clamps.

● The operators work back from the end, aligning the edges and ensuring that there is no tension and that there are no
wrinkles.
Manual Spreading
 Spreading
Mechanised Spreading

● Spreading machines carry the piece of fabric from end to end of the spread, dispensing one ply at a time on the
spread.

● Spreading machines may include:

- A motor to drive the fabric from end to end
- A platform on which the operator rides
- A ply cutting device with automatic catcher to hold
the ends of ply in place
- An alignment shifter actuated by photo electric edge guides
- A turntable
- A direct drive on the fabric support, synchronized with the
speed of travel, to reduce or eliminate tension in the fabric being spread
Mechanised Spreading
 Spreading
Spreading machines:

1. Lectra: Lectra is a well-known brand in India and worldwide for cutting room automation in the sewn product industry.
Lectra spreading machine is very popular in India.

2. Gerber: When we talk about cutting room automation, Gerber comes after Lectra. Gerber and Lectra spreaders are found
in most of the garment factories in India.

3. Eastman: Eastman company is synonymous with the straight knife cutting machine. They have recently introduced
cutting room automation including Eastman automatic spreading machine.

4. Bullmar: Automatic fabric spreading machine

5. Richpeace: A Hong Kong-based company

 Spreading
Spreading machines:

6. Morgan Tecnica: Morgan Tecnica spreading machines are equipped with most advanced electronics and software
developed ad hoc to allow the best possible control, even by remote.

7. FK Group: Fk Group is a South Korean company specialized in automatic fabric cutting, plotter textile, textile cad, CAD
clothing machinery, fabric cutting machines and other automation solutions.

8. TukaSpreader: These are designed for all types of woven and knitted fabric. Calibrated for uniform alignment and
equipped with a built-in tension control system, TUKAspread relaxes fabrics as they are laid and requires only one operator.

9. IMA Fabric spreaders: An Italian capital company founded in 1977 in Turin, specialized in handling and management
systems of cloth rolls, spreading solutions, automatic cutting machines and software programs for the complete garment
production process.
 Spreading
Spreading machines:

10. Ozbilim: Ozbilim is a Turkish company, which has designed this machine for heavy denim and knitted fabrics. PLC
controlled, easy to use LCD touch screen and tension free spreading.

11. YIN (Automatic Spreader): Yin USA, Inc. provides integrated automation solutions for advanced textile manufacturing.

12. Cosmotex: Cosmotex is a Spanish company specialized in manufacturing, textile finishing and cutting room machinery.

13. Oshima automatic spreading machines: Oushi Group (Bao Yu Machinery Co., Ltd.) was established in 1971, for the
well-known domestic and international outstanding clothing, textile machinery and equipment manufacturers.

A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is an industrial computer that has been adapted for the control of
manufacturing processes, such as assembly lines, machines, robotic devices, or any activity that requires high reliability, ease of
programming, and process fault diagnosis.
Mechanised Spreading
 Spreading modes

Nap one way & face one way spreading

Nap up & down, face one way spreading

Spreading modes
Nap one-way face to face spreading

Nap up & down, face to face spreading

Spreading modes
 Spreading Mode

Nap one way & face one way spreading

● Most common spreading method that can also be done manually.

● Fabric roll is kept on a roller stand and fabric end is being pulled by two spreading operators - unwinding fabric from
freely rotating roll, walking along both sides of cutting table.

● While using machine, the loose end of fabric is being held by catcher and machine carries the rolls along table thus
unwinding and spreading the fabric in the process.

● Every layer has to start from same end thus spreading machine has to come back to starting position without
spreading the fabric. This return movement of spreading machine is called as “dead heading”.
 Spreading Mode

Nap one way & face one way spreading

(F/O/W, N/O/W)
Spreading starts at one end of the table on each ply
 Spreading Mode

Nap one way & face one way spreading

(F/O/W, N/O/W)
Spreading starts at one end of the table on each ply
 Spreading Mode
Nap one way, face to face spreading

● Most time consuming method of spreading.

● The loose end of fabric is being held by catcher and machine carries the rolls along table thus unwinding and
spreading the fabric in the process.

● At layer end the fabric is cut, turntable rotate the fabric roll by 180 degree and return back to starting position
without. Now from the starting end the second layer is being laid face to face.
 Spreading Mode

Nap one way & face to face spreading

(F/F, N/O/W)
Spreading starts at one end of the table. Fabric is cut at the far end, the roll is brought to the beginning of the table, rotated
180 degrees, then spread to the far end again.
 Spreading Mode

Nap one way & face to face spreading

(F/F, N/O/W)
Spreading starts at one end of the table. Fabric is cut at the far end, the roll is brought to the beginning of the table, rotated
180 degrees, then spread to the far end again.
RECAP: Spreading Modes
RECAP: Spreading Modes
 Spreading Mode

Nap up & down, face one way spreading

● The loose end of fabric is being held by catcher and machine carries the rolls along table thus unwinding and
spreading the fabric in the process.

● At layer end the fabric is being cut, rotate the fabric roll by 180 degree and start spreading the second layer from
the opposite end face one way. There is no “dead heading” by the machine in this spreading mode.
 Spreading Mode

Nap up & down, face one way spreading

(F/O/W, N/U/D)
Spreading starts at one end of the table. Fabric is cut at the far end, the roll is brought to the beginning of the table, rotated
180 degrees, then spread to the far end again.
 Spreading Mode

Nap up & down, face one way spreading

(F/O/W, N/U/D)
Spreading starts at one end of the table. Fabric is cut at the far end, then spread again facing up and cut on the other end.
 Spreading Mode

Nap up & down, face to face spreading

● The quickest spreading method while using spreading machine.

● Difficult to achieve manually.

● The machine carries the fabric roll while the end is being held in place by catcher, at layer end fabric is not cut just
folded and held by another catcher while the fabric is being laid by the machine during it’s return movement also.
 Spreading Mode

Nap up & down, face to face spreading

(F/F, N/U/D)
Spreading starts at one end of the table.
Fabric is folded over at the far end, then spreading continues back to the beginning of the table.
 Spreading Mode

Nap up & down, face to face spreading

(F/F, N/U/D)
Spreading starts at one end of the table.
Fabric is folded over at the far end, then spreading continues back to the beginning of the table.
 Spreading Mode

Spreading costs:

● Labour cost

● Fabric waste

● Splicing loss

● End loss

● Width loss