Quality Inspection Procedures

In the Quality Assurance process the bulk production is examined before delivery to the customer to see if it meets the specifications. The consumers want to get high quality products in low price. The products should reach the consumers with right quality depending on the cost.

Quality assurance covers all the process within a company that contributes to the production of quality products; which are conducted form beginning to end of the process (or) shipment. The inspection is carried out by representatives of the current production and the result record on control chart. It is a process to Assure whether the product quality is Acceptable or not.

The aim of garment inspection is to visually inspect articles at random from a delivery in order to verify their general conformity and appearance with instruction/description and/or sample received.

There are different types of inspection done by inspectors as per the requirement of the buyer/ consumers.

     I.           Pre-Production check: This is done before production starts. Where there is a final verification of the material used; style, cut and workmanship of the garment or pre-production sample as per the customer requirements. This includes shade matching, fabric construction, GSM, dyeing levelness, ecological parameters (if required), softness, shrinkage, fabric holes, knitting defects, bowing, skewing, yarn defects, dirt and stains.

   II.           Initial production check: This is done at the start of production where a first batch of garments are inspected; to distinguish possible discrepancies/variation and to allow for the necessary corrections to be made in bulk production. The inspection is a preliminary stage covering mainly style and general appearance, workmanship, measurements, quality of fabrics, components, weight, colour and/or printing.

 III.  During production check: This is done as the production is going on to ensure initial discrepancies/variations have been rectified. This inspection is in fact the follow -up of the initial production check and is generally carried out a few days after the initial inspection, especially if discrepancies have been detected at that time. When the QC department of the factory conducts production checks its called in-line or in-process inspection. This is done to ensure that the garments are produced right in the first place, to avoid any faulty garments reaching the buyers’ QC during his inspection.

 IV.     Final Random Inspection: This is carried out when the production of the total quantity of an order or partial delivery is completed. A sample lot will be selected from the order and a percentage of the garments will be inspected, this percentage usually being stipulated by the buyer. The AQL sampling inspection may be applied or another inspection system designed by the buyer.

1. Packing & Assortment Defects: wrong design, wrong quantity, missing labels & tags, wrong size & colour assortments, wrong folding
2. Fabric Defects - wrong shade, uneven dyeing, holes, knitting stripes, thick & thin places, dirt & stains, sinker line, poor softness, higher shrinkage, crease marks 
3. Workmanship Defects -  open seam, puckering, needle holes & marks, unbalanced sleeve edge, unbalanced placket, insecure shoulder stitch, incorrect side shape, bottom hem bowing, uneven neck shape, cross labels, broken & missing stitch, insecure buttons, untrimmed threads and fabrics, poor ironing, double stitch.
4. General Defects - Shade variation within the garment parts,  shade variation between the garments, defective printing, defective embroidery, defective buttons.
5. Measurement Deviations -  Compare the garment measurements against the customer's measurement charts. 

AQL Random Sampling Inspection:

The AQL random sampling inspection was derived from the mathematical theory of probability and is based on the sampling scheme defined in military standard 105D (MIL -STD - 105D). This method constitutes taking random sample from a lot of merchandise, inspecting them and depending on the quality of the sample inspected, determining whether the entire lot is acceptable or not. The MIL - STD - 105D (also BS 6001, ISO 2859, DIN 40080) provides the sampling plans; and these determine the number of samples of be inspected in lot size, in addition to indicating and the acceptable quality level (AQL) which represents the maximum number of defects per hundred units that, for the purpose of the sampling inspection can be considered satisfactory as a process average.

In general cases the buyer will determine which sampling plan and what AQL to adopt. The AQL 1.5 is applied when severe inspection conditions are required on high-class expensive items. The AQL 2.5 is applied when textiles of normal/good quality are involved. There are three types of sampling plans: i.e. single, double and multiple sampling plans. Each sampling plan can be performed at three levels, i.e. normal, tightened and reduced, depending on inspection requirements and quality of the products. In the garments industry generally single and double normal sampling plans are applied.

·         Single sampling plan - Normal inspection: Assurance an AQL of 2.5 % and a lot size of 1200 garments and the sample size is 80 garments. If the number of defective garments found is 5 the total lot is "Acceptable" suppose if the defective garments found is 6, the total lot is "Reject/ Re-Check".

·         Double sampling plan - Normal Inspection: Assurance an AQL 4.0% and a lot size is 1200 garments and the sample size is 80 garments. If the Number of defective garments found is 7, the total lot is "Acceptable" suppose if the defective garments found is 8 the total lot is "Reject/ Re-Check".

For Example:

Total garments (lot Size) 1200 garments

Sample size (selected for inspection) 80 garments

AQL 2.5 / 4.0

If the major defective found is 5 and minor defective found is 7 the total garments is "Acceptable". If the defective exceed (Above 5 major and 7 Minor), the total garments is Reject / Re-check.

AQL CHART

Category of inspection	FRI (Final Random inspection)
Sample size level	Normal II of shipment quantity AQL max.
Lot size	1.0	1.5	2.5	4.0	6.5
51-90	*13 +0	8 0	20 1	13 1	13 2
91-150	13 0	32 1	20 1	20 2	20 3
151-280	50 1	32 1	32 2	32 3	32 5
281-500	50 1	50 2	50 3	50 5	50 7
501-1200	80 2	80 3	80 5	80 7	80 10
1201-3200	125 3	125 5	125 7	127 10	125 14
3201-10000	200 5	200 7	200 10	200 14	200 21
10001-35000	315 7	315 10	315 14	315 21	200 21
35001 150000	500 10	500 14	500 21	315 21	200 21
150001 500000	800 4	800 21	500 21	315 21	200 21
500001 + More	1250 21	800 21	500 21	315 21	200 21

AQL max = Acceptable Quality level.

i.e.: maximum number of defective sample.

* = Sample Size, + = AQL number

Random Selection of Carton Box for Inspection

Order Quantity

Colour	Size	M	L	XL	Total
Black	150	150	150	150	600
White	150	150	150	150	600

If a carton contains Black, S-10, M-10, L-10, XL-10

White S-10, M-10, L-10, XL -10

Total No. of Cartons 15 Box

Carton Selection = √nx2

Where, n = number of cartons

10% of out of points for knitted goods and 5% of out of points (tolerance) are Acceptable.

The measurement tolerance level may very customer to customer.

Major defects: Which fails to meet the mandatory regulations directly affecting the saleability and safety of the merchandise as the point of view of the customer. Which affect the saleability but also affect the value of the merchandise is considered as major defective, the major defects cannot be rectify. Ex: Fabric hole, Broken stitch, size Jumped, Dye patches, etc

Minor Defects: These defects shall deteriorate the serviceability of the merchandise with in few washing or laundry minor defects rectify. Ex: Stain, Skip stitch, wavy bottom hem etc.

If the defect found front side of the garment (when packed) which is considered as major, if it is found back side of the garment which is consider as minor defects. Defects are considered major & minor as per the customer demands.