Textile manufacturing is a significant industry. It is primarily centred on the transformation of fibre into yarn, and subsequently yarn into cloth. These are then coloured or printed before being made into cloth, which is ultimately used to make practical commodities like as clothes, home items, furniture, and numerous industrial applications. In the apparel sector, productivity is frequently reported in terms of the number of garments produced per sewing machine per shift or per operator each shift. Inputs such as labour, capital, and energy can also be quantified in monetary terms. Larger productivity leads to higher profit margins in a firm. Furthermore, increasing productivity lowers the cost of clothing manufacture. As a result, by increasing productivity, a manufacturer may increase its profit. When we examine factory procedures and operations, we may discover that there is room for improvement in every area.
Following are the ways through which textile factories can improve their productivity:
- Conducting motion studies and rectifying improper motions:
Make a list of useful approaches and moves. During the motion study, watch the operator’s movement and compare it to your checklist. If you discover that the operator is using incorrect movements or that an unnecessary movement is present in the operation cycle, fix it. If necessary, deskill the operator. This reduces operation cycle time and increases worker productivity by up to 100% in particular activities.
- Conducting research and development for the garment:
Although this is a non-value-added activity, having a good Research and Development (R&D) team in the factory has several advantages. R&D may be viewed as a step of preparation for mass manufacturing. This section produces samples and investigates possibly crucial activities, plans for the need for special equipment, and advises adjustments in construction without compromising the style. For example, if an operation has some raw stitches that do not influence the final appearance of the garment, that procedure can be omitted if feasible to save time. They plan for the operations’ skill requirements. As a result, manufacturing continues uninterrupted or with fewer pauses.
- Use the best feasible line layout:
Line layout refers to the placement of machines and the centre table in accordance with the style requirements. The major goal of selecting a better plan is to decrease line transit time as much as feasible. If you create numerous goods in the same line, a steady line is not a smart idea. A linear assembly line with a central table on the left side is appropriate for a product with no prior work and individual operation SAM close to the pitch time. When a style requires a significant amount of prep work, it is preferable to construct garment parts in chunks and assemble them afterwards. Use an overhead transit system whenever possible.
Make use of work aids, attachments, guides, pressure feet, and folders:
These are some examples of time-saving gadgets that allow the operator to do their job more efficiently and with less effort. When work aids are employed efficiently, the operation cycle time can be lowered by more than the current cycle time. In small and new factories where there is no skilled technical person, the use and availability of work aids is often unknown. As a result, their operators stitch garments freehand.
- Hourly capacity checks for operators:
Employ work-study individuals (if available) and begin testing operator capability hourly or bi-hourly. Contrast the actual operator’s hourly output with their capability. If productivity is down, ask them why. It is beneficial in two ways. First, when the operator’s capability is verified at regular intervals, they will be under pressure. Second, work-study people begin to consider ways to cut cycle time. You may proceed with balancing the line using the capacity data.
- Installing more advanced equipment:
When some of your good equipment are idle in the same facility, a low-performing machine is not acceptable. Make the most of your available resources. When machinery or equipment operate poorly, operator motivation suffers. Repetitive machine breakdowns increase downtime and reduce overall efficiency level and labour productivity. I’ve seen lines where the UBT machine is utilised for lengthy seam operations with a lower work content. Normal lock stitch sewing machines, on the other hand, are used for shorter seams, where most of the time is spent in thread trimming for pulling out work from the needle.
Thus, through these tried and tested methods we can surely improve the productivity in textile factories and further improve the production process.
