In garment manufacturing, the last stage of production is finishing garments. Post garment stitching, depending on process requirement garments are sent to washing processes or transferred to the finishing process. Post washing garments are sent to the finishing department. The finishing department activities involved checking garments, ironing, removing thread tails, cleaning dust and stain, folding and packing. The common infrastructure of a finishing room includes checking tables, pressing tables with iron, spotting workstation, couple of sewing machines, folding, and tagging tables.
In this post, the common functions and activities of the finishing department are discussed with more details. After reading this article, you will gain complete understanding of functionalities of the finishing department in a garment manufacturing unit. We will also include the managerial and supervisory tasks in addition to the process of garment finishing.
Issue and receiving record keeping:
The garment finishing department counts and records garments that are received from sewing or other processes. Maintaining the receiving record is essential in terms of tracking movement of the material of the order. This process helps everyone tracking process wise WIP within the factory. They also keep records on garments by order, color and size.
Planning of finishing tasks:
Like other activities, planning is of finishing room activities for order and styles are important. The finishing department received shipment and QA inspection schedule from the production planning team. Based on shipment schedule, they need to prioritize the order for finishing processes. The urgent orders are moved fast throughout the ironing, checking, and packing processes. They also need to plan for finishing capacity for the month. In case they see less input of garments for finishing or very high volume of garments received into the department, they need synchronize the capacity for individual process.
Now we will explore the various processes of the finishing department.
Thread cutting:
In the sewing process operators leave thread tails uncut after stitching. Those uncut threads must be trimmed before folding and packing. Normally a team of workers are assigned to trim those thread tails and uncut threads manually by using trimmer. Some factories may use thread trimming machines for increasing the thread trimming process and reducing the manual thread cutting.
The quality checker carries/keeps trimmer. If they find uncut thread while checking a garment, they trim it during checking.
Product quality checking:
The most important task of the finishing department is checking every garment. Checking the garment inside and outside. Checking all seams for stitching related defects. Checking the appearance of the garment and fabric defects. The quality checks are performed for the following things.
- Checking the stitch quality, seam strengths, and broken stitches.
- Checking the shade variation between different parts of the garment. Also check the shade of the fabric is matched to the standards.
- Check labels attached to garments (size label, main label, care labels) are as per the spec. They need to check and make sure the position of the label is as per buyer approved samples and instructions given in the buyer quality manual.
- Check faulty areas of the garments – There might be many different type of defects in the garment lot. They need to be aware of all types of unacceptable defects and flaws in the garment.
- The checker needs to check the accessories and trims quality.
The garment checking in the finishing section is done in two stages. First done before ironing of the garment and second time checked after ironing.
Measurement checking:
The garment fits for a specific size depending on the measurement. The quality checker checks all the POM using measuring tape. They match each measurement against the measurement sheet provided with the techpack. Measurements checking is done for the size according to the size label.
Loose thread removal:
Post thread trimming in the finishing department, the loose thread and trimmed sewing threads are removed using thread removing machines. Garment factories use thread sucking machines to separate loose threads stuck with the garments. Loose threads sticked to the garment is considered as quality issues. Loose thread can be manually removed by using gum tapes (Cello Tape).
Removing numbering stickers:
Numbering stickers attached to the garment parts in the cutting room must be removed before ironing and packing. The thread trimming team is assigned to remove all the stickers if they find any. If the thread trimming team skips any stickers, those are removed by other teams in the finishing department.
Attach button and fastening material:
Though button attach operation is done in production lines, some garment units prefer to move the button attach operation in the finishing area. All garment styles don’t need button attach. It may be normal regular button or snap button. If the buttoning is done in the finishing room, the finishing department is responsible for that task.
Attach Labels:
Where label attachment is missed in stitching floor due to process requirement or unavailability of labels during sewing process. A sewing operator is assigned to perform label attachment operation.
Repairing defective garments:
If finishing room checkers find defective garment related to stitching defects, the defective garments are repaired by a sewing operator. The Finishing department keeps some sewing machines for garment repairing purposes.
Hard stain and spot cleaning:
Some garments are found with hard stains and spots that cannot be removed by normal washing. In such cases, the finishing department uses solvent to remove stain. Garment companies also use spot guns. The spot gun spray solvent at high force to the spot area.
Garment pressing (Ironing):
After washing and handling garments throughout the stitching process garment gets folds and creases. Garment pressing or ironing is needed to remove crease from the garments. Ironing improves the look of the garments. For some product design ironing may not be needed. For knits garments, ironing is done to shape the shape of the garments and heat setting. For the ironing process, factories use different types of ironing table and press.
Attaching tags:
Price and size tag and brand tag are attached to the garment prior to folding or after folding the garment. Tags can be attached by using thread, rope or plastic Kimble.
Folding of garments:
Ironed and checked garments are folded following the specific dimension. Folding is done manually using a template.
Packing:
Finaly garment need to pack into poly bags after folding garments. Depending on the need garment packing can be done for single piece or assortment packing. The packing is done by size ratio.
Garment Audit:
Other than garment inspection and checking 100% garments before ironing process, quality assurance team audit garment after folding and packing. This process is performed to ensure initial and final visual checking of garments, measurement checking of garment performed by internal quality checker are done with accuracy. For internal quality audit of finished final quality auditor follow AQL level for deciding sample size and garment quantity to be checked.
Labeling of the cartons:
After packing garments into the cartons, cartons are labeled with carton contents. Barcode (UPC) label printing and attaching labels to the outside wall of the carton. Post labelling, cartons are scanned to record finishing and packing quantity.
Finishing report making:
At the end of the day, the finishing supervisor needs to prepare daily finishing quality and packing quantity report. How many garments they received and many garments they packed for the day. How many garments are packed in cartons? Which orders are ready for inspection offer. They keep record of damaged and defective garments.
Conclusion:
The finishing department manages all the activities assigned to them from thread trimming to packing the nicely ironed and folded garments. The presentation of the garment and packing is also part of final inspection and buyer quality audit. In case, buyer QA found quality issues in the packed garment, they opened the shipment and asked the finishing team to inspect all the garment again. This increases the workload for the finishing department and effects on their work performance.
Functions of the quality control department in the garment industry.
Functions of the Merchandising Department in a Garment Factory
Function of the Cutting Department in Garment Factory
Function of the Production Department in Garment Factory
Functions of the Finishing Department in Garment Factory
Functions of the Packing Department in Garment Factory
Functions of the Washing Department in Garment Factory