Garment Manufacturing Research Articles

Fabrication of Luminescent Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in a Biocompatible Approach: Its Potential for Photodecomposition and Germicidal Effects.

The fabrication of the green strategy of metallic oxide creation provides considerable profits via a minimum of effort, making it an acceptable substitute to the most laborious and challenging conventional processes. The suggested approach involved the creation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles through Orthosiphon stamineus extracts of leaves. The synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) were then characterized using XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM with EDX, and UV-visible spectroscopy. UV-visible spectroscopy validated the presence of optical imperfections in the TiO2 NPs at frequencies of 286 nm. This research specifically focused on examining the photodecomposition and germicidal traits of NPs. Initiatives aimed must be made to mitigate the hazardous effects of TiO2 NPs in an ecologically sensitive way throughout their production. Exposing the dye methylene blue (MB), a major water polluting produced by garment manufacturing, to TiO2 NPs resulted in a considerable increase in photodecomposition efficiency. The photodecomposition process exhibited a rate of breakdown of 83%. The findings indicate that the diameter inhibition zone exhibits the most potent resistance versus pathogenic microorganisms. These results have led to the identification of a long-term, sustainable, and ecologically beneficial solution for removing pollutants from water and biological properties.

Made in South Asia: Centering Labor in Textile and Garment Manufacturing Work, 1970s to 2020s

Abstract Labor in the textile and garment industry is at the heart of a series of recent books on South Asia. Together these books document the different scales at which textile and garment work has been structured and restructured over the last century, and its implications for workers, their health as well as collective solidarity. Across the countries of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, the industry developed and declined in vastly different temporalities and rhythms. Yet, as these works reveal, workers have often been confronted with similar challenges brought on by the boom-and-bust cycles of industrial development. In each case, textile and garment workers have been forced to navigate transitions to premature deindustrialization, closure, or national/transnational industrial policy changes. The books center workers and their long “post”-industrial or industrial “afterlives,” as they cope with the dramatic changes in the global manufacturing of textile and garment.

The role of process monitoring devices and digital line balancing in achieving operational excellence in garment manufacturing

The role of process monitoring devices and digital line balancing in achieving operational excellence in garment manufacturing

An overview of technological challenges in implementing the digital product passport in the textile and clothing industry

Abstract The textile and clothing industry is undergoing a shift towards a circular business model, driven by new European Commission regulations, which mandates that by 2030, textile products available on the European Union (EU) market must be recyclable and sustainable. To facilitate data collection, storage, and sharing throughout the entire product lifecycle and ensure product traceability and sustainability, the use of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) will be required. This article presents an analysis of the most commonly known digital data technologies from the perspective of their use in digital garment labelling, describing their advantages and limitations. The analysis is complemented by practical insights gathered from semi-structured interviews with garment producers in the Baltic Sea region. The survey revealed that producers prioritise sustainability and are prepared to digitise product information but are awaiting EU’s clear guidance. Despite the challenges posed by DPP implementation from the global, producer, and customer perspectives, upcoming regulations are seen as providing new competitive opportunities for products and services. Both the technology analysis and the expert survey indicate that QR (quick response)-based smart tags are potentially the most straightforward solution for the initial phase of DPP implementation.

Adopting Zero-waste Pattern-making Techniques for Apparel Product Development

Every year, the fashion industry churns out millions of clothing items with fresh styles, resulting in significant fabric waste during production. This fabric waste contributes to environmental pollution. Embracing zero-waste pattern-making techniques for clothing production offers a viable solution to curbing this issue. By utilising the entire fabric yardage, these techniques aim to minimise or eliminate fabric waste after garment production. Zero-waste design is a holistic approach that integrates designing, production and sourcing processes. This article aims to propose solutions for controlling fabric waste through innovative zero-waste pattern-design techniques, thereby fostering a sustainable future. Traditionally, the apparel production process utilises 85% of fabrics, leaving behind 15% as wastage. The challenge lies in reducing this 15% wastage to zero (Abernathy et al., 1999). However, it is acknowledged that not everyone can readily adopt zero-waste pattern techniques. It requires creativity to develop optimal design solutions for apparel production. Collaboration among designers, pattern makers, academics and production professionals is essential for researching and identifying the best creative practices and solutions for integrating zero-waste pattern-making techniques into the apparel production process. Developing approaches for zero-waste pattern-making involves researching basic pattern design principles, understanding associated challenges and analysing outcomes. This research and development process in zero-waste pattern-making can pave the way for better sustainable practices, ultimately contributing to the reduction of fabric waste pollution and fostering a more sustainable future.

Body heat energy driven knitted thermoelectric garments with personal cooling

Wearable, thermoelectric (TE) devices have gained significant interest in recent years as they can both generate output power from converting body heat into electrical energy and be utilized in personal cooling through the Peltier effect. Currently, researched wearable TE cooling devices focus on devices that can be attached to the human body in specific locations and use heat sinks or elongated thermoelectric pillars to increase their effectiveness, making them hard and bulky. In addition, these devices are attached, not integrated, to wearable garments, making their manufacturing a multi-step process. To address this issue, we developed a knitted TE garment through a single-step manufacturing process that offers energy generation and personal cooling capabilities. The functioning of the cooling device was mathematically modelled and analyzed to understand its scalability, optimization, and to show its potential. This garment features excellent thermoelectric generation of 7.48 mV and 0.46 mA on the human body, and the ability to cool the human body up to 1.5 °C. The observations proved that the mathematical model could predict the behavior of the TE device closely. The results showed that the proposed method of knitted TE cooling garment manufacturing is a viable and scalable process.

Critical barriers to adopt sustainable manufacturing practices in medium-sized ready-made garment manufacturing enterprises and their mitigation strategies

This study delves into the critical barriers hindering sustainable manufacturing practices in medium-sized ready-made garments manufacturing enterprises. Initially, barriers were identified through a literature review and expert opinions. Then, the fuzzy Delphi Method and expert consensus were used to prioritize the critical barriers. Finally, based on the insights from a focus group discussion and the supported literature, strategies to mitigate the identified critical barriers were formulated. In this study, the initial barriers identified encompassed various dimensions. The top three critical barriers were identified as higher prices of sustainable products, limited supplier commitment, and lack of access to information. Strategies to address these critical barriers include adopting collaborative business approaches, incorporating sustainability standards, investing in technology, implementing sustainable manufacturing techniques, and integrating green supply chain management practices. Overall, by focusing on these strategies, medium-sized garment manufacturing enterprises can enhance their sustainability efforts and gain economic, environmental, and social benefits.

Implementation of Quick Changeover in Garment Manufacturing Units

Implementation of Quick Changeover in Garment Manufacturing Units

The influence of stakeholder theory and Islamic faith on employee perception of CSR

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influences of employee perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the Readymade Garment Industry (RMG). The RMG industry in Bangladesh has faced constant criticism of their working practices, and following some fatal incidents, the industry was faced with external pressures of implementing CSR practices and policies. Manufacturers invested and initiated CSR in their business and marketing strategy to survive in the global competition. Employees are internal stakeholders that help to implement and disseminate strategies successfully; however, there is not enough knowledge in the area of employee perception of CSR. Design/methodology/approach The paper is an exploratory study using the quantitative data collection method. In total, 128 responses have been collected from participants who are employees of garment factories in Bangladesh to understand their perception of CSR. Regression analysis has been conducted to ascertain the relationships between the factors that influence employee perception. Theories of stakeholder management, organizational citizenship behaviour, social exchange theory and employee engagement have been used to analyse the factors that influence employee perception. Findings The findings show that the factors that influence perception of CSR are not confined to the stakeholder’s initiatives but are significantly dependent on the employees’ direct involvement, engagement and personal values as a beneficiary and an executioner. In addition to the stakeholder’s initiatives that are a key deliverable to the marketing strategy, the employees are influenced by their personal beliefs and practices that can be associated with influences of religion, culture and the wider social landscape. Research limitations/implications The data is limited to a small number of factories located near the capital, Dhaka, this is a small sample compared to the 4,000 factories in Bangladesh. Further research can be conducted based on a larger data set, which could represent a wider range of employee perspectives from different factories relating to size, product category and geographical location. The study does not expand on the factors that influence employee perception specifically. Practical implications The findings of the study can help the employers understand that the organization’s priority and participation are not the only factors that influence the employee’s perceptions. The employees’ assessment of the stakeholder’s intentions of CSR, which are reflected in the organization’s priority, shapes employee perceptions that are influenced by their personal values and beliefs. The awareness of the factors that influence the employees will enable organizations to motivate them and deliver on expectations of the business partners. Social implications It is the practices aimed at the employees that enhance their engagement in CSR that enable them to reciprocate and influence their perception of the organization’s fair and genuine motives. The effectiveness of this aids the macro-marketing aspects of managing social concerns and the impact of businesses. Originality/value The data collected is primary data from employees of garment manufacturers. The hypothesized framework is developed by the authors, and the outcomes of the factors that influence the employee perception of CSR are escalated from the analysis conducted by the authors.

Novel Synthesis of Zinc Oxide on Cotton Fabric by Cathodic Cage Plasma Deposition for Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Performance.

Cotton fabrics with zinc oxide (ZnO) coating are of significant interest due to their excellent antibacterial performance. Thus, they are widely in demand in the textile industry due to their medical and hygienic properties. However, conventional techniques used to deposit ZnO on fabric require long processing times in deposition, complex and expensive equipment, and multiple steps for deposition, such as a separate process for nanoparticle synthesis and subsequent deposition on fabric. In this study, we proposed a new method for the deposition of ZnO on fabric, using cathodic cage plasma deposition (CCPD), which is commonly used for coating deposition on conductor materials and is not widely used for fabric due to the temperature sensitivity of the fabric. The effect of gas composition, including argon and a hydrogen-argon mixture, on the properties of ZnO deposition is investigated. The deposited samples are characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, photocatalytic, and antibacterial performance against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. It is observed that ZnO-deposited cotton fabric exhibits excellent photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and antibacterial performance, specifically when a hydrogen-argon mixture is used in CCPD. The results demonstrate that CCPD can be used effectively for ZnO deposition on cotton fabric; this system is already used in industrial-scale applications and is thus expected to be of significant interest to garment manufacturers and hospitals.

Potential challenges of collaborative robot implementation in Vietnamese garment manufacturing

Collaborative robots (cobots) are a new significant technology in the integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and Industry 5.0 (I5.0). Working alongside humans in open environments, cobots can boost safety and productivity. However, manufacturers are facing some potential challenges in adopting cobots, such as technological challenges, social problems, cost barriers, and labor issues. Vietnam has a great potential for outsourcing in the top supply chains for many famous fashion brands globally, with thousands of textile and garment factories. The purpose of this study was to explore potential challenges of cobot implementations in the context of Vietnam’s garment factories from factory employees’ perspectives. Data were collected from 29 garment factory managers in Vietnam. Findings revealed a rapid change in fashion trends and many unskilled workers may limit cobots’ flexibility, precision, and innovation. Furthermore, cobot implementation is affected by the cost of cobots, infrastructure upgrades, and risks of possible failure in deployment. Cobot firms, application partners, technology programmers, and manufacturers need to discuss how to maximize cobots’ benefits in diverse aspects of the garment manufacturing setting. These insights could boost the industry’s economy and sustainability.

GARMENT DURABILITY ANALYSIS – INFLUENCE OF TEXTILE MAINTENANCE

Textiles used in clothing pose a large environmental burden from their initial manufacturing, maintenance and end of life. Garment production is a major problem whose environmental impacts can be easily quantified since it is a defined production process. To implement sustainable processes, it is necessary to evaluate the entire life cycle of a garment, including its maintenance and end-of-life. In this study, the maintenance phase of the garment is investigated. The garment maintenance is divided into real applied steps, and these individual steps are analysed in terms of raw material especially regarding potential/real damage to the treated garment fabric. The different maintenance steps are contextualised by the survey and results of the questionnaire used for the study. This investigated which gentle maintenance practices the respondents use in practice. The source of the analysed data is a questionnaire survey made in the Czech Republic. The result is a thorough analysis of the maintenance practices associated with garments and an analysis of ways to extend the lifetime of garments and thus reduce their environmental burden caused by excessive waste generation.

Design and Simulation Ergonomically Sewing Chair for Garment Manufacturing Workers

Design and Simulation Ergonomically Sewing Chair for Garment Manufacturing Workers

Computer numerical control knitting of high-resolution mosquito bite blocking textiles

Mosquitoes and other biting arthropods transmit diseases worldwide, causing over 700,000 deaths each year, and costing about 3 billion USD annually for Aedes species alone. Insect vectored diseases also pose a considerable threat to agricultural animals. While clothing could provide a simple solution to vector-borne diseases, modern textiles do not effectively block mosquito bites. Here we have designed three micro-resolution knitted structures, with five adjustable parameters that can block mosquito bites. These designs, which exhibit significant bite reduction were integrated into a computer numerical control knitting robot for mass production of bite-blocking garments with minimal human labor. We then quantified the comfort of blocking garments. Our knits enable individuals to protect themselves from insects amidst their day-to-day activities without impacting the environment.

Prioritization, Identification, and Quantification of Emerging Contaminants in Recycled Textiles Using Non-Targeted and Suspect Screening Workflows by LC-ESI-HRMS.

Recycled textiles are becoming widely available to consumers as manufacturers adopt circular economy principles to reduce the negative impact of garment production. Still, the quality of the source material directly impacts the final product, where the presence of harmful chemicals is of utmost concern. Here, we develop a risk-based suspect and non-targeted screening workflow for the detection, identification, and prioritization of the chemicals present in consumer-based recycled textile products after manufacture and transport. We apply the workflow to characterize 13 recycled textile products from major retail outlets in Sweden. Samples were extracted and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). In positive and negative ionization mode, 20,119 LC-HRMS features were detected and screened against persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) as well as other textile-related chemicals. Six substances were matched with PMT substances that are regulated in the European Union (EU) with a Level 2/3 confidence. Forty-three substances were confidently matched with textile-related chemicals reported for use in Sweden. For estimating the relative priority score, aquatic toxicity and concentrations were predicted for 7416 features with tandem mass spectra (MS2) and used to rank the non-targeted features. The top 10 substances were evaluated due to elevated environmental risk linked to the recycling process and potential release at end-of-life.

Effect and mechanism of the opening area on the shielding effectiveness of an electromagnetic shielding garment

The opening area has an important effect on the overall protective performance of electromagnetic shielding (EMS) garments, but its mechanism and influencing laws are not clear. In this paper, a semi-anechoic chamber is adopted to construct a testing system, and a tying and covering method is proposed to test the shielding effectiveness (SE) of the garment with different parameters of opening area. Combined with electromagnetic theory, experimental results are analyzed, and influence laws and mechanisms of the opening area on the overall SE of the garment are discovered. Based on this, some new ideas for designing and evaluating EMS garment are proposed. We conclude that the opening area has a reducing effect on the SE of the garment in the frequency range of 1–3 GHz. The larger the size of the opening area, the more obvious the effect is. When reaching a certain size, the value of overall SE reaches zero or can even be negative, resulting in a significant decrease in the protective performance of the garment or even complete loss of its protective effect. The distance between the opening and the test point has a significant influence on the SE of the garment: the closer the distance, the greater the influence is. The opening closest to the testing point has a decisive effect on the overall SE of the garment. The style of opening area has a significant influence on the SE of the garment: pleated or inclined shape can improve the SE. Based on the above rules, a multi-index comprehensive weighted testing evaluation method for an EMS garment that fully considers the influence proportion of each opening is proposed, providing a scientific reference for the design, production, testing, and evaluation of EMS garments.

Analisis Pengendalian Kualitas untuk Mengurangi Cacat Produk 3D VR (Virtual Reality) Garment dengan Menggunakan Metode Six Sigma

Pan Brothers Tbk is one of the garment companies that adopted garment production in the form of 3D VR (Virtual Reality) as a garment prototype in Indonesia. In the process of making 3D VR products, many defective products must be revised. The study aims to implement the Six Sigma method and suggest improvements to reduce defects in 3D VR garment products using the Six Sigma method with the stages of defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling. In the define stage, the identification of the production process using the SIPOC diagram and identifying the type of defect. In the measure stage, the DPMO and sigma value calculations are carried out. The most defects are fitting not balanced and properly with a DPMO value of 269619.2 and a sigma value of 2.11. In the analysis stage with a fishbone diagram shows the factors that cause defects, namely man, machine, material, method, and environment. In the improvement stage, suggestions for improvements are given to reduce defects in 3D VR garment products. In the control stage, quality control is carried out by conducting internal training, upskilling, creating inspection report forms, adding teams to the QC division, and adding SOPs for the 3D VR producing process.

A Proposed Frame Work for Enhancing Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are important agents of development throughout the world. Promoting a country’s SME sector plays a crucial role in maintaining high employment and income generation and is therefore critical for achieving sustainable grow by enhancing SMEs competitiveness. The general objective of this paper is to develop a theoretical frame work model for garment SMEs competitiveness that supports garment manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to enhance their competitiveness by identifying the possible competitiveness factors. To achieve the presented objectives, a purposive sample basis on selected garments manufacturing SMEs found at three different clusters in Addis Abeba city administration is used. The data in this paper are both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected though questionnaires, interviews and observations, while secondary data sources referred from company’s documents and several articles from reputable international journals. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are used to analyse the collected data using various statistical programs. The results of the paper found that in garment manufacturing SMEs the main difficulties faced in performance dimension which is divided into financial performance and non-financial performance are the lack of collateral, the lack of proven track records, the lack of proper business plans and the need to show good sales turnover are the major financial performance parameters that deters the competitiveness. The SMEs do not have well established system to support effective and efficient implementation systems for productivity improvement. Finally the garment manufacturing SMEs are potentially wasting valuable and scarce resources since they don’t implement productivity improvement tools and techniques Lack of appropriate machinery and equipment are the main non-financial performance parameter that deters the competitiveness. To tackle the problems and enhance competitiveness of garment manufacturing firms, a theoretical conceptual model based on this requirement has been developed and the implementation requires a coordinated and well organized system among the actors (at macro and micro level) in the value chain. Some of the major problems such as lack of skilled manpower and infrastructure have to be tackled by the government and private sectors. And the other problems could be approached by using some modern management philosophies (such as just-in-time manufacturing, business process re-engineering, lean production) and scientific methods like production planning and control.

Enhance Productivity In The Garment Industry Through A Modified Value Stream Mapping Approach

The objective of this study is to overcome problems that occur in the garment industry, the company has tried to develop an agile system to increase productivity in this industry. The garment company that focusses on the production of woven bottoms and outerwear, noted that women's woven bottoms products have the highest demand throughout 2022. However, the company was unable to meet Brand demand of 3.5%. Production data shows defects in products, low quality raw materials, and unstable production processes. A modified Value Stream Mapping (VSM) methodology is use to consider all aspects of production. The results of traditional VSM and Value Stream Analysis Tools (VALSAT) analysis include current state and future state, identification of value added and non-value-added elements during the production process, as well as setting priorities to reduce waste in the production process, especially in inventory (19%), defective parts (17%), and transportation (15%). Based on the VALSAT matrix, Process Activity Mapping (33.5%), Supply Chain Response Matrix (21.6%), and Demand Amplification Mapping (15.3%) were obtained. The findings of this research are Pilot Run, which succeeded in becoming an agile and reliable system during the production process. Through the application of the methodology combined with VSM the results have improved compared to the traditional VSM method. This proves that this method is effective in overcoming takt time, cycle time, man power, and value-added ratio. Limitations of this research were also discussed, including that this research only focused on women's woven bottom products only on the production workflow. Kata Kunci: Agile System, Enhance Productivity, Garment Manufacturing, Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping.

Willingness of Buyers to Buy Wearable Rejected Clothes from Clothing Manufacturers: Model for Fostering Sustainable Apparel Business

The apparel industry in Bangladesh produces rejected garments while manufacturing high-quality exportable garments. This industry faces challenges in managing rejected garments as they contribute to waste generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the current policy of managing rejected garments and look for a more sustainable business model or policy. This research collected opinions and information from 18 different garment manufacturing industries regarding rejected garments and buyers’ and manufacturers’ existing policies for managing the rejected garments. The results of the study show that there is no particular guideline from the buyers for managing rejected garments; consequently, the manufacturers handle these garments in their own way. A novel and more sustainable business model for the clothing business was proposed to align the business with the Sustainable Development Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production). This model urges collaborative efforts between buyers and manufacturers to capture more value from rejected garments and extend their lifecycle. The proposed framework will benefit relevant stakeholders, minimise waste generation and reduce the impact of fast fashion.