Garment manufacturing is a complex process, but integrated machinery and acquiring machines from one single supplier can help.
Today, garment manufacturing is a bigger business than ever before. There are an estimated 60 to 70 million garment workers globally, with India, Cambodia, and China dominating the industry with their vast number of garment production factories. In India alone, around 28 percent of people working in manufacturing are employed within the textile industry.
Garment manufacturing is a complex process that requires hundreds of staff to work together seamlessly, as watertight procedures, high-quality training, and positive morale are key to success. On top of competent staff, efficient garment manufacturing demands the use of complex machinery. Let’s look at five things everyone should know about the garment manufacturing process.
Choosing the Right Fabric
When it comes to clothing, retail customers want comfort. Itchy, uncomfortable material will cause shoppers to put clothes back on the rack. Garment manufacturers are concerned more broadly with the costs and characteristics of fabric. Fabric must not only look good and be free of rips and snags, but also be easy to adapt to different clothing styles and production methods. Fabric that is difficult to manipulate will cause problems in the production process, so manufacturers that select low-quality fabric to cut costs risk losing customers in the long run.
To select the most suitable fabric for their products, manufacturers must also have a basic understanding of their target customer. For example, workwear must be durable enough to withstand challenging working conditions, so fabric that rips easily is unsuitable. Moreover, high-end customers expect high-quality clothing, so cheap fabric won’t fit the bill. Ultimately, it’s up to manufacturers to inspect and select fabric that fits both their production capabilities and the expectations of the target customer. Making the wrong decision at this point could wreak havoc on the rest of the production process.
In-House Mistake Rectification
So many different stages of production increases room for error. Catching quality issues at the end of production is better than nothing, but garment factories should implement quality control checks at multiple stages of production to catch issues earlier on. Doing so helps manufacturers avoid the financial and reputational cost of product recalls, should faulty clothing make it into the hands of customers.
The Importance of Needle Detectors
If you haven’t brought needle detectors into your quality control checks , you should. As needles are used for sewing and embroidery, it’s not uncommon for discarded needles or other metal debris to make their way into finished garments. Undiscovered garment needles can cause injury to customers, who may take legal action against the manufacturer responsible. Issues of this scale cause irreparable damage to garment manufacturers, as worldwide product recalls are extremely expensive and hugely embarrassing. The solution? Scan products with needle detectors to catch wayward needles before they leave the factory.
Boosting Productivity with Integration
To stay relevant in the highly competitive global textile industry, manufacturers must find ways to boost productivity. One promising productivity booster, integrated factory machinery, collects and shares data from machines across the production line. Managers can review this data in order to optimize the manufacturing process. With information such as quality control pass and fail rates shared between servers at lightning speed, managers are empowered to make production decisions on the go.
Integrated machinery also allows managers to take a hands-off approach to managing production, saving time and money while boosting productivity. Manufacturers still missing out on integrated factory machinery should consider making the switch, as these benefits for management ultimately enhance production efficiency and product quality.
One Supplier, Many Benefits
Most machine suppliers provide one or two kinds of machines, meaning manufacturers usually deal with multiple suppliers at once. This is not just inconvenient, it’s inefficient. Using machinery from different suppliers creates a fragmented factory system and necessitates staff training for each individual machine. In addition, each supplier has their own terms and conditions, and after-sales service quality can be inconsistent. Machine breakdowns can take weeks to repair, putting orders on hold and costing manufacturers money.
To avoid these issues, garment manufacturers can look for one supplier to provide most or all of the machines their factory needs. And if you’re still not sure which machines you need to set up a garment factory, check out our guide (Link: A Comprehensive Guide For Setting Up a Garment Factory) . Machines from one supplier can be operated in a similar way, saving manufacturers time and money on staff training. After-sales services are also more efficient, as calling one helpline can get you all the assistance you need.
OSHIMA’s integrated machines boost factory efficiency
While many factory decisions fall beyond the scope of machinery, manufacturers can boost efficiency and productivity by using high-quality, integrated machines. OSHIMA is an industry expert that provides over 80 percent of the machines used by garment manufacturers, from spreading and cutting to fusing and needle detection. With OSHIMA, garment manufacturers deal directly with the machine supplier to quickly resolve any machine-related issues.
Conclusion
Garment production relies on durable machinery and hardworking staff to produce clothing that customers will love. Though there’s potential for error, this can be mitigated by using high-quality factory machinery. Integrated machines boost factory productivity by creating reports and collecting production information that managers can review remotely. Machines such as needle detectors scan clothing for metal debris, helping manufacturers avoid massive product recall costs. Are you looking to improve your factory efficiency with fully integrated production line machinery? OSHIMA can help! Talk to us today to find out more.
References
https://katanamrp.com/blog/garment-manufacturing/
https://textilevaluechain.in/in-depth-analysis/articles/textile-articles/garment-manufacturing-industry/
