apparel standards & quality assurance / wovens

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Apparel Standards & Quality Assurance Manual RCG Group/Classic Fashions Division (WOVENS)

Apparel Standards & Quality Assurance Manual RCG Group/Classic Fashions Division (WOVENS) A MANUAL

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Contents: Fabric CPQA-1.1: Fabric Checking & Quality Control CPQA-1.2: 4-Point System CPQA-1.3: Definition of Fabric Defect, Identification & Grading Work Process CPQA-2.1: Work Process CPQA-2.2: Work Order Package & Processing CPQA-2.3: Pre-Production & Production Processing CPQA-2.4: Final Inspection & Dispatch of Finished Goods CPQA-2.5: Standard Work Procedure (a) Sewing CPQA-3.1: Standard Sewing Instructions CPQA-3.2: Quality of Stitch Line CPQA-3.3: Quality of Sewing CPQA-3.4: Quality of Branding Items CPQA-3.5: Thread Quality CPQA-3.6: Buttons CPQA-3.7: Other Sewing Quality CPQA-3.8: Standard Work Procedure (B) Consumption CPQA-4.1: Standard Consumption Instructions Checking & Finishing CPQA-5.1: Standard Finishing Instructions CPQA-5.2: Alignment & Measurements CPQA-5.3: Thread CPQA-5.4: Foreign Materials CPQA-5.5: Ironing & Folding CPQA-5.6: Trims & Accessories Attachment CPQA-5.7: Washed Garments Packing & Dispatching CPQA-6.1: General Packing Instructions: CPQA-7.1: Carton Packing & Dispatch of Goods: CPQA-8.1: Protocol For Final Inspection CPQA-9.1: Minimum Fabric Standards for Men’s Woven Fabrics: CPQA-10.1: Woven Fabrics Performance Specification for Large Retail

Organization

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FABRIC & TEXTILE GOODS CPQA-1.1: Fabric Checking & Quality Control A/4.1 Fabric should be checked for the following defects (excess of the tolerance

provided for flagging in fabrics) before proceeding with cutting program. All defective fabric should be returned to fabric supplier without any alteration to the length of the material.

Holes & cut marks / Slubs / Bowing / Uneven pattern width along the length / Color variations / Seam strength of the fabric / Color fastness & shrinkage in case of washed program.

B/4.1 Avoid the selvedge (0.50 Inch) in the market plan & pattern lay. Excess selvedge is a fabric defect & has to be intimated on increase of consumption.

C/4.1 Fabric defects are strong areas of value loss/loss of consumption. Control it!! D/4.1 75% of cost control in any garmenting process can be controlled at the fabric

stage. Ensure consumption control for better valuation to the product. E/4.1 Insist on 3 Size mix markers (12feet) for optimum consumption advantage. F/4.1 Line matching is an important feature for branded products. CPQA-1.2: 4-Point System: The 4-point system, also called the American Apparel Manufacturers Association (AAMA) point-grading system for determining fabric quality is to be used for fabric quality checking. Fabric flaws or defects are assigned point values based on the following. Defects are assigned points based on their size or Length of defect in fabric, either length or width Points Allotted For example, a fabric roll 120 yards long & 48 in. wide contains the following defects: Total defect points per 100 square yards are calculated, & normally those fabric rolls containing more than 40 points per 100 square yards are considered “seconds". Important Points: The following points are worthy of note:

(a) The maximum number of defect points to be counted against any linear yard is 4 points. (b) The fabric is graded regardless of the end product. (c) No industry standards or acceptable limits exist for shortage in the number of yards on a roll of fabric as much as 2 or 3% shortage & some do not accept any shortage.

SIZE OF DEFECT VERSUS POINTS Up to 3 inch: 1 Point Over 3 inch up to 6 inch: 2 Point Over 6 inch up to 9 inch: 3 Point Over 9 inch: 4 Point Holes & openings 1 inch or less: 2 Point Over 10 inch: 4 Point

2 defects up to 3 inch (2 Defects)X (1 Point) 2 points 5 defects over 3 inch but less than 6 inch (5 Defects x 2 Points) 10 points 1 defect over 6 inch but less than 9 inch (1 Defects) X (3 Points) 3 points 1 defect over 9 inch (1 Defect) X (4 Points) 4 points Total defect points 19 points

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CPQA-1.3: Definitions of Fabric Defects, Identification & Grading A/1.3: Self-Descriptive Defects Hole Curled selvedge Foreign matter Torn Selvedge Slack, uneven,

or tight selvedge

Cut Soiled end or pick Slack end or pick Crease or wrinkle Scalloped or wavy selvedge

Knot Stringy selvedge Spots or stains Hanging or loose thread Streak Tight end or pick Tear Uneven warp or filling

B/1.3: Fabric Structure to Tensile & Tear Strength & Abrasion Resistance Relation:

Key Fabric Structure

Tensile Strength Tear Strength Abrasion

Resistance Low Loose 1 3 1 Medium Moderate 2 2 3 Tight Tight 3 1 2 C/1.3: Colorfastness Tests: GRADE Change in color Staining Color Transfer Parameters:

Change in color- On the gray scale Staining- On the staining scale Color Transfer- On the chromatic transference scale

CLASS-5 Excellent Excellent Excellent CLASS-4 Good Good Good CLASS-3 Okay Okay Okay CLASS-2 Bad Bad Bad CLASS-1 Worse Worse Worse

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WORK PROCESS CPQA-2.1: Work Process At Classic Polo, we would be following the below mentioned process in all the work order execution. It is expected that the converter should be informed of these work processes for clarity of working. The system that needs to be followed to process any particular order is as follows: CPQA-2.2: Work Order Package A/2.2 Work Order Package will include the following documents:

Purchase Order (PO) / Order Break-Up / Measurement Sheets / Design Sheet / Trims Card with all the trims

B/2.2 Work Order package should be provided in one lot only. C/2.2 Trims & Accessories that has to be provided by the brand has to be ensured

delivery at the manufacturing units within 24-48 hours of dispatch of the work order package. If the same cannot be delivered for any reason, substitute has to be arranged or the item cancelled. In case of emergency, the sewing trims should be provided on priority. Packing trims can be provided within a mutually agreed period.

CPQA-2.3: Pre-Production & Production Processing A/2.3 Pre-Production Sample (2 No’s per Job Order): To be presented on receipt of

the order. For verification of styling, trims, branding, quality of product & packing. Bulk processing can be started on return-receipt of one PP Sample with a confirmation.

B/2.3 Time & Action (T&A) Plan has to be generated for each order & intimated to the merchandisers after receipt of the PP Approval. This will include the processing time, the date of inspection & delivery of finished goods along with consumption.

C/2.3 Dates provided by the factory for delivery of goods should have 1-2% deviation.

D/2.3 On-line Q/C is mandatory, to be confirmed & tracked based on the T&A plan chart.

CPQA-2.4: Final Inspection & Dispatch of Finished Goods A/2.4 All production (online), Washing & Finishing, for any specific order has to be

totally completed before requesting for final inspection. B/2.4 Date of final inspection should be informed to the merchandisers to plan the

correct date of inspection, thus ensuring delivery of goods on time. There should be a minimum of 6-10 days of intimidation lead time.

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C/2.4 Final inspection should be conducted as per AQL 1.50 systems. The goods will be assigned to assorted inspection at the factory. The quality inspection will be random from an assorted list.

D/2.4 Shipment of any product code has to be done in one lot. Part shipment of any product code will not be accepted & the same will be returned back.

E/2.4 Goods can be shipped out only after a written confirmation has been received from the Quality Assurance Executive/Manager.

F/2.4 The liability of quality on the product is nullified after the goods (passing the final inspection) have been moved out of the conversion unit.

Important: The Merchandisers will assess the goods & process at all stages of production, along with the Q/A team on production, quality & dispatch. It will be mutual responsibility of the factory, Merchandiser & Quality Control to ensure that goods dispatched are of approved quality standards. CPQA-2.5: Standard Work Practices (A)

A/2.5 Ensure proper documentation of all process. B/2.5 Ensure all terms & conditions are agreed before initiating work. C/2.5 Tele-confirmation on any issue has to be confirmed with written

communication. D/2.5 Vendors’ liability on the quality of product ceases to exist after the goods

are moved from the converters premises. E/2.5 However if on certain instances the quality of goods is found to be passed

through malicious methods, the same shall be confronted to the converter for explanation. The merchandiser & Quality Control team will be liable to be held accountable on such instances.

F/2.5 All communication with the brand has to be through a single channel of the QA Executive-to-merchandiser-to-Merchandising Head.

G/2.5 If proper representation is not provided by the merchandiser, the next senior in hierarchy can be contacted for immediate solution.

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SEWING CPQA-3.1: Standard Sewing Instructions: Two broad categories of sewing instruction will be followed for any particular season: Formal & Casuals. Formals will have standard sewing guidelines. Casuals (including semi-formals & street wear) will have flexible sewing instruction as per design/style. CPQA-3.2: Quality of Stitch Line A/3.2 The stitch line quality should be neat & precise. B/3.2 Uniformity of SPI within a line should be maintained. C/3.2 Stitch slippages are major quality issues & should be avoided. D/3.2 Stitch line should not create any gathering or have thread bulk. E/3.2 Stitches Per Inch (SPI): All operations must meet SPI (stitches per inch)

requirement designated in the product specification. F/3.2 Avoid wrong stitch density at the stitch line. G/3.2 SPI allocation: Too many give rise to jamming & rupture of fabric threads;

Too few to grinning or weak seams.

CPQA-3.3: Quality of Sewing A/3.6 Skipped stitches form the hook irregularly failing to pick up the loop of

thread from a needle’s eye owing to a number of causes, is not acceptable. B/3.6 Broken stitches, arising from the wrong stitch type, too tight tensions, a

badly formed joint in the seam where the second line of stitch runs over the first & cracks it, sharp feeds, & too great a pressure are signs of bad workmanship.

C/3.6 Uneven stitch densities (Operator causes machine to snatch & does not allow machine to control fabric.) are signs of poorly finished garments.

D/3.6 Staggered stitch, from faulty feed motion, incorrect needle, & other machine parts are unacceptable.

E/3.6 Improperly formed stitches, caused by bad tension, incorrectly adjusted timing, ill fitting machine components.

F/3.6 Irregular or incorrect shape of sewing line (sometimes called run-offs) in top stitching, arising from lack of or badly set guide, not following a mark or incorrect handling are not acceptable.

G/3.6 Insecure back stitching, because subsequent rows do not cover the first row of stitching.

H/3.6 Blind stitching showing on the face side, or not securely caught on inside, arising from improperly adjusted bender should be avoided

I/3.6 Seam grin, arising from too loose a tension or too large a stitch, or the use of the wrong stitch type.

J/3.6 Seam pucker, because of incorrect handling by the operator misaligned notches, or tight thread tensions.

K/3.6 Pleated seams, an extreme form of 7, where operator failed to ease in fullness evenly.

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L/3.6 Seaming defects usually caused by errors arising from the interaction of the operator & machine in the handling of the garment.

M/3.6 Twisted seam leading to irregular puckering or the garment parts not hanging correctly when worn; caused by improper alignment of fabric parts, mismatched notches, & allowing one ply to creep against another.

N/3.6 Mismatched seam, where transverse seams do not match (e.g., inside leg seams at the fork of trousers).

O/3.6 Wrong seam or stitch type used, against the tech pack specification.

CPQA-3.4: Quality of Branding Items Attachment A/3.4 Positions of the main label & other branding will be as per specifications in

the Design Sheet. B/3.4 All branding items (labels) should be neatly attached without slip stitches

or excess bulk at the sewing location.

CPQA-3.5: Thread Quality A/3.5 Color: Sewing thread color should be tone-on-tone or contrast, as

specified in the instruction sheet. B/3.5 Counts: Thread can be 20s/30s/50s for causal & street wear, while

80s/100s/120s can be used for formals. (As per specification). C/3.5 Quality: Thread quality should be Spun Poly in the specific count of yarn.

The tensile strength of the stitch should be optimum without creating any kind of gaping or weakness in-between the seams.

D/3.5 Thread breaks, arising from too thick a thread for the needle, too thin a thread, needle heat, operator working un-rhythmically, or too tight tensions.

CPQA-3.6: Buttons A/3.6 Buttons will always be Dye-to-Match (DTM) unless specified otherwise. B/3.6 Button stitch should have self lock. C/3.6 Thread color on button can be DTM or contrast.

CPQA-3.7: Other Sewing Quality Parameters A/3.7 Needle damage as evidenced by holes, picked threads, ruptured thread or

other damage to the fabric, caused by wrong size or type of needle, blunt needle, needle hear, or machine feeding difficulty are quality issues to be avoided.

B/3.7 Feed damage, particularly on thicker or sheer fabrics, or when machining over transverse seams, from: 1. Incorrect type of teeth, 2. Excessive pressure by foot,

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3. Improper alignment of feed & foot, 4. Damaged throat plate, 5. Excessive machine speed.

All the above are unacceptable quality & have to be avoided. C/3.7 Open thread ends & overlap stitch lines at any point has to be avoided.

Any such issues have to be corrected before passing through finishing & checking.

D/3.7 The bottom hem should be uniform & symmetrical in shape. Uneven shaping & matching of the hemline will be considered defective & subject to rejection.

E/3.7 Bar tacks should be neat, of the appropriate measurement (as per instructions) & specific to the location. The dimensions & quality of the bar tack has to be approved.

F/3.7 Oil spots or stains have to be cleaned from the finished garments. G/3.7 Incorrect or uneven width of inlay, arising from bad handling by operator,

incorrectly set guide, incorrectly adjusted folder. In extreme cases, the seams burst open raw edges show slippage of weave threads occur, or notches are exposed.

H/3.7 Mismatched checks or stripes. I/3.7 Wrong shade of thread used. J/3.7 Assembly Defects (perhaps caused by errors arising in marking & cutting,

as well as sewing operations in the sewing room or a combination of these)

K/3.7 Finished components not correct to size or shape for not symmetrical. L/3.7 Finished garment not to size arising from incorrect patterns, inaccurate

marking or cutting, shrinking or stretching fabric, incorrect seam widths. M/3.7 Parts, components, closures, or features omitted, caused by bad work

flow, & wrongly printed work tickets, parts omitted in cutting, careless operator.

N/3.7 Components or features wrongly positioned or misaligned arising from incorrect marking, or sewing not following the mark (e.g., pockets, bartacks, top stitching, button holes, buttons, hooks & bars, hooks & eyes, zips).

O/3.7 Interlining incorrectly positioned, twisted, too full, too tight, cockling. P/3.7 Lining too full, too tight, showing below the bottom of the garment,

twisted, incorrectly pleated & so on. Q/3.7 Garment parts shaded owing to being mixed after cutting. R/3.7 Parts in one-way fabrics in wrong direction, usually only small parts, such

as pockets. S/3.7 Mismatched trimming. CPQA-3.8: Standard Work Practices (B)

A/3.8 Appropriate quality check should be maintained at all levels of manufacturing. Fabric - cutting -online production – finishing –Checking - Ironing & Packing.

B/3.8 Neat premises are very important to achieve neat product.

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C/3.8 To achieve 95-100% efficiency in eliminating loose thread from a garment, the production unit should have thread sucking M/C.

D/3.8 Side seams should be made only with FOA (Feed-of-Arm) M/C. E/3.8 Kansai & sleeve placket should be made with specific folders & not with

single needle M/C to obtain uniformity. F/3.8 Sleeves should be roll folded before hem finish stitch.

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CONSUMPTION CPQA-4.1: Standard Consumption Instructions: All consumption related issues for both FOB & Semi-FOB will be subject to approval. Allowances are allocated for orders as per the level of difficulty within the product in production. Consumption of fabrics in any product type depends on five major factors & a series of minor factors:

a. Fabric design (Solids/Stripers/Checks). Check & stripers will also be subject to the size of repeat.

b. Width of the Fabric ( 36 Inch / 46 Inch / 52 Inch / 58 Inch ) c. Style complication in the product design, d. Marker Length or lay table length (From 6 ft – 14 ft) e. Size mix within the lay (single size-mix / 2 size-mixes / 3 size-mixes.)

For optimum quality control, ensure the following instructions are followed during laying & cutting A/4.1 Ensure all grain lines are in straight lines (90 degree for straight & 45 degree

for bias) as per specification. Please use original grain lines in the marked positions. Tilting of pattern in lay ensures bad quality of garment.

B/4.1 All matching patterns (like, pocket, Sleeve to shoulder etc) should be placed within the areas where the line matching (mitering) is possible.

C/4.1 Any particular fit (Regular/Slim/Ultra-slim) of garment should be planned in the same marker & cutting program.

D/4.1 Square pattern procedure should be applied to areas where there is a strong possibility of matching being delicate. Front panels, Sleeves & pockets are the areas which should be controlled.

E/4.1 Embroidered panels should be cut with the allowances for frames for the process

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CHECKING & FINISHING CPQA-5.1: Product Quality Standard Finishing Instructions: The final look of the garment includes the quality of the packed product, trimmings used & the presentation. It is very important that the quality of the product reaches to the customer as per pre-conceived expectation of quality. CPQA-5.2: Alignments & Measurements: A/5.2 Measurements: Must not exceed tolerance specified on individual In-Process

specifications (Allowance must be made for seam off & stitch margins on subsequent operations).

B/5.2 Crooked, Puckered, Curled, Pleated Seams: Finished garment appearance or serviceability must not be adversely affected.

C/5.2 Automatic operations such as buttonhole or bartacks: 3/8” allowed unless thread contrasts with garment & creates poor appearance.

D/5.2 Finished seams 3/8” allowable if texture polyester thread is used. Otherwise none allowed on outside if contrasting & visible to the consumer. Allowed on outside if matching thread is used & tail is less than ¼”.

E/5.2 Stripe: On stripe matched seams, stripes must match + ¼”. F/5.2 Hems: Defective if excessively curled, puckered, pleated, or Embroidery,

Print, Screen Print, Zippers, collars. Poorly attached, position incorrect, incomplete, zipper inoperative.

G/5.2 No raw edges/open seam should be seen if not mentioned clearly in the design sheet.

a. Raw Edge, untrimmed: No raw edge allowed on outside finished seams. No raw edge inside wider than ¼”.

b. Unclipped Threads & Long Ends. On intermediate operations (i.e. those operations which will be seamed over or covered by a subsequent operation) threads will be specified on In-Process Quality Specifications for that operation.

CPQA-5.3: Thread A/5.3 Trimming of raw threads should be neatly done to avoid any kind of hanging

loose threads. a. Open Seams: No open or raw seams allowed except on hems where

up to 5/8” allowed. b. Skipped Stitches: No skips allowed on chain stitch or raveling stitch

unless skip will be covered by a subsequent operation. CPQA-5.4: Foreign Materials

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A/5.4 Stains & foreign markings should be neatly removed from the garments using white petrol or any other solutions/medium available. Minor/major stain which cannot be removed should be marked as second (2nds) & offered separately along with the approved quality goods.

B/5.4 Broken Needle: Any broken needle left in garment has to be removed either manually or through magnetic sucking M/C.

C/5.4 Uneven Seams: Leg, Sleeve cuff, or other seams designed to meet evenly must by 3/8” or less. Front opening panels must be no more than ¼” from meeting evenly.

D/5.4 All foreign objects like loose thread, needle tips, dust particles etc should be extracted before final packing.

CPQA-5.5: Ironing & Folding: A/5.5 Ironing has to be crisp & should not leave any kind of crumpling or stains on

the final product, unless specified for steam irons or mild ironing, where there is a clear instruction to retain crumpled look in the finished product.

B/5.5 Fold ironing: Fold ironing has to be avoided at two places in particular for the shirts: The crease of the collar fold. & Cuff fold crease. Cuffs & collars should be ironed flat & not in its folded state.

C/5.5 Fold iron have to be maintained at the formal trousers where the center crease has to be maintained. The iron crease line should not be visible both at the edges of the cuff or the collar.

D/5.5 The fold of the garments should be neatly done. The sleeves should be neatly folded & never be crumpled.

E/5.5 Wherever interlining or microdot fusing is used, please ensure that bubbling is avoided e.g., collar & cuff. It has to be ensured that bubbling does not appear due to washing.

CPQA-5.6: Trims & Accessory Attachment: A/5.6 The inner brandings like tissue paper & foams should be crisp till the product

reaches the store shelves. B/5.6 All branding (hangtags & other detachable tags) should be put in the right

place & in the right order as instructed. C/5.6 Labels: Defect if crooked, missing, incorrect, insecurely attached, or seriously

puckered. Stitching not to cover logo in any manner. D/5.6 Snaps, Fasteners: Missing, loose or misaligned. Stud must match socket

within ¼” Greater tolerance allowed only if appearance is not seriously affected.

E/5.6 Trim: Missing or obviously pieced, shaded or defective so as to affect appearance of finished garment.

F/5.6 Buttons: Loose, damaged, missing, or misaligned to buttonhole + 3/8”. i. Button must easily button through buttonholes. ii. Buttons are supposed to be intact on the products through multiple

washes at the consumer end.

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iii. To approve button attachment quality, the button has to be stretched with mild pressure to ensure that the threads are locked.

G/5.6 Zipper in the trousers should be left at the lower end in open fly condition during packing. Testing of Zippers: The usefulness of a zipper in service is evaluated by the following strength tests. No one test determines the suitability of a zipper for a specific end use. Since the tests are interrelated, more than one may be needed for a complete evaluation. Zipper strength is usually tested in the following areas: (a) Crosswise strength (b) Scoop pull-off (c) Holding strength of stops (d) Scoop slippage (e) Slide deflection & recovery (f) Resistance to twist of pull & slider (g) Resistance to pull-off slider pull

H/5.6 Inner pocket lining in trousers should always match the body fabric or be in the specific lining fabric asked for in any specific design.

CPQA-5.7: Washed Garments: A/5.7 Wash product (shirts) should never be with collarbones. B/5.7 In case of washed garments, the moisture contents should be appropriate

(not dry) during finishing & ironing to provide the required moisture. C/5.7 Washed garments should never be crisp ironed.

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PACKING & DISPATCHING-1 CPQA-6.1: General Packing Instructions: Product presentation is one of the most important reasons why a product is purchased. The following instruction to be followed for product packaging. A/6.1 Miscellaneous:

a. Clip placement in shirts: Back Fold (1.5 inches away from the side edges)

/Full Sleeve Cuff Fold & Half Sleeve Cuff Fold / Center fold at back. b. Styles with detachable collar bones styling should be provided with collar

bone packets along with the hangtags. c. The folding & front view of the packed product should have the branding

hanging outside on top of the body. d. The order of inner packing within the shirt will always be in the following

order (From bottom to top with the shirt on the table -front side facing down) Product (Shirt)-Tissue Paper- Soft Foam-Inner Hard Board.

B/6.1 Branding Tags & Accessories:

All the hanging branding will be looped around the specific position mentioned in the design sheet in the order mentioned below & shown in the diagram. Quality of thread loop will be as per sample approved/ provided. Hangtags should be used only with cord twain (Not with plastic auto-lock cords). Length of the hangtag loop = 3 inches from knot to end. The order in which the different hangtag should be placed (From bottom to top):

a. Layer 1: Price/MRP Tags b. Layer 2: Campaign Tag/ c. Layer 3: Main tag / d. Layer 4: Wash care.

C/6.1 Boards-Back Support & Runner:

The inner back support - HARDBOARD - has to be of the standard thickness.

a. The shape of the back support & collar stand should be of the specific design as per sample design provided.

b. Final design of the back support has to be approved along with the product package.

c. There has to be 1 inch double fold at the center of the back support (for two-fold back support) to provide for the center fold & thickness in the final packing.

d. Back support top portion will have Classic Polo branding printed. e. Measurement of the logo & name will be as per artwork provided. f. Collar band (paper Patti) support should always be dye-cut. g. Collar band should fit into the collar band.

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h. Do not use any Collar band support that does not fit the collar band or is torn to fit into the collar band.

D/6.1 Tissue Paper:

Inner tissue used in shirts will be as per approved quality & artwork for every season.

a. The tissue paper will be legal paper size. b. The tissue paper will have original branding/message typo over it. c. Printing Quality: Watermark printing in single color.

E/6.1 Poly bag:

a. Only low density polyethylene (LD-PE) with a film thickness between

0.04 mm & 0.07 mm to be used, without air perforations. b. Poly bags should always be snugly fitted to the packing item. The

poly bag should fit the body of the packed garment with a maximum gap of 0.25 Inch on either side. Folded bottom of the poly bag should have a minimum open width of 2.25 inch.

c. The glue-line/sticker tape should tolerate multiple opening & closing. d. There should be minimum rustle sound & brittleness to the poly bag. e. After folding, the flap overlap should be: Minimum = 1.75” to

Maximum = 2.00”. Standard quality instruction should always be there on the poly bag.

f. Each poly bag must be marked with adhesive size-stickers. g. Use numbers to specify the sizes: 39, 40, 42, 44, 46 etc

F/6.1 Soft Foam:

The soft foam for packing has to be of the approved quality.

a. DIMENSIONS should be between 0.3-0.6 mm thicknesses. b. The shape of the soft foam should complement the shape of the

product. c. Soft foam should fit edge-to-edge without bulk due to layering or

edge overlap. d. The soft foam should be machine cut. It should never be

hand/scissors cut with uneven cut line. e. The soft foam should be glued on to the hardboard (wherever

applicable). It should never be stapled or left free on the product.

G/6.1 Carton Box:

Follow specific carton boxes as per product pack instruction. Classic Polo has very specific three sizes of cartons for Shirts (stand-up packing), Trouser (3-fold packing) & roll packing for shirts & bottoms. Inner cartons are specified to contain one size set of any specific style in the manufactured ratio.

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PACKING & DISPATCHING-2 CPQA-7.1: Carton Packing & Dispatch of Goods: Product presentation is one of the most important reasons why a product is purchased. A/7.1 Carton Box Specifications: The carton boxes have to be sturdy & strong (Specification: 90-120 gsm paper with corrugated ply of 7 ply (outer cartons) & 5 ply (inner carton).

a. It should reach the final destination without major distortion or creating any visible damage to the products inside the box.

b. Loss/damage of goods due to inferior quality carton boxes during transport is accountable to the converter, unless the same has been insured.

c. All inner carton box should have the products in assorted sizes as given in the Job Order Sheet & packing instruction.

d. The ratio of the products should be always maintained. e. Units within each carton are predetermined. Do not over stuffed into

one carton (both inner & outer) resulting in distortion of the product when it arrives at the Warehouse.

f. The carton boxes have to be finally packaged with layer of packing polythene & sealed at all corners.

B/7.1 Lot Packing/ Ratio Packing: Neutral boxes & tapes to be used for inner cartons or lot packing. Inner carton has to be marked with the article number & the size set of the ratio packing. Each ratio of goods has to be in packed in separate inner carton or separated by a layer of corrugated sheet to demarcated one assorted size group from the next. C/7.1 Carton Box Markings: The carton boxes used for dispatch of finished goods should be printed with the details of brand with address. Placement of Carton Markings should be through:

a. Print on cartons b. Printed sticker on cartons

All details must be corresponding to packing list. The contents on carton should be: a. Box Number/ b. Style Number/ c. Color & Sizes/ d. Total Units/ e. Total Weight per Box/ f. AWB/LR No/ g. Origin of the Goods/ h. Destination of the Goods

D/7.1 Transportation of Finished Goods:

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All finished & unfinished goods have to be dispatched through nominated transport (as detailed to each converter) & should be door delivered. If on any circumstances the goods are delivered by any other transport for whatsoever reason, it has to be assured door delivery. E/7.1 Dispatch Advice: The dispatch of goods must contain the following information:

a. Copy of invoice with order no/ b. Copy of Airway Bill (AWB) No/ c. LR-No/Truck-No etc/ d. Total number of cartons/ e. Total units in numbers

F/7.1 Packing List: The packing list must include the following information & must be sent with the consignment / goods:

a. Style, Code & Color/ b. Summary of Style/ c. Size & Quantity/ d. Quantity of Boxes/ e. Total Pieces per each carton

G/7.1 Commercial Invoice: The invoice must include the following information:

a. Order Number/ b. Article (Style, Quality, Color) in codes/ c. Quantity/ d. Per Unit Price/ e. Total Price/ f. Product Name/ g. Quantity of Box

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CPQA-8.1: Protocol for Final Inspection Final Inspection consists of inspecting finished garments from the consumers point of view; size measurement; from fitting (putting garments on the proper-size mannequins’ to see if they properly fit the labeled sizes); & live modeling if necessary (again to see if the garments properly fit the labeled sizes). Final inspection may occur before or after garments are packed in poly bags & boxes. Final Inspection Quality Specifications for Men’s Dress Shirts Location Inspect for Collar 1. Both points same length (+1/8 in.). Stripes, Plaids, checks, or pattern

2. should match on both points. Uniformly stitched, no Puckering, skipped or broken stitches or raw edges should lay flat.

Buttons & buttonholes

3. Properly spaced, no puckering or fullness. Buttonholes properly 4. sewed, no cut stitches. No broken buttons. Located so stripes, plaids, 5. or patterns match (+1/8 in).

Pocket 6. Top of the pocket horizontal. Uniformly stitched, no Puckering, skipped or broken stitches or raw edges. Corners securely tacked. Stripes, plaids, checks or patterns should match (+ 1/8 in) should lay flat.

Hems 7. Uniformly stitched, no puckering, skipped or broken Stitches or raw edges. Stitching 1/16 in from edge.

Yoke & shoulder

8. Pleats (if any) properly placed. Uniformly stitched, no Puckering, skipped or broken stitches or raw edges. Should lay flat.

Side seams 9. Stripes, plaids, checks, or patterns should match (+ 1/8 In.) Uniformly 10. stitched, no puckering skipped or broken Stitches or raw edges.

Cuff 11. Stripes, plaids, checks, or patterns should match. The sleeve (+1/8 in). 12. Uniformly stitched, no puckering, skipped or broken stitches, or raw

edges. Finished appearance

13. Clean of all loose thread. No oil/dirt stains. Free of any Fabric defect. 14. No shade difference within a shirt from Part to part 15. (Panel to panel).

AQL (Acceptable Quality Level): The AQL is the maximum per cent defective that, for the purposes of sampling inspection, can be considered satisfactory as a process average. The AQL is generally expressed in per cent (%). The AQLs most widely used in apparel industry are 2.5, 4.0, 6.5, & 10.0 depending on the price & item.

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CPQA-9.1: Minimum Fabric Standards for Men’s Woven Fabrics:

Property Test Method End Use

Jeans Casuals Washed Appearance

AATCC-124, IIB (3 washes)

3.5 3.5

Crease Retention

AATCC-88C,IIC (3 washes)

4 4

Seam slippage ASTM D 434 35 lbs. 25 lbs.

Shrinkage AATCC-135, IIB (3 washes) Appropriate Cycles

Pre-cured, warp x fill 2%x2% 2% x 2%

Post-cured, warp x fill 2%x2% 2% x 2%

Pressing & Curing Washing 2%x2% 2% x 2%

Total (Press, Cure & Wash) 3.5x3.5% 3.5% x 3.5%

Non-Permanent/ Press1

AATCC-96, IIE-3 (3 washes)

3%x3% 3% x 3%

Tear Strength (Elmendorf) ASTM D 1424 3.5 lbs. 3.0lbs.

Tensile Strength (grab) ASTM D 1682 60 lbs. 50 lbs.

Crockfastness2 AATCC-8 Dry 3-4 3-4 Wet 2-3 2-3

Color fastness to Abrasion

AATCC-119

3-4 3-4

Colorfastness to Sublimation 30 seconds, dry contact heat @ 3500F

3 3

Colorfastness to Laundering

AATCC-61, IIA Colorfastness to Shade change 3-4 3-4

Colorfastness to Staining 3-4 3-4

1. Non-permanent press fabrics tested for shrinkage in a home washing machine &

tumble dryer must be hand steam ironed sufficiently to restore to a wearable level of smoothness before measuring shrinkage.

2. Crocking of dark colors & reds cannot be guaranteed because of limitations in the current state of technology.

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CPQA-10.1: Woven Fabrics Performance Specification Test Description Specification Test Method Fabric Weight ± 10% A-8 Construction Ends/Inch ± 5% Picks/Inch ± 5% A-7 Tensile Strength Warp (lbs.) 35.0 min Filling (lbs.) 35.0 min A-9 Tear Strength Warp (lbs.) 1.5 min Filling (lbs.) 1.5 min A-11 Flat Abrasion (cycles) 300 min A-13

Resistance to pilling @ 5000 Rubs

3.0 min A-14

Seam Strength lbs.) 20.0 min A-12 Dimensional Stability (3-5 Laundering or Dry-cleaning)

Length (%) 5.0 max Width (%) 3.0 max A-6

Appearance Retention Satisfactory AATCC Test

Method 143 Smoothness of Seams after Repeated Home Laundering

3.0 min. A-15

Color Fastness to Light (20 AFU)

4.0 min A-4

Accelerated Washing/ Dry-cleaning

Shade 3.0 min Stain 3.0 min AATCC Test Method 61

Home Laundering Shade 3.0 min Stain 3.0 min A-6 Crocking Dry 3.0 min Wet 3.0 min A-2 Perspiration Shade 3.0 min Stain 3.0 min a-3

Chlorine Bleach 4.0 min AATCC Test Method 3

Non-chlorine Bleach 4.0 min AATCC Test

Method 172 Flammability Pass /Class 1 16 CFR