Different Textile and Apparel Standards

Sources of Standards
In an industry with so many segments and interests, communicating quality requirements and supplying goods of the appropriate quality level are difficult. Professional and trade organizations have developed to educate members and enhance communication among industry segments.

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Organizations
Several organizations which are available for quality standards
identify and define terms, develop consistent practices within the field for describing and evaluating materials and process, encourage fair trade practices, develop technological advances to remain competitive in the world market and promote the textile industry.
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Major organizations for Quality Standards

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) American Society for Quality (ASQ) American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) TC2 Textile / Clothing Technology Corp American National Standards Institute (ANSI) International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

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American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC)

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Introduction
AATCC is the worlds leading not-for-profit association serving textile professionals since 1921. AATCC is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, providing test method development, quality control materials, and professional networking for thousands of members in 60 countries throughout the world.

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About
The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) was founded by Dr. Louis Olney of the Lowell Textile School in 1921. AATCC is the world's leading not-for-profit professional association for the textile design, materials, processing, and testing industries. Members of AATCC are employees of textile, apparel, and home goods manufacturers; dye and chemical manufacturers; testing laboratories; consumer and retail organizations; state and federal government agencies; and colleges and universities. AATCC has thousands of individual and corporate members in more than 60 countries world wide.
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 AATCC develops internationally recognized standard test methods used by the industry, governments, researchers, and others. It develops procedures to assess the characteristics of materials and their performance in the areas of
Wet processing, Dyeing Care Biological properties & Other related factors

These procedures are sometimes described as wet tests because liquids, such as water and other solvents are used in preparing specimens or in the procedure.
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 AATCC standards and test methods are developed by research committees after extensive investigation and inter laboratory comparisons. Development or extensive revision of a procedure reflects several years of work. Test methods are approved by three level hierarchy before they are published in the Technical Manual. A test method is reviewed annually for its first three years of existence. After that it is reviewed every five years and reaffirmed, revised or withdrawn
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Brief History of AATCC

AATCC_Brief_History-web.ppt

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American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

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 ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. Today, some 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and build consumer confidence.
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 ASTM is one of the oldest professional organization in United States. ASTM was established in 1898. ASTM consists of more than 130 technical committees, is international in scope and supports the work of National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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ASTM Committees
ASTM Committee D-13 focuses on textiles; other committees focus on other materials or products, such as leather and building materials. ASTM procedures are used to identify physical characteristics and assess performance related to physical-mechanical procedures. These procedures are often referred to as dry procedures because the materials are most often tested in the dry state. ASTM also works with industry, government, and others interested in developing uniform standards.

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ASTM Standards
ASTM standards are full consensus standards. This means that a standard result when a full of all concerned parties is met. Proposed standards and revisions are voted on by ASTM voting members. Once the standard has been approved, it is included in the Annual Book of Standards. All interested individuals participate in the development and/or use of the standard. ASTM requires that all standards be reviewed by committee every five years, so that each standard reflects current practices within industry. Standards are used voluntarily and are not legally binding unless they became incorporated in laws or regulations or are cited in contracts
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 ASTM has no certificate program, but standards sometimes are used in certifying products. Products may carry labels indicating that a product was certified following an ASTM procedure. This means that a standard ASTM procedure was followed and that the product met or exceeded a minimum level of performance established by another group completely separate from ASTM

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American Society for Quality

(ASQ)
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About - ASQ
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) is an organisation of professionals who work to improve the quality of manufactured goods services and related factors. ASQ has developed a professional code of ethics to guide professional practices. ASQ has technical committees and a certification program for professionals. The society publishes a newsletter, On Q, ten times a year; Quality progress, a monthly journal that includes articles on quality methods and issues; several journals that examine technical, theoretical, and practical issues related to quality; and books related to quality issues.
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The ASQ code of Ethics

Fundamental Principles
ASQ requires it members and certification holders to conduct themselves ethically by
Being honest and impartial in serving the public, their employers, customers and clients Striving to increase the competence and prestige of quality profession, and Using their knowledge and skill for enhancement of human welfare.

Members and certification holders are required to observe the tenets sets forth below.
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The ASQ code of Ethics

Relation with the public
Article 1 : Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties

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The ASQ code of Ethics

Relation with Employers and Clients
Article 2 : Perform Services only in their areas of competence Article 3 : Continue their professional development throughout their careers and provide opportunities for the professional and ethical development of others Article 4 : Act in a professional manner in dealings with ASQ staff and each employer, customer, or client Article 5 : Act as faithful agents or trustees and avoid conflict of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest
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The ASQ code of Ethics

Relation with Peers
Article 6 : Build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and not to compete unfairly with others Article 7 : Assure that credit for the work of the others is given to those to whom it is due

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 The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers, which compete in the global market.

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AAFA Committees and Divisions

AAFA members actively serve on some 14 committees, subcommittees, councils and divisions. The Committees are classified under the following Headings
Government, Trade and Regulatory Issues: Management Issues: Divisions and Specialty Markets: Technology Issues:
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Government, Trade and Regulatory Issues: Government Relations Committee Brand Protection Council Government Contracts Committee Social Responsibility Committee Environmental Committee Product Safety Council Management Issues: Financial Management Committee Human Resources Leadership Council Supplier Resource Committee Divisions and Specialty Markets: Footwear Division Intimate Apparel Council Technology Issues: Information Systems Committee Supply Chain & Product Innovation Committee
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TC2 Textile / Clothing Technology Corp

TC2 was established in 1981 as a coalition of leaders in the U.S textile and apparel industry. Labour unions and government organizations.

TC2 focuses on improving the sewn products industry to make it more productive, competitive and cost effective. It works with manufacturers to develop new processes, equipment, and implementation procedures.
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American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

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About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute, which is a federation of many organizations, agencies, and groups, coordinates all national voluntary agencies that develop standards. It has an accredited certificate program. Certification attests that a product has been tested and meet specified requirements. These requirements are usually based on minimum performance characteristics and often relate to such health and safety issues as strength of structural steel components used in bridges and buildings. Many ASTM procedures have been approved by the ANSI, and this is the indicated in the designation of the test method.

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International Organization for Standardization

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ISO International Organization for Standardization

International Organization for Standardization is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 100 countries, one from each country. ISO is a non governmental organization established in 1947. The mission of ISO is to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation in the sphere of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.
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Need for ISO

The existence of non-harmonized standards for similar technologies in different countries or regions can contribute to so called technical barriers to trade. Export oriented industries have always felt the need to agree on world standards to help international trade. This was the origin of the establishment of ISO. International Standardization is now well established for very many technologies in such diverse field as information processing and communications, textiles, packaging, distribution of goods, energy production and utilization, ship building, banking and financial services.
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ISO 9000 Series Standards

The ISO 9000 series is a set of five individual, but related, international standards on quality management and quality assurance. They are generic not specific to any particular products. They can be used in the manufacturing and service industries

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ISO 9000 Series Standards

Quality Management and Quality Assurance Standards Guidelines for Selection and Use Quality Systems Model for Quality Assurance in Design, Development, Production, Installation, and Servicing

ISO 9000

ISO 9001

ISO 9002

Quality Systems Model for Quality Assurance in Production, Installation and Servicing
Quality Systems Model for Quality Assurance in Final Inspection and Test Quality Management and Quality System Elements Guidelines

ISO 9003

ISO 9004

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ISO 9000 Series Standards

These standards were developed with the goal of effectively documenting the quality system elements to be implemented in order to maintain an effective quality system in a company. These standards seek to ensure that a company has in place necessary organization, commitment and systems to consistently meet defined quality and performance standards. It is important to recognize that these standards do not set or define quality levels; the setting of the quality levels or performance standards is very much up to the company, depending on the needs of the market place and the requirements of its customers.
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How does the series work

ISO 9000 is the road map for the series. Its purpose is to provide the user with the guidelines for selection and use of ISO 9001, 9002, 9003 and 9004. ISO 9001,9002, and 9003 are actually successive subsets of each other. ISO 9001 is the most comprehensive covering design, manufacturing, installation, and servicing systems, and it covers 20 elements of company operations. ISO 9002 covers production and installation, and ISO 9003 covers only final product inspection and test.

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Elements of ISO 9000 Standards

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Management responsibility Quality System Contract Review Design Control Documents and data control Purchasing Customer-supplied product Product identification and traceability 9. Process Control 10. Inspection and Testing 11. Control of Inspection, measuring, and test equipment 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Inspection and test status Control of nonconforming product Corrective and preventive action Handling, storage, packaging, preservation and delivery Control of quality audits Internal quality audits Training Servicing Statistical Techniques

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Who is using ISO 9000 ?

Corporations around the world have been building and continue to build their quality systems around these standards. Both large and small companies with international businesses perceive the ISO 9000 series as a route to open markets and improved competitiveness. One doesnt have to be a multinational corporation to benefit from implementing these standards.

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What does being registered to ISO 9001, 9002 or 9003 mean ?

Being registered to ISO 9001, 9002 or 9003 means having an accredited independent third party conduct, an on-site audit of your companys operation against the requirements of the appropriate standard. Upon successful completion of this audit, your company will receive a registration certificate that identifies your quality system as being in compliance with ISO 9001, 9002 or 9003. You may publicize your registration and use the third party registrars certification mark on your advertising, letterheads, and other publicity materials, but not on your products.
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Advantages of Implementing or registering to these standards

These standards can used as a vital management tool to improve quality and productivity and save costs. As a company beings to implement ISO 9000 standard, it forces all the employees to review the current practices in a variety of areas of the company operations and improve them as an effort is made to comply with the requirement of the standard. It forces consistency in procedures and practices and thereby brings discipline in operations, resulting in reduced variability, which is the key to process improvement. It generates greater awareness of quality at various levels and across functions within a company.
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 It helps identify opportunities for reducing errors and improving quality and productivity. As a company goes through registration process quality and productivity improves. ISO 9000 registration can be used as a marketing tool, and a competitive advantage. Being registered to ISO 9000 Standard will result in reduction in multiple audits / assessments as customers are increasingly accepting supplier quality system registration / certification from an accredited third party. Being registered to ISO 9000 standards offers worldwide credibility as a company having good quality system in place.

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