Introduction:
Cutting is the vital process in garment manufacturing because it handles the costliest material resource, that is, the fabric and it is an irreversible process. Cutting department plays a crucial role in the overall garment production process, as it determines the accuracy and precision of the final product. It is responsible for cutting the fabric into individual pieces according to the pattern and specifications provided by the design and pattern making departments.
Because of overemphasis on analyzing the performance of the sewing section, there is a complete ignorance of analyzing the performance of the cutting department including spreading and cut plan. This results in inefficiencies, leading to erosion of cost advantages. The few performance parameters to be analyzed in the cutting room are discussed below.
Performance Measurement Parameters in Cutting Room:
1. Material Productivity:
This provides value of output produced per unit of material used.
……………………………….Output (value or unit or value added)
Material Productivity = ———————————————————–
………………………………………Value of raw material used
This is an elementary re-examination of when, why and how raw materials are used. This evaluates how effectively or efficiently the material is utilized through the production system. Any material left in the fabric store is also a waste as it will be disposed off at a much cheaper rate.
2. Marker Efficiency:
It is ratio between the fabric area used by the marker and the total fabric area. It is generally determined for each marker plan and should not be generalized for the entire garment order.
…………………………..Area of marker used for garments
Marker Efficiency = ——————————————————
…………………………………..Total area of marker
Marker efficiency around 80%–85% is considered good and varies based on the pattern shapes, constraints on pattern placements and fabric nature. This is a vital parameter to decide on the quality of the marker.
3. Marked Consumption:
It is the consumption of a garment estimated as per the markers created by the design (CAD) section. In order to determine this parameter, the following procedures have to be followed.
- Cut order plan should be made stating the markers and number of fabric plies for each lay.
- All the markers should be made.
- Estimate the total length of fabric consumed in the lays.
- Divide this value by the total garments to be produced.
4. Achieved Consumption:
Actual fabric utilization realized per garment after the completion of the entire garment production process is known as achieved consumption. This necessitates extensive estimation but the results will show a practical image of loss of material in the system.
…………………………………..Total fabric bought for the style
Achieved Consumption = ——————————————————-
………………………………………Total garments shipped
The losses on raw material (fabric) incurred by the garment industry in terms of stock, end bits and cutting room wastages and rejection in stitching and finishing process as well as unshipped garments are incorporated in this calculation. If achieved consumption is only to be measured in the cutting section, then the formula should be slightly modified. Achieved consumption of the cutting department is determined by dividing the total fabric issued to the cutting department by the total cut garment panels issued to the sewing department.
5. Fabric Utilization:
It is the ratio between the fabrics utilized on garments to fabric available to be used. This parameter gives information about the fabric utilization status of the order.
…………………………..Fabric used on garments
Fabric Utilization = —————————————–
…………………………….Total available fabric
Total available fabric is nothing but the fabric allocated or procured for the particular order and the fabric utilized on the garment could be determined by the following methods.
A) By weight:
- Weight of one garment in each size should be determined (the weight should be taken before sewing).
- Multiply the weight of one garment with the number of garments cut in each size.
- Divide the total weight by GSM and fabric width to obtain the total length of fabric (in meters) utilized in the garments.
B) By length:
- The length of the marker should be multiplied with the marker efficiency of the particular marker plan and number of fabric plies spread in the marker.
- The above estimation is carried out for each and every marker in the particular order and then the addition of all provides the total length of fabric (meters) used in the garments. The above will give fabric utilization for the order. The formula can be extended to calculate overall fabric utilization for the factory in a month.
6. Cut Order Plan:
A cut order plan is more efficient if it utilities the least number of plies and the least number of spreads while cutting an order. An inefficient cut order plan could lead to
- Extra 4 to 6 cm fabric end loss on every increased number of fabric ply.
- Smaller markers may have lower marker efficiencies.
- More plies and lays could lead to increase in labor time for laying and cutting of fabrics.
- More plies and lays could lead to higher fabric end bits and fabric wastages.
The least number of possible plies and lays for an order could be determined by the following formula.
………………………………………Total order quantity
Least possible plies = ———————————————————
…………………………….Maximum pieces allowed in a marker
…………………………………………………Total order quantity
Least possible lays = ————————————————————————————-
…………………………..(Maximum pieces in a marker x Maximum plies in a lay)
7. Labor Productivity:
Labor productivity assesses the efficiency of the cutting operators. It considers the number of pieces cut per hour or per day, per operator.
8. Wastage Rate:
This metric indicates the amount of fabric wasted during the cutting process. It’s calculated by dividing the amount of fabric wasted by the total fabric used for cutting, expressed as a percentage.
Formula: (Fabric Wasted / Total Fabric Used) * 100
Conclusion:
These performance measurement parameters help the management of the garment industry assess the effectiveness of the cutting room, implement process improvements, and achieve higher levels of efficiency and productivity in the cutting department and ensure the production of high-quality garments while optimizing resources.
References:
- Apparel Manufacturing Technology by T. Karthik, P. Ganesan, and D. Gopalakrishnan
- Practice of Garments Merchandising and Management by Engr. Md. Faruk Hosen
- Garments and Technology by M. A. Kashem