CTE 4443 STUDY GUIDE Textile Quality Assurance The process of designing producing evaluating and assessing products to determine that they meet the desired equity level for a company s target market Many perceive quality assurance as quality control which is post production approach testing after the product is made Holistic perspective actions o Quality is not the same for all things but is inherent in all object and o Must address contemporary business issues o In the case of textile products includes the components that contribute to quality o Engineering quality into a product o Measuring a product s quality o Improving quality of a product or process Product perspective Product quality is represented by a total of a set of precise and measurable characteristics or components of a finished product o Consistent conformance to specifications and standards o Quality is achieved when products consistently fall within a range of acceptable measures for all dimensions of quality o Products that meet this level of quality are assumed to produce the greatest income and profit for the company Customer perspective o Customer could be the next level of manufacture of the final consumer o Quality reflects and ever changing marketplace and satisfies the ever changing needs of the customer in the market o Companies must respond to changes in expectations and needs by maintaining contact with their customers One way to be sure quality is the best is through textile testing Testing is the analysis and evaluation of a material or product to assess its characteristics quality or performance The product may be tested in its original condition or may be subjected to procedures such as laundry abrasion ect Before and or after testing Purposes for testing o Assessment of Product performance o Research and Development o Quality Control o Comparative Testing o Analyze Product Failure o Meet Government Regulations Who does the Testing Suppliers In House The company that supplies the product to the retailer The company that produces the product o JC Penny and Sears do In House testing Independent or contract A separate business organization that specifically tests materials and products for other companies xtile Testing Organizations Te o AATCC anything for shrinkage or color Chemical properties of textiles tests dyeing finishing or Physical mechanical properties o ASTM o ISO International Organization for Standardization Coordinates efforts among different countries to develop standard test methods that can be applied internationally Based in Geneva Switzerland Has a member from each country Serves member organizations throughout the world o AAFA American Apparel and Footwear Association National organization that deals with issues of interest to the sewn products industry standards development and use in the US and to serve as a liaison between US standards organizations and other countries American National Standards Institute Coordinates voluntary o ANSI US member body in the ISO Textile Testing Stages of Testing Fiber Yarn Construction Fabric properties Fabric inspection for defects Garment Either Preproduction Early production or Post o Laboratory Testing materials using standard procedures in a specialized facility Evaluating characteristics or performance of production Advantages Quick Results Environment is controlled Uses specialized equipment Uses trained specialists Disadvantages May not be true to actual conditions of use Conducted over a long period of time and simulates o Wear Testing actual use Advantages More realistic Simulates actual use Disadvantages Long term commitment Expensive Conditions not controlled Textiles are determined to be of good quality if they satisfy end use performance requirements o This means that the fabric as a whole from fiber to finish color must be suitable for the purpose Standard Testing Conditions o 70 2o F 21 1oC o 65 2 RH relative humidity Quality Companies and their employees need to understand how quality affects the organizations standard practices within organizations consumer behavior and market competition Standard A set of characteristics or procedures that provide a basis for resource and production decisions Something that is established by authority custom or general consent Standardization The process of developing and applying rules for a consistent and uniform approach to a specific activity Specification A precise statement of a set of requirements to be satisfied by a material product system or services that indicates the procedures for determining whether each of the requirements is satisfied o Specifications focus on measurable characteristics o Specifications Reflect company standards costs and customer expectations o Specifications describe the product in detailed terms that producers can produce consistent products o Specifications are used to negotiate contracts and bids o Specifications are used to purchase materials o Specifications are used to communicate production requirements to production workers o Specifications are used by suppliers to advertise their product lines o Specification is more specific than standards o Example a company standard requires that all knit shirts for children will be machine washable Then even deeper than that a specification would be describing the actual performance that will be expected such as shrinkage color staining appearance ect o Performance Specifications The statement of how a textile must perform in a particular end use High levels of performance often require materials with higher fabric counts more twist in yarns more labor ect Lower levels may decrease cost but may also decrease quality Parts of a performance specification Test method name and number Characteristics strength dimensional change Expected test results Should not be too low which will result in poor quality or too high which might cause most products to fail thus limiting product availability What are you testing for ex Breaking Requirements Types of Specifications Jobs Associated with it emphasizes Company s focus May be related to mission o Target statement Marketing Division o Functional required by law Marketing division o Product stitches Related to performance requirements may or may not be Includes elements related to production Includes seams Engineering or production division Includes characteristics of material from functional or o Materials performance aspect Design or product development division o Process