Fabric savings are at the top of any discussions right now in apparel and at Fabric Utilization Ltd we are no different. To achieve a #sustainable cutting room can be challenging if it’s only a manual driven cutting process, if you add to this automated cutting then there are a lot of additional costs if you consider the consumables that are required when spreading and cutting. For example, perforated underlay paper, plotter paper and sheet plastic, which are the three main requirements for auto cutting, and then if you add the high pull of electricity for the cutting machine itself, you can get easily under cost of the process though poor management control. (This being a big part of your calculated carbon foot print).
Always spread to the maximum of your cutting knife, no matter this is manual or automatic you will produce more garments from the spread, don't just assume that because you have made the longest marker possible its cost effective and efficient. Calculating cut plans that are efficient in fabric usage and efficient in throughput is a fine balance and all calculations should take this into account. making simple changes in how you calculate the cut plans will give you a boost to becoming more sustainable. Take control of your wastages, look at ways of utilising remnant ends. make sure you are making a reconciliation report that gives you all your correct wastages. link to my article "How important is Fabric Reconciliation"
So how does Fabric Utilization Ltd help tackle this? It is easy to just jump into the cutting process to solve the process problems however most factories do not go to the initial source of the problems. It all starts at the point of fabric purchase, making an accurate fabric purchase is key to achieving your profit, a slip up here can lead to disastrous results, order too much fabric and you end up with excess fabric in your warehouse with a huge loss in dollar value, yet order too little and face short shipment penalties for unfulfilled orders. Getting it right is so important and when it is right you have a knock-on effect to the fabric mill, they produce less, and the shipment will be reduced meaning a smaller container all the while making savings and a smaller carbon footprint.
With over 25 years of hands-on expertise, we have the tools and experience to help you make your fabric purchase more accurate, making the first steps of fabric requirement and purchase more #eco-friendly.
The next steps are all about how your cutting room operates, how it calculates and generates cutting plans, how many markers are produced and how many spreads go through the automatic or manually cutting process (remember those consumables). You want to ensure your cutting room is productive, here is all about understanding the holding parameters like ply height and spread length maximizing your throughput. focusing on having the correct headcount (key requirements for an efficient cutting room).
We have successfully engineered layouts, processes and staffing in new cutting rooms Also re-engineered existing cutting rooms improving the whole cutting room experience. Leftover fabric is weighing down the Apparel industry, which is responsible for 10 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions.
Don't think all wastages are remnant pieces, wastage can also be in a complete roll form (usually returned to the warehouse to become redundant stock) if it cannot be used for the shipment and understanding this is an opportunity to increase your shipment performance and in most instances, you can over ship the order quantity.
For more information and start discussions on how Fabric Utilization Ltd can help email here enquire@fabric-utilization.co.uk #UtilizingFabricForProfit THROUGH #CuttingExcellence whilst introducing #SustainablePractices