Standards & Specification

SESSION 10
QUALITY ASSURANCE

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 Objectives
To know organisations and agencies involved
in developing, assessing and verifying product Q
and performance
To understand standard docs
To understand standard and specs & their uses
To use appropriate information sources while
developing standards and specs
To understand the relationships among
standards, specs and cost
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 Intro….
Textile industry has many segment with many
interests
Stds. & specs were introduced to ensure
supply of right quality goods
Professional trade orgs. were formed to
educate & communicate

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 Intro….
These orgs
Identified and defined terms
Developed consistent practices within the field
for describing and evaluating materials and
processes
Encouraged fair trade practices & developed
tech. advances to maintain global competition

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 Stds. & specs
They help in….
Sourcing right Q material
Use suitable production methods
Meet needs of TG

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 Stds. & specs – key orgs.
A.A.T.C.C.
A.S.T.M.
A.S.Q.
A.A.M.A.
[T.C.]2
A.N.S.I.
I.S.O.

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 A.A.T.C.C.
American Association of Textile Chemists and
Colourists
Founded in 1921
Dyeing & finishing of textiles
Biggest org. devoted to textile chemistry &
wet processing
Conducts annual conference & exhibition
7500 members in 63 countries
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 A.A.T.C.C.
90 national administrative & tech. research
committees
Performance & m’ment procedures & tech
Develops procedures to assess materials &
their performances in dyeing, care, biological
properties, etc.
Develops i’nally recognised std. test methods
Coordinates with other orgs.
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 A.A.T.C.C.
Participates in ISO activities to maintain
uniformity
Publishes Textile Chemist & Colorist, [monthly]
journal
Publishes Buyer’s Guide: directory of textile
chemical supplier [annual]
Technical Manual of testing procedures
[annual]
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 A.A.T.C.C.
Membership directory [annual]
Conference & symposia papers, film strips,
Q.A. aids, specialised ref. books
AATCC + The Society of Dyers & Colourists
(U.K.) = Colour Index (info on dye & pigments)
Std. test methods are developed by research
committees & are approved by a 3-level
hierarchy
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 A.A.T.C.C.
Test methods are reviewed annually x 3 yrs,
then reviewed every 5 years to be reaffirmed,
revised or withdrawn

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 A.S.T.M.
American Society for Testing and Materials
Largest non-govt. std. writing body
Deals with materials used in many industries –
medicine, building, water, etc.
Oldest; estd. 1898
Over 130 tech. committee, i’nal in scope
Annual Book of Standards
Standardization News [monthly]
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 A.S.T.M.
ASTM Committee D-13 focuses on textiles
ASTM procedures identify physical
characteristics & assess performance
Mostly dry procedures
ASTM works with govt., industry, others
ASTM std. are full consensus stds. (ASTM
voting members)
Annual Book of Standards for approved stds.
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 A.S.T.M.
All stds. are reviewed every 5 years to be
reaffirmed, revised or withdrawn
Stds. are used voluntarily, not legally binding
ASTM has no certification program, but they
may be used in certifying products

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 A.S.Q.
American Society for Quality
Formerly American Society for Quality Control
Org. of professionals who work to improve the
Q of manufactured goods, services, others.
Has developed professional code of ethics
Has 15 div.
Textile & Needle Trade Div. for textile products
Has 8 tech. committee
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 A.S.Q.
Has certification program for professionals
Newsletter ‘On Q’ – 10 times a year
Quality Progress – monthly journal
2 annual conference – a. technical conference
b. conference for measuring customer
satisfaction and quality

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 A.A.M.A.
American Apparel Manufacturers Association
National organisation
Deals with issues of interest to sewn product
industry
BOBBIN SHOW – annual trade meeting
Has several professional committee
Its Education Committee helps educational
institutes provide info/XP to the students
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 A.A.M.A.
Also certifies colleges/universities that meet
the standards
Apparel Research Committee reports on s-o-t-a
technology

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 [T.C.]2
Textile/Clothing Technology Corp.
Established 1981 – coalition of text.app
industry leaders + labour unions + govt.
Over 185 member companies, has partnership
with all major orgs.
Focus  improving sewn products industry in
U.S. (productivity)
Develops new processes, equipment &
implementation procedures
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 [T.C.]2
Provides internships for faculty & students in
production
[T.C.]2 shares innovations at trade shows like
Bobbin show, through seminars, workshops, on-
site training, educational material & computer
simulations
Training via interactive video showing specific
procedures & methods for technicians &
equipment operators 20
 A.N.S.I.
American National Standards Institute
Federation of many orgs, agencies, groups
Coordinates all national voluntary agencies that
develop stds
Has accredited certification program
Certification => O.K. tested (meets specified
requirements)
Many ASTM procedures have been approved by ANSI
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 I.S.O.
International Organisation for Standardization
Coordinates many voluntary standardization
orgs worldwide
2 major ISO progammes: ISO 9000 & ISO 14000

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 I.S.O. 9000
Q. management stds
“Company must be ISO 9000 certified in order to
trade”
“Companies take ISO 9000 certification to
maintain access to markets”
Certification => firm meets Q system criteria
that’s well understood by all employees

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 I.S.O. 9000
Docs. exist for designing, sourcing, process
control, inspection, record keeping, delivery,
storage
3rd party audits to evaluate the system
Benefits : elimination of unproductive work,
cost reduction, competitive advantage,
encourages team work, better understanding of
processes & responsibilities throughout the firm
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 I.S.O. 14000
Environmental management programs enables
firms to formulate, implement & audit policies
related to their impact on the environment
ISO 14000 registration => compliance with &
commitment to environmental protection

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 N.I.S.T.
National Institute of Standard & Technology
Federal agency, coordinate activities related to
science & technology
Development of std. is one area of interest

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 A.T.M.I.
American Textile Manufacturer’s Institute, Inc.
Represents ALL textile producers
Focus : govt. relations, I’nal trade, economic &
educational info.
Works with AATCC/AAMA
Sponsors annual textile tour for educators in
textile & apparel sector

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 Others
Industrial fabrics association international (IFAI)
Represents fabrics industry – ALL – including
sails, sleeping bags, conveyor belts
International Fabricare Institute (IFI)
Deals with issues related to commercial dry
cleaning & laundering, also offers classes on the
same

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 Standards & Specifications
Standards
“a set of characteristics or procedures that
provide a basis for resource & production basis”
* To start/enter a business one should know the
industry standards

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 Standards & Specifications
Standardisation
It’s the process of developing and applying rules
for a consistent & uniform approach to a specific
activity for the benefit and with the cooperation
of all concerned
Stds. describe characteristics of a product in a
precise & consistent fashion
Stds. describe minm level of performance/safety
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 Standardisation
E.g. traffic lights – tout le monde -
colour/shape/arrangement
Stds. facilitate commercial communication
E.g. bar coding, invoice, count &
construction, pantone, seams & stitches,
ATM cards
Stdn enhances production efficiency
E.g. economies of scale in production
Identical parts are interchangeable among
products (light bulb)
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 Standardisation
Stdn allows for enhanced competition
∵ consumers can compare products
∴ competition is sharper|companies work harder
Std are used to protect health & environmental
Q & promote safety
E.g. ISI, BIS

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 Developing Standards
Combined effort of producers, suppliers, mfr,
govt. agencies, consumers
E.g. J.C.Penney’s 4 point system
Std. reflects consensus of opinion about
procedure/application/analysis, etc.
Stds. are periodically reviewed, modified
and/or revised

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 Types of Standards

Company std.
Industry std.
Voluntary std.
Mandatory std.

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 Company Standards
Used within the company
Used in P.D., production, sourcing, Q.A.
Describes general characteristics/features of
product/service OR describes a required level of
performance
Includes material characteristics, fit,
production method, etc.

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 Company Standards
Examples
ALL Reebok T-shirts include reinforcing tapes
@ shoulder seams
All complaints to be resolved within 3 working
days - LG
Return policy, no Questions asked  Shoppers
Stop

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 Industry Standards
Reflects consensus
Industry standards are in terms of material
specs
Many standards exist for material
performance

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 Voluntary Standards
E.g. ASTM
No legal force/binding behind it
May be incorporated into laws, regulations or
contracts

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 Mandatory Standards
Necessary by law or regulation
Mostly relate to safety or health issues
E.g. Kidswear – flammability – minimal
burning behaviour

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 ASTM Full Consensus Standards
ASTM develops 6 types of full-consensus
standards
1. Test methods
2. Specs
3. Practices
4. Terminology
5. Guides
6. Classifications

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 Test Methods
A definitive procedure for the identification,
m’ment & evaluation of one or more qualities,
characteristics, or properties of a material,
product, system or service that produces a test
result

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 Specs
A precise statement of a set of requirements
to be satisfied by a material, product, system or
service that indicates the procedures for
determining whether each of the requirements
is satisfied
“numerical requirements within reasonable
limits”

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 Practice
A definitive procedure for performing one or
more specific ops. or fns
E.g. statistical procedures, writing statements
on precision; selecting, installing & operating
equipment

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 Terminology
Document comprising definitions of terms;
descriptions of terms, & explanations of
symbols, abbreviations, or acronyms

Guide
Series of options or instructions that suggest
approaches, offer guidance for a procedure,
increase awareness of available techniques &
provide info regarding evaluation & stdn 44
 Classification
Systematic arrangement or division of
materials, products, systems, or services into
groups based on similar characteristics such as
origin, composition, properties, or use

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 International standards
To facilitate trade & technology transfer
among nations
Produce greater compatibility of goods &
services
More than 80 orgs develop I’nal stds
E.g. Japanese Industrial Standard Committee,
Standards Council of Canada, Standards New
Zealand, British Standards Institute
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 International standards
E.g. European Committee for Standardization
(CEN) | CEN/TC 248 – textiles & textile products
CEN/TC stds are not necessarily ISO stds
∴ conflict & trade difficulties exists when orgs
don’t agree

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 Application to textile sector
Stds. reflect biz. objective that deal with
meeting needs/ expectations of TG
Stds. reflect the characteristics that define Q
for a company
E.g. National stds relate to labeling & supplying
info for consumers at POP | I’nal stds relate to
info necessary for I’nal biz. (e.g. ISO 9000 stds)
Firms may need to specify in various languages
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 Application to textile sector
The purpose of std/specs is to incorporate the
desired Q into the products that are produced
based on those docs & requirements
“one doesn’t develop or write Q stds, rather apt
aspects of Q are incorporated into std/specs as
they are developed”
“Q can’t be added to products after production,
Q.C. merely screens”
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 Application to textile sector
“focus on what factors contribute to Q”
“Incorporate stds. that address Q concerns”
“Relate each element of the product to
consumer expectation & satisfaction”
STDs vs. Marketing |STDs vs. production | STDs
vs. Merchandising

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 Application to textile sector
A firm should develop STDs for :
i. Size / Grading rule / Fit
ii. Material performance
iii. Construction
iv. Special needs of the user
v. Appearance
vi. Packaging

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 i. Fit
E.g. consumers often feel that fit of one brand is
better than another brand.
Successful firms have developed fits that are
acceptable for each size
“*the dimensions incorporate a + tolerance for
each m’ment”
“Some firms develop stds. that describe a loose
or tight fit” [LEVI’s, G-Star Raw, P.S.]
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 ii. Stds of performance
Care, ease of spreading, cutting, sewing,
finishing, durability, comfort, appearance
retention

iii. Construction Stds

Circular hem, no raw edges, no O/L, all shirts
with 7 buttons

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 iv. Special consumer needs
E.g. trunk liners – hot & cold  no problem,
soil resistant, moulds well
Kidswear that enable kids to dress themselves

v. Appearance Stds
DTM
Lacoste buttons
Hems can’t roll!!

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 vi. Packaging stds
E.g. eco-friendly packing/recyclable materials
Bar coding

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“many desirable characteristics of a
product or a service are not obvious or
visible. these aspects require careful
attention to detail, in-depth knowledge of
product(entire P.D. process) & info about
TG”

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 SPECIFICATIONS
“Specs is a precise statement of a set of
requirements to be satisfied by the
product/service”
“Requirements are non-negotiable”
“Specific terms and numerical values with
m’ment units are conveyed”
E.g. abrasion resistance – minm 350 cycles – no
holes before that
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 SPECIFICATIONS
Two important elements of expectations :
minm & tolerances
E.g. pilling, dimensional stability, colour fastness,
m’ments, GSM, count
*tolerance should not accumulate or stack up
“vendors s.b. warned if the product drifts too far
from the spec too often”
“not all specs have tolerances”
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 SPECIFICATIONS
finally …….
The procedure, test method, or process must
be identified in detail in spec sheet

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 Types of Specs
i. Open spec
ii. Closed spec

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 Open Spec
Allows for consideration of multiple vendors
Describes the character and/or performance
desired in the product
Describes what is wanted ……and vendor is
free to supply
Used when products must meet certain
required characteristics
E.g. 100% PES, trilobal cross-section, 2.0
denier, delustered, crimped, 1.25 inch
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 Closed Spec
Specifies exact material, component, or
product by mfr including style #, trade names,
etc.
E.g. Dacron™ PES, Lycra, Voltas
Used for production purposes, pricing, & for
items that must incorporate specific materials

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