Library of Textile, Apparel and Fashion

Cutting Process Procedure & Flow chart of Apparel Industry

Cutting section in the Apparel industry

Cutting room is a section in the garments industry where to cut fabrics as per the pattern, marker; cutting parts sew to bring in garments form. Cutting is the most sensitive operation in the apparel industry, cutter man work accuracy is the key here to maintain good cutting quality. If you are related to the apparel industry or apparel manufacturing process you should know cutting work activities. Some certain rules and procedure have to maintain by the cutting department I am giving the cutting process flow chart step by step below for your easy understanding.


Cutting Working Process Flow chart

Cutting plan based on shade band record

Receive PO sheet, Tech pack, and other detail
Fabric received from a store as per requisition
Relax fabric if necessary with record
Make a Marker to Determine consumption
Marker and pattern Cross Check (ratio, grainline, jumping, etc.)
Laying as per marker length (Spreading)
Spreading quality control
Random quality check on fabric fault & others
A cutting (if necessary hand scissoring done during check fabric) and band Knife cutting (small panel such as single fly etc.)
Randomly Panel check with hard pattern
Panel check with CAD marker paper
Layer numbering &bundling
100% panel check
Replace defective parts shade wise
Ready cutting parts to input.
Supply to Fusing & Sewing as per approved requisition & ratio

Flow Chart of Garments Cutting Section:


The process flow is described briefly:

Fabrics Relaxation
Spandex fabrics can be relaxed from 24 to 48 hours before spreading as per customer requirements. Cotton fabric relaxation will depend on customer requirements.
Pre-Spreading and Spreading Quality control
  1. Pattern and marker checking using approved sample
  2. Pattern grainline
  3. Spreading table marking lengthwise with allowance
  4. Shade wise spreading by using a fabrics shade chart
  5. Spreading defects like leaning, bowing, skew, narrow goods, tension, and marking visual defects.
Cut Panel Inspection

1.                   Quality an inspector will check Panel using a Hard pattern after cutting from three different positions Top, Middle, and Bottom
2.                   If there is any discrepancy, a correction will be immediate. If the panel is found plus from hard patterns, it will have to cut extra parts. If the panel is found minus from the hard pattern, will have to place the fabric under marker as per lay chart to remake again.
3.                   All cut panels will be inspected to detect any types of fabric fault if any defective panel is found, will be replaced from lay chart wise remnants by following the shade and pattern grain line.
Production Order Sheet:  Cutting Section firstly takes the PO sheet. They find out all detailed information in the PO sheet especially size breakdown, size-wise, and color-wise order quantity.
Pattern receives: They receive the approved pattern from the sample section.
Marker Making: After pattern receiving, they make markers according to the order sheet and pattern size.
Fabric receives: Fabric is the main raw material in the cutting section. All success depends on cutting. So the cutting section has to become serious when they receive the fabric. Is the right fabric for the right marker or not.
Fabric Spreading: Before spreading the fabric on a table they relax the unrolled fabric for 12-24 hr. After completing relaxation they spread the fabric on a table with proper tension.
Marker Placing: Marker is a thin paper that carries all the garments components and is placed on fabric lay for cutting. Before cutting the marker from CAD was placed on the fabric lay. Marker checked very carefully before placement on fabric.
Cutting: In this step, cutting is done by a cutter machine. Straight knife cutting machines, Round knife cutting machines are mostly used for cutting.
Sorting: After cutting the cut parts are sorted according to shade, size-wise.
Numbering & checking: In this step, the cut parts are numbered and checked carefully so that the single components are never mistaken. QC checks the cut parts. If any defect is found they replace the cut piece.
Bundling:  The cut pieces are bundled finally.
Input to Sewing:  The bundled cut piece is ready for sewing.