Yield Management
Planned allowance for fabric waste during the setup and execution of a production run accounts for the material consumed by non saleable processes. Substrate scrap allocation includes the yardage used for threading the machine, color testing and the sections removed due to printing defects. Precise calculation of this figure is necessary for accurate job costing and material procurement in a garment factory.
Process Waste
Start and stop procedures always consume a certain amount of fabric that cannot be used for finished goods. During the initial alignment, the substrate scrap allocation covers the material that passes through the rollers before the printhead reaches a stable operating state. Mills aim to minimize this value to improve their overall profitability and reduce environmental impact.
Quality Control
Sections of the roll used for lab testing or shade verification are also part of this total. When a defect is detected and cut out of the roll, it is recorded under the substrate scrap allocation to maintain an accurate inventory of the remaining yardage. High quality fabrics with expensive fibers require a much tighter control over these waste margins.
Financial Impact
Underestimating the amount of material lost to scrap can lead to shortages and missed delivery dates. By including a realistic substrate scrap allocation in the original quote, a manufacturer ensures that they have enough fabric to complete the order. Monitoring these levels across different machines helps identify which systems are the most efficient.
This allocation is verified at the end of each shift against the physical scrap bins.
