Production Discipline, Quality Checks and Record Keeping
What the exam tests
Working to a target without losing quality, checking at the right stage, and recording production and defects so problems can be traced.
Production discipline
Follow the cutting sheet and bundle ticket. Keep bundles numbered and tied; never mix sizes or shades. Use the 5S habit: sort, set in order, shine, standardise, sustain. Sew in the planned sequence, press as you go, and never pass a defective piece down the line. Rework costs double time, so check your own work at each operation.
Quality checks
Check fabric before cutting for holes, shade and skew. In-line check every 10 pieces; final check 100%. Measure against the specification with a tolerance of about plus or minus 0.5 cm. Tug seams, count 10-12 stitches per inch, and look for skipped stitches, needle cuts, puckering, uneven hems and loose threads. Trim threads at the end, not during.
Records
Maintain a cutting register, daily production register, defect log, needle-change log and machine maintenance log. Write entries as work happens, sign and date them. Records prove traceability and support wages and delivery claims.
Worked example
Final inspection rejects 8 pieces in 100 for skipped stitches. Reasoning: the fault is a machine or needle problem, not operator speed. Check the needle for a burr, re-thread, check bobbin winding and timing, and record the fix in the maintenance log. Then re-inspect the whole bundle, not just the rejected pieces.
Traps
Checking only at the end; recording from memory at shift end; mixing bundles; hiding defects; adjusting a machine without logging it.