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23 TEX 2207: Textile Testing and Quality Control-I MR

Introduction

Figure: A scientist is working in a textile testing lab

Textile testing is the process of measuring the properties and performance of textile
materials—textile testing includes physical and chemical testing of raw materials to finished
products. Textile testing assists textile production in selecting various types of fibers and their
transformation into yarn, fabric, and finished goods such as clothing. The materials are
evaluated at multiple stages of production to qualify, compare, and standardize to meet the
norms of different production stages and consumer requirements. The testing of textiles is
carried out in laboratories and in the field using simple to sophisticated testing methods and
equipment. In textile testing, many analytical instruments and online monitoring systems are
utilized. Textile testing adds value to different agencies involved in the textile supply chain,
from production, distribution and consumption. Multiple units are utilized to measure textile
fibers, threads, yarns, and fabrics.

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Importance of Textile Testing:

Textile testing is extremely important as it ensures quality and can eliminate any problems
ahead of manufacturing. By textile testing we can easily detect the faults of machinery and
materials during test of textiles. Following are the common importance of textile testing:

1. To ensure the product quality

2. To check the quality and suitability of textile raw material
3. To control the manufacturing process
4. To investigate the faulty materials
5. For customer satisfaction and retention
6. Good reputation (brand image) among consumers
7. For research and development
8. For product failure analysis
9. For process development
10. For new product development
11. For product testing
12. For conformity with government regulations and specifications
13. To assess the quality of final product

Importance of textile testing is undeniable because it importantly supports the personnel

involved in the textile supply chain, from the textile fiber to the end product. Persons involved
in textiles should have knowledge of production as well as statistics. This helps them to
interpret data efficiently.

The testing of textile products aids persons involved in the running of the production line.
During testing, the discrepancy of the product, for example, its strength, maturity, waste
percentage (for fibers), aerial density, and weave design (for fabrics), is properly measured.
Thus the selection of the proper raw material is an important factor. Standards of control
should be maintained to reduce waste, minimize price, and so on. Faulty machine parts or
improper maintenance of the machines can be easily detected with the help of textile testing.
Improved, less costly, and faster protocols can be developed by researchers with the aid of
testing. The efficiency and quality of the product can also be enhanced with the help of regular
and periodic testing. Customer satisfaction and loyalty can also be won by producing according
to customer specification in good time. In short, testing is an essential pivot to the whole textile
product supply chain.

Reasons for Textile Testing:

Textile testing is an expensive business. Because, testing needs to be carried out in a well-
organized manner since test results are used for evaluating product or fabric quality. A
laboratory has to be set up and furnished with a range of test equipment. Proper trained
operators have to employ. Moreover all these costs are nonproductive and therefore add to
the final cost of the product. Therefore it is important that testing is not undertaken without

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adding some benefit to the final product. There are a number of points in the production cycle
where testing may be carried out to improve the product or to prevent sub-standard
merchandise progressing further in the cycle.

Following are the important reasons for textile testing:

1. Checking Raw Materials

2. Monitoring Production
3. Assessing the Final Product
4. Investigation of Faulty Material
5. Product Development and Research

All reasons for testing of textiles are described below:

1. Checking raw materials:

The production cycle as far as testing is concerned starts with the delivery of raw material. If
the material is incorrect or sub-standard then it is impossible to produce the required quality of
final product. The textile industry consists of a number of separate processes such as natural
fiber production, man-made fiber extrusion, wool scouring, yarn spinning, weaving, dyeing and
finishing, knitting, garment manufacturing and production of household and technical
products. These processes are very often carried out in separate establishments, therefore
what is considered to be a raw material depends on the stage in processing at which the testing
takes place. It can be either the raw fiber for a spinner, the yarn for a weaver or the finished
fabric for a garment maker. The incoming material is checked for the required properties so
that unsuitable material can be rejected or appropriate adjustments made to the production
conditions. The standards that the raw material has to meet must be set at a realistic level. If
the standards are set too high then material will be rejected that is good enough for the end
use, and if they are set too low then large amounts of inferior material will go forward into
production.

2. Monitoring production:

Production monitoring, which involves testing samples taken from the production line, is
known as quality control. Its aim is to maintain, within known tolerances, certain specified
properties of the product at the level at which they have been set. A quality product for these
purposes is defined as one whose properties meets or exceeds the set specifications. Besides
the need to carry out the tests correctly, successful monitoring of production also requires the
careful design of appropriate sampling procedures and the use of statistical analysis to make
sense of the results.

3. Assessing the final product:

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In this process the bulk production is examined before delivery to the customer to see if it
meets the specifications. By its nature this takes place after the material has been produced. It
is therefore too late to alter the production conditions. In some cases selected samples are
tested and in other cases all the material is checked and steps taken to rectify faults. For
instance some qualities of fabric are inspected for faulty places which are then mended by
skilled operatives; this is a normal part of the process and the material would be dispatched as
first quality.

4. Investigation of faulty material:

If faulty material is discovered either at final inspection or through a customer complaint it is

important that the cause is isolated. This enables steps to be taken to eliminate faulty
production in future and so provide a better quality product. Investigations of faults can also
involve the determination of which party is responsible for faulty material in the case of a
dispute between a supplier and a user, especially where processes such as finishing have been
undertaken by outside companies. Work of this nature is often contracted out to independent
laboratories who are then able to give an unbiased opinion.

5. Product development and research:

In the textile industry, technology is changing all the time, bringing modified materials or
different methods of production. Before any modified product reaches the market place it is
necessary to test the material to check that the properties have been improved or have not
been degraded by faster production methods. In this way an improved product or a lower-cost
product with the same properties can be provided for the customer. A large organization will
often have a separate department to carry out research and development; otherwise it is part
of the normal duties of the testing department.

Difference between Process control and product control:

1. In process control, proper utilization of raw materials and auxiliaries are ensured but in
product control proper utilization is not ensured.
2. Process control is producer / manufacturer oriented but product control is consumer
oriented,
3. In process control we can analyze the time study, process study, costing and way of cost
minimization But product control don’t give any information about production time,
process line.
4. Process control is independent but product control is dependent
5. By process control it is possible to take necessary action for correction in production
process but after production it is not positive to recover the defected the defects /
faults.

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A quality is an attribute or a property characteristic of an object in philosophy. In

contemporary philosophy the idea of qualities, and especially how to distinguish certain kinds
of qualities from one another, remains controversial.
In business, engineering, and manufacturing, quality – or high quality – has a pragmatic
interpretation as the non-inferiority or superiority of something (goods or services); it is also
defined as being suitable for the intended purpose (fitness for purpose) while satisfying
customer expectations. Quality is a perceptual, conditional, and somewhat subjective
attribute and may be understood differently by different people.
In a general manner, quality in business consists of "producing a good or service that
conforms [to the specification of the client] the first time, in the right quantity, and at the
right time".
The nature, kind or character of any material is known as quality. Control is to check or verify
and hence to regulate. So, quality control is the checking, verification and regulation of the
degree of excellence of an attribute or property of a material.

Quality Controlled by 3΄Ms: Quality control is governed by three M΄s: Men, Machine and
Materials.

Quality cycle (Dewing cycle):

Quality  Failure   Cost of Production   Volume 




 Invest   Return



Expansion

Employment

Service to Society

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