Sewing Thread Consumption for RMG

Sewing Thread Consumption for Some Garments and Stitches

Sewing Thread Consumption for Some Apparel and Stitches

Sewing Thread:

Sewing thread is one of the most important trimmings for the garments. Before manufacturing the garments by using different types of fabric, we have to calculate thread consumption for the definite apparel. Every garment merchandiser should know the approximate amount of sewing-thread needed for making the garments. This assumption will help him to prepare costingfor the definite garments very fast. As its importance, this article has shown some approximate sewing thread consumption for the definite garments and stitches.

You may follow How to Calculate Sewing Thread Consumption in Apparel Industry?

Sewing Thread Consumption for Different Garments:

Thread consumption for some garments which can be used as rough has shown in the below table.

SL No.	Name of Garments	For Using	Sewing Thread Consumption (m)
01	Aprons	All	20
02	Blouses	Girls, ladies	85
03	Brassieres	Girls, ladies	40
04	Brief	Childs, men’s, ladies	40/ 50/ 65
05	Dressing gown	Childs, men’s	165 / 250
06	Jacket	Men’s	200
07	Jeans	Men’s	170
08	Neat wear	Ladies, men’s	70 / 80
09	Night dress	Childs, ladies	55 /100
10	Over coat	Childs, ladies, men’s	135 / 315 / 520
11	Skirts	Childs	100
12	Rain coat	All	285
13	Trouser	Childs, ladies, men’s	100 / 140 / 190
14	Shirt	Men’s, child’s	110 / 75
15	Slipping bag	Adult, child’s	275 / 185
16	Suits	Ladies, men’s	365 / 480
17	Swim wear	Ladies	75
18	Tie	Men’s	5
19	Towel	All	10
20	Track suit	Ladies, men’s	160
21	Trouser	Men’s	270
22	Under wear	Men’s	50
23	T-shirt	Childs, ladies, men’s	25 / 45 / 35
24	Waist coat	Ladies, men’s	180

Sewing Thread Consumption Ratio for Different Types of Stitches:

The amount of thread consumption varies according to the types of stitches.

Stitch Type	Thread consumption for per cm seam (cm)	No. of needle	Needle thread and looper thread ratio
101, chain stitch	4.0	1	1:0
301, lock stitch	2.5	1	1:1
304, zigzag lock stitch	7.0	1	1:1
402, 2- thread chain stitch	5.5	1	1:3
503, 2- thread over edge stitch	12.0	1	1.2:1
504, 3- thread over edge stitch	14.0	1	1:5
512, 4- thread mock safety stitch	18.0	2	1:3.3
602, 4- thread covering stitch	25.0	2	1:3.3
606, 9- thread flat lock stitch	32.0	4	1:3.5
801, 4- thread safety stitch	17.5	2	1:1.4
802, 2- thread safety stitch	20.0	2	1:1.34
805, 2- thread safety stitch	21.0	3	1:2

How to Calculate Embroidery Thread Consumption in Apparel Industry?

Introduction:

Embroidery thread consumption calculation is not a tough task that we have normally seemed. There are so many garment merchandisers who still don’t know the correct calculation method of it. Every garment merchandisers should have clear idea about it. As its importance in readymade garments sector, today I will present here an easy method for calculating embroidery thread consumption in apparel industry.

You may follow Fabric Consumption Calculation Formula for Different Apparel

Embroidery Thread Consumption Calculation System in Garments Industry:

Before calculating embroidery thread consumption, a garment merchandiser should have the clear idea about the following data:

1.     Stitch quantity in the embroidery design,

2.     Stitch length in the embroidery design (which depends on design and types of stitch),

3.     Length of thread in the cones.

Now, by using the below formula, a garment merchandiser can easily calculate the embroidery thread consumption in apparel industry.

Embroidery thread consumption for 1pc garment (No. of cone),

Embroidery thread consumption for 1pc garment (No. of cone),

Now one example is enough to remove all the confusion from the above discussion.

Example:

Suppose, the buyer H&M provides you a knitted polo shirt (with embroidery) order (10000pcs), where the no. of stitch in the embroidery is 5000 and stitch length is 5mm, now calculate the embroidery thread consumption for the above polo shirt order.

Solution:

Given that,

Stitch quantity in the embroidery design = 5000,
Stitch length in the embroidery design = 5mm
Length of thread in the cone = 5000m (let).

Now,

Embroidery thread consumption for 1pc polo shirt (No. of cone),

= 0.001cone.

So, for 1pc polo shirt, embroidery thread needed 0.001 cone.

And,

For 10000pcs polo shirt, embroidery thread needed (0.001 × 10000) = 100 cones.

Speech from the writer:
If you read this article with full concentration then you can easily answer the below questions in the interview:

1.     How to estimate embroidery thread consumption in garments industry?

2.     Mention an easy method for calculating embroidery thread consumption in apparel industry.

3.     Method of embroidery threads consumption calculation in garments industry.

4.     Describe embroidery threads consumption calculation method with example.

Sewing Thread Consumption Formula with Example

Sewing Thread Consumption
Sewing thread is required for seam sewing/assembling, over locking, various types of stitching, buttonholing, label attachment etc. Besides, it is important to know the amount of thread consumed in a sewn product. We often need figure out thread consumption of various items like Shirt, Shorts, Tank tops and Pants etc. Thread consumption means how much thread we need to stitch a product.

Thread consumption can be determined in several ways. To calculate the amount of thread in a seam, you can: 

§  Measure the actual amount of thread consumed in a specific length of seam.

§  Calculate the thread consumption by using mathematical stitch formulas based on the thickness of the seam and the number of stitches per inch.

§  Calculate the thread consumption using A&E’s ANECALC spreadsheets.

ANECALC spreadsheets (Click on image for large size)

***Example: 

Stitch and seam: 401 SSa-1 
Stitches per inch: 8 
Thickness of the seam: .075 inches (measured with a micrometer) 
Length of the seam: 42 inches or 1.17 yds. 

Union Special 401 Chainstitch Chart 
Consumption based on the mathematical equation – C = 4 + 2ts 

C = 4 + 2(.075 X 8) = 5.20 

Where, 
t = thickness of the seam 
s = stitches per inch 

Here, 1.17 yds X 5.20 = 6.08 yds / seam. 
=> 6.08 yds/seam X 1.15 = 7.00 yds per seam including a 15% waste factor. 

*** A shirt having 104 inches 4 Threads Over lock stitches, 52 inches Flat lock stitches, 20 inches 1 Needle Chain stitches, 15 inches Single Needle Plain Machine stitches, GSM is normal, find out its thread consumption in meters? 

Answer: {(104 x 19) + (52 x 32) + (20 x 5) + (15 x 2.75) + 10%} / 39.37 = 106.71 Meters. (39.37 inches = 1 Meter) 

*** Suppose, we want to buy thread cones with 2000 meters thread, now figure out how many cones do we need to stitch 3000 pcs of garments, per garment’s thread consumption 106.71 meters? 

Answer: 106.71 x 3000 / 2000 = 160 cones

How to Calculate Thread Consumption for Garments?

Sewing thread consumption formula and calculation method.

 Business Development Tips for Apparel Manufacturers

 3 EBooks on Performance Measuring Tools for the Apparel Manufacturing Industry

 Are You Planning to Change Product Lines? - Consider These Points

There is standard formula for determining thread consumption for apparel products. In that formula you will get multiplying factors according to machine type and stitch class. To determine thread consumption you just need to multiply seam length with that factors. This way one can estimate total thread requirement for making a garment.

Actual thread consumption for a unit length of seam depends on following factors. 

1.            Stitch Classes

2.            Stitches per inches (SPI)

3.            Thickness of the seam (fabric thickness)

4.            Thread tension

5.             Thread count (thickness of sewing thread)

So you are suggested to calculate garment thread consumption by your own. You can develop multiplying factor according to your product categories and requirement using following steps.

Also Read: Thread Consumption Calculation Process is Simplified

Step 1: To calculate thread ratio, you need a sewing machine, fabric and sewing thread that will be used for bulk production. For fabric and thread you can take similar thickness and same thread count in case actual is not available.

Step 2: Sew a seam of 12 cms long and take 10 cms seam out of it by trimming 1 cm from both edges.

Step 3: Unravel both needle thread and bobbin thread from the seam. Remove crimp from the unraveled thread and measure its length in cm. Generally it will be higher than the seam length. Now find the multiplying factor by dividing thread length with seam length. Assume unraveled needle thread length is 12.5 cm then needle thread multiplying factor is 12.5/10 or 1.25.

Using this method you can find out any types of machines’ thread consumption factors.

Step 4: Once you have consumption factors then it is easy to calculate total thread consumption. Measure seam length of all operations of the garment and get thread requirement by multiplying thread consumption factor. Add thread wastage 5% for the thread that trim out from each ends of the seam.

For quick reference you can follow the following thread consumption ratios. Source: Coats thread consumption guide.

If you want to refer ready made thread consumption factors then refer to Coats andA&E's Technical bulletins.

You may also like: Sewing Thread Consumption Calculation Template (Download Excel Template)

Sewing Thread Consumption in Apparel Industry

Sewing Thread Consumption:

The amount of threads need to produce a garment is called thread consumption of that garment. Generally, it is expressed in length. It must need to determine the thread consumption of garment, because the price of garment is determined with the price of thread consumption. Now I would like to discuss about sewing thread consumption with a specific length of seam.

Factor of Sewing Thread Consumption:

The following are the factors, which are related with the thread consumption-

§  Thickness of fabrics.

§  Plies of fabrics to be sewn.

§  Stitch type.

§  Stitch density.

§  Width of seam.

§  Garment size.

§  Design of the garment.

§  Automatic thread trimmer of that machine.

§  Skillness of the operator.

§  Quality of thread.

Measuring Actual Sewing Thread Consumption:

A specified length of the seam, for example 3 inches, is measured and then the thread is removed by carefully unraveling the stitch. Then one can calculate the amount of thread consumed in one inch and multiply this factor times the total length of the seam measured in inches.

Sewing Thread Samples

Example:

Length of seam is 42 inches or 1.17 yds

Stitch and seam construction: 401

Specified length of thread removed from a seam equals 3 inches

Needle thread removed = 9 inches

Looper thread removed = 8 inches

Calculation:

Here, Needle thread factor = 9/3 =3 inches of needle thread per inch of seam

Looper thread factor = 8/3 = 2.67 inches of looper thread per inch of seam

Therefore, total needle thread consumed = factor 3 x 1.17 yds = 3.51 yds

Total looper thread consumed = factor 2.67 x 1.17 yds = 3.12 yds

Therefore, Total thread = 3.15 + 3.12 = 6.63 yds per seam

Generally a 10 to 15% waste factor is added due to chaining-off, thread breaks, repairs etc.

If a waste factor of 15% is selected, then

Thread consumption = 6.63 yds/seam x 1.15 = 7.62 yds/seam