Manufacturing: stage 07 of 9
Quality control that only happens at the end can reject a shipment but cannot save one. Inspection at AHM runs across incoming material, pre-production, inline assembly, measurement, finishing and packing. The points where a problem is still correctable.
Process
- 01
Incoming fabric and trims are checked for shade, weight, width and visible defects before cutting.
- 02
A pre-production sample confirms bulk materials and construction against the sealed sample.
- 03
Inline checks run at defined operations during assembly.
- 04
Garments are measured against the approved chart and tolerance, by size, across the run.
- 05
Finishing inspection covers appearance, decoration, labelling, trimming and pressing.
- 06
Packing verification confirms assortment, ratio, carton contents and marking.
What you supply
- Approved sealed sample and measurement chart
- Your inspection standard, defect classification or nominated third-party inspector
- Packing instruction and carton marking artwork
What you receive
- Inspection records at each stage
- Measurement reports
- Final release against the agreed standard
Risk
Every stage has a characteristic failure. Naming it is more useful than claiming it never happens.
A defect class is disputed at final inspection because no standard was agreed.
The inspection standard is confirmed in writing before production. We work to your standard rather than to one we chose.
Measurements pass on the sample and drift across the run.
Measurement is checked by size across the run, not once at the start.
Buyer questions
Whatever your program specifies. We do not publish an inspection level as a general claim, because the meaningful answer is the standard agreed in writing for your order, including the defect classification and whether a third-party inspector is involved.
Yes. Third-party and buyer inspections are routine, and the inspection standard is confirmed before production so there is no dispute about the criteria on the day.
Send a specification and we will come back on construction, materials and commercial FOB costing against it.
Other manufacturing stages
Other manufacturing stages
Product Development
Development turns a reference garment, a sketch or a tech pack into a manufacturing specification the factory floor and your QA can both read the same way.
Fabric Sourcing
Fabric is usually the largest single line in an apparel cost and the hardest thing to change once a program is running.
Sampling
Sampling is where the specification is proven.