Increasing Your Production Output II Embroidery Project

To minimize downtime, analyze each job and then group it with other jobs that have similar characteristics. For example, run all of your cap orders in sequence, even if some work-orders have a mixture of caps and shirts. After all caps are completed, convert the machine to sew shirts, then do all of the same type of shirts together, one after the other.

To schedule your jobs properly, analyze and categorize them using the following breakdowns:

1st Level Breakdown: by Style of Frame/Hoop
2nd Level Breakdown: by Size of Frame/Hoop
3rd Level Breakdown: by Garment/Product Type
4th Level Breakdown: by Thread Colors

Begin your production planning by creating a list of all of your pending jobs for the upcoming week. Remember that a single work order may include multiple jobs within in it, such as shirts, caps, aprons, etc. List out all of the individual jobs, not just the work orders. Next to each job, write down the style of frame/hoop to be used, the size of the frame/hoop and the type of garment/product which will be sewn. Finally, jot down the thread colors to be used for each job.

First Level Breakdown: Style of Frame/Hoop

The concept here is to minimize machine changeovers. Though the time to change from cap to tubular or tubular to sash is minimal on modern machines, it still equates to unproductive downtime, especially if it has to be done multiple times during one work shift.

Second Level Breakdown: Size of Frame/Hoop

Machine operators perform more effectively when the work is continuous without change rather than random. It is sometimes referred to as “getting in the groove”. The first couple of runs of something “different” are always slower as the operator adjusts their routine to accommodate the change. For example, hooping a full front design is different from hooping a left chest design. Once their comfort level reaches peak performance their output increases. Because of this, it is more efficient to work with all of the larger designs as a group, then the medium designs as a group, then the smaller ones, etc. Design location falls under this category as well. Hooping sleeves is different from hooping left or right chest designs.

Third Level Breakdown: Garment/Product Type

This is the same basic principle as discussed previously. Minimize deviation. T-shirts must be treated differently than sweatshirts, which must be treated differently than denim shirts, etc.

Fourth Level Breakdown: Thread Type

Changing threads on a machine is another time-consuming, unproductive task. Organizing jobs by thread colors improves production efficiency, especially in the case of multi-head machines. Changing three colors of thread on a 12 head machine means 36 cones must be replaced. With a changeover time of 30 seconds per cone, that equals 18 minutes of downtime.

Once you have all of the information laid out, you can start organizing your jobs by common characteristics. Group every job initially by type of hoop/frame. Then breakdown each of those groups into sub-groups by size of hoop/frame. Then breakdown each of those sub-groups into sub-sub-groups by garment/product type. Finally, take a look at thread colors and try to sequence the jobs so as to minimize changing out any threads.