Strategy for Adaptation of RFID technology in Production/Movement Tracking in Appareal Manufacturing Facility

This research paper is relevant to Indian Apparel manufacturing sector.

RFID - Radio Frequency Identification devices

Objective:

1. To use RFID for gaining better visibility of production (We can say Production Tracking, Monitoring & Accountability systems).
2. To use RFID to track finished goods movement
3. To use RFID to track rework & defective garments along the process

Application of RFID for Production Tracking & Accountability:

Fabric Stage:

1. Fabric is obtained in “Rolls” or “Bales” form; Mind you Rolls & Bales are not synonymous.
2. Fabric when wound around a cylindrical paper tubes are called as ROLLS.
3. Fabric when just folded like our Bed Spreads is called as BALES.
4. The fabric issued to cutting section may be in rolls or bales form.
   

Cutting Process (Pre Sewing Process):

1. Once received from the fabric section the roll/bale is spread across the table to a predetermined length. This process is called Spreading/Laying.
2. Many rolls/bales are spread over one another to a predetermined height.
3. Each Layer of the Lay (The Spread Layers of Fabric) is called a PLY.
4. Parts of garment to be cut are drawn over the top most layers. This process is called MARKING.
5. Parts are cut following the mark on the top most layers. This Process is called CUTTING. This process involves cutting out the parts of the garment from layers of fabric. Such cut parts are generally referred to as CUT PANELS.
6. The parts of the garment are sorted from the cutting table. This process is called SORTING.
7. Once the parts are sorted, they are assigned unique identification numbers that would be unique through out the order. This process is called NUMBERING. The ID Number may consist of information like Order No, Lot No, Shade No, Cut/Lay No, Size No, Bundle No, Piece No etc…Please note that a garment will be made out of parts bearing the same number.
8. Such numbered panels are the distributed in to bundles of 10 pieces each. This process is called BUNDLING.
   

For example: Lets take the example of a shirt, it has various parts like, Collar, Yoke (It’s the horizontal patch at the back of your shirt on which the collar is mounted), Right & Left Front, Back, Right & Left Sleeve, Pocket. These parts are cut out from the layers of fabric. These parts are then split into bundles of predetermined size. These bundles require to be tagged (Group Tag).

Let’s say using 3 rolls of fabric I’ve layed about 100 plies. If I mark the shape of pocket on the top most layers, cut the pocket out of the lay following the mark, then we get 100pieces of pocket. This 100 pieces of pocket is split into bundles of (Let’s Say) 10 pieces, hence the bundle size is 10. These bundles need to be tagged. Similarly the other parts of the garment are marked, cut, numbered, sorted and bundled. Now let’s try to mock a numbering system here. If Order No - 1111, Lot No - 1, Shade No - 2, Cut/Lay No - 4, Size No - 2, Bundle No - 10, Piece No – 6. The Bundle Number (Tag Number) should be 1111-01-02-04-02-10. The Pieces Number will be 1111-01-02-04-02-10 – Range (1 – 10).

So in case of Shirt, There will be a collar bundle, Yoke bundle, Right & Left front bundle, Right & Left sleeve, Pocket Bundle all bearing the same bundle number 1111-01-02-04-02-10 consisting of pieces again bearing the piece number 1111-01-02-04-02-10 – Range (1 – 10). Such Bundles are then loaded into trolleys and shifted to sewing lines.

Such tagged (Group Tagged) bundles have to get scanned. If the system identifies the bundle number 1111-01-02-04-02-10. Then it should automatically generate the piece number list and co-relate it to the bundle number. This Piece number list generated will be accounted as input and will be tallied against the Output at the end of parts section and also at the output of Assembly section.

Sewing Process (Production Process):
1. Sewing line consists of two major sections

a. Parts Preparation:

1. Here Independent Operations are carried out

2. Bundles of part get processed and moves as bundles only until the end of this section. Tagged Bundle Movement.

3. This section has sub section. The number of subsection will again depend on the garment. Taking example of a shirt manufacturing line again Parts preparation section will have sub sections like:

• Collar Section
• Sleeve Section
• Cuff Section
• Front Section
• Back Section
  

b. Assembly

1. Here different parts prepared and obtained from parts preparation section is obtained and assembled to make a garment.

2. Bundles of part are broken down into single piece and assembled and moves further to next operation as an individual piece. Individual Tagged Piece Movement.

3. Taking again the example of a shirt manufacturing line. The assembly operations would be:

• Left and right fronts are attached to Back to make body.
• Collar is attached to Body.
• Left and right sleeves are attached to respective armholes.
• Cuffs are attached to sleeves.
• Bottom of the Shirt is hem.
  

4. At the first stage of the assembly operation Individual piece tagging starts.

5. As the semi processed garments move along the line with the tag it gets tracked.

6. In continuation with the above example, taking again the bundle number 1111-01-02-04-02-10. The individual tag id for the individual piece would be 1111-01-02-04-02-10 – Range (1 – 10). Once all the tag ids of individual piece from piece no ending 1 through 10 is scanned by the reader after the first operation at the assembly or at the input point of the assembly then bundle no 1111-01-02-04-02-10 is said to be cleared from the Parts Preparation section.

7. In case a part is held up within the Parts Section, then bundle should be continued to move along the line, but an alert and a remark is generated within the system referring to the missing piece.

8. In circumstance where the QA inline feels the need to stop the process due to quality concern, then he needs to take the part of tag the individual piece with a special id tag, scan it, and then take it out of the production line.

9. Say the input to parts section was parts enough to make 400 shirts, if there was a quality concern at one of the operations with 1 part, the QA will have a special tag with him, that he tags to the part n scans it. Then the expected output at the output point would be 399.

10. Again once all the garments bearing number 1111-01-02-04-02-10 – Range (1 – 10) is scanned by the reader at the end of the line, then all the parts bundle bearing bundle number 1111-01-02-04-02-10 is marked as clear.

11. These finished garments are then sent to finishing process. The Output of the assembly is tallied against the piece number list at the input of the parts section and also with the piece number list at the input of the assembly point.

12. Garments that pass the inspection process are accounted as Output.

13. This output at the end of the line is taken as dispatch account to finishing (Input to finishing process).

Finishing Process:

1. The finished garment from sewing section is received here.
2. Extra left over threads on the garments and at the joints after sewing is trimmed here. This process is called TRIMMING.
3. These Garments are inspected for manufacturing defects. This process called Checking.
4. The garments are pressed on pressing tables to set the seams straight and to give good presentation to the garment. This process is called PRESSING.
5. The pressed garments are then examined thoroughly for quality and compliance with the specifications and the requirement of the customer. This Process is called INSPECTION.
6. There are 2 different forms of inspection usually conducted on the consignment.
7. First inspection is conducted by a certified inspector who works for the manufacturing company. In other words an Internal Inspector. This may or may not follow AQL (Acceptable Quality level) system of inspection.
8. Second inspection is conducted by representative of the buying agency. This inspection will be conducted based AQL (Acceptable Quality level) system.
9. The tag will remain intact on the garment through out all the above explained processes.
10. At any of the inspection or checking points if any quality issues are observed within the garment, a special id tag is tagged to the garment and is scanned and then sent back to rework. If there are some irreparable problems with in the garment, then a different id is assigned to it and scanned and co-related to its original piece number in the database and needs to be flagged off as defective, so that even by mistake it doesn’t find its way in to the consignment.