A Fresh
Approach to Fabric Quality Assessment
Abstract
At present there is no unanimity in the
assessment of fabric quality among various groups- Manufacturers, Traders,
Standards Organizations, Government Departments, Research Organizations,
Technologists, Engineers, Educationists, Students, etc., even though all are
interested in assisting the ultimate beneficiary-the customer to select the
best quality fabric at affordable price. This leads us to ponder over the
question, “What is Quality?” A fresh approach is made here to assess the Fabric
Quality, based on fabric texture, irrespective of material used, fabric
structure, fabric condition, end use and country of manufacture, evaluate the
fabric in terms of total score and thereafter assign Fabric Quality Grade
(FQG).
Introduction
When a customer goes to a show room or a shop to
choose a fabric to meet his/her requirement, he/she is flabbergasted by the different
varieties of fabrics displayed on the table or in the shelves, and is totally
confused as to which one he/she should select. A sales man/girl further adds to
the confusion, stating every one of the goods is of good quality and inferior
quality goods are not stocked in the stores. Ultimately the customer purchases
a fabric to suit his/her purse rather than the need, irrespective of the
quality of the fabric he/she has purchased.
What is Quality?
When a customer
wants to purchase a fabric, what does he/she expect to find in it? Is it the
material, look, colour, design, luster, smoothness, thickness, weight,
fineness, flexibility, drape, durability, brand, labeling, or cost? Some of
these are measurable characteristics, while others are aesthetic. As the saying
goes “quality is what the customer wants and it is duty of the manufacturer to
build into the fabric what the customer is looking for and to satisfy his/her
needs. This has resulted in the production of innumerable varieties of the same
type of fabric and their flooding the market. Who should assess the quality of
the fabric and how can the customer be assisted in the selection of the fabric
by properly grading the fabric for quality?
Assessment of Fabric Quality
Way back in
September 1949 W.A. Graham Clark1, former Chief, Textile Division; U.S. Tariff Commission suggested the
adoption of BYT (effective yards of yarn per pound of cloth) value as the basis
of classification of fabrics into 14 groups. F.T. Peirce2 in his classic paper published in March 1937
introduced the concept of cover factors (on the lines of the twist factors for
yarns) to assess fabric quality. John B. Dickson3
introduced in 1954 the concept of weight factors to produce the fabrics
of
similar
quality.
By choosing easily
measurable characteristics of fabrics, based on fabric texture, irrespective of
fabric structure, fabric condition, material used and the end use of the
fabric, it is possible to assess the fabric quality. The characteristics
identified for such assessment are (1). Average Count, (2) Fabric Weight, (3)
Cover Factors, (4) Weight Factors, (5) Fabric Thickness and (6) Fabric
Condition.
Classification of Fabrics
Fabrics are classified as follows:
1. Average Count as Coarse, Medium, Medium Fine,
Fine, Extra Fine
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Average
Count
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Coarse
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Medium
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Medium Fine
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Fine
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Extra Fine
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Na
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≤17.857
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17.858~
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35.715~
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59.525~
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95.239~
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35.714
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59.524
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95.238
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190.476
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2. Fabric Weight as Light, Medium, Heavy.
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Weight
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Light
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Medium
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Heavy
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W(oz/Sq.Yd)
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<4 span="">
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4~<8 span="">
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≥8
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W1 (gsm)
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<135 .624="" span="">
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135.624~<271 .249="" span="">
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≥271.249
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3. Cover Factors: as too openly Set, Openly Set,
Closely Set, Too Closely Set
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Too Openly Set
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K
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<5 span="">
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K1+K2
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<10 span="">
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Openly Set
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K 5<11 span="">
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K1+K2
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10<22 span="">
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Closely Set
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K 11<18 span="">
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K1+K2
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22<36 span="">
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Too Closely Set
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K
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>18
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K1+K2
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>36
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4. Weight Factor Ratio: as Weft-Faced, Approximately
Equal –Faced, Warp-Faced.
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Weft-Faced
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w1/w2
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<0 .7656="" span="">
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Approximately Equal-Faced
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w1/w2
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0.7656~1.2656
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Warp-Faced
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w1/w2
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>1.2656
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5. Fabric Thickness: as Thin, Medium Thick, Thick,
Too Thick
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G (mils)
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G (mm)
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Thin
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<9 .57="" span="">
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<0 .24="" span="">
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Medium Thick
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9.57~ <17 .37="" span="">
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0.24~<0 .44="" span="">
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Thick
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17.37~<39 .37="" span="">
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0.44~<1 .00="" span="">
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Too Thick
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≥39.37
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≥1.00
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6. Fabric Condition: as Grey (loomstate) or Finished
in any way
Assessment of Fabrics for Quality
The six parameter chosen for assessment of Fabric Quality are as
follows:
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1. Average Count ( Na)
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Coarse
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Medium
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Medium Fine
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Fine
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Extra Fine
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Score
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2.5
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4.5
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5.5
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6.5
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8.5
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2. Fabric Weight (W or W1)
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Light
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Medium
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Heavy
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Score
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2.0
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4.0
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6.5
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3. Some of Cover Factors (K1+K2)
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K1+K2 value
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<10 span="">
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10~<22 span="">
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22~36
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>36
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Score
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2.0
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4.5
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8.0
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12.0
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4. Weight Factor Ratio: (w1/w2)
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w1/w2 Ratio
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<0 .7626="" span="">
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0.7626~1.2656
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>1.2656
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Score
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3.0
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2.0
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3.0
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5. Fabric Thickness (G)
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G value
(mils)
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<9 .57="" span="">
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9.57~<17 .37="" span="">
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17.37~<39 .37="" span="">
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≥39.37
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G value
(mm)
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<0 .24="" span="">
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0.24~<0 .44="" span="">
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0.44~<1 .00="" span="">
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≥1
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Score
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4.0
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3.0
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2.0
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1.0
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6. Fabric Condition
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Grey (Loom
state)
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Finished
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Score
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1.0
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2.0
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Fabric Quality Grading
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Total Score of all the six parameters = 36.0
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Fabric Quality Grade (FQG)
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Total Score
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Below Average (Grade IV)
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<10 .5="" span="">
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Average (Grade III)
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10.5~<19 .0="" span="">
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Good (Grade II)
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19.0~<27 .5="" span="">
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Very Good (Grade I)
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≥27.5~36.0
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Applications
The following example illustrates how the Fabric Quality Grade (FQG)
is arrived at.
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Variety No 1: Dress
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Classification
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Score
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Material
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N1× N2 68s × 60s
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Na
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63.8s
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Fine count
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6.5
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n1×n2 75.5 × 75.5
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W (oz/Sq.Yd) 1.7259)
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Light weight
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2.0
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W1 (gsm)
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58.5 )
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K1×K2 9.16×9.75
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K1+K2 18.91
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Openly Set
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4.5
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w1×w2 1.11×1.26
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w1/w2 Ratio 0.88
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Equal-Faced
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2.0
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d1×d2 (mils) 4.34×4.62
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d1×d2 (mm) 0.11×0.12
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G (mils) 8.96)
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Thin
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4.0
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G (mm) 0.23)
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Fabric condition
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Grey
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1.0
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Total Score
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20.0
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Fabric Quality
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Good
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FQG
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Grade II
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Recommendation
The proposed method of Fabric
Quality Assessment, including assigning total score for various parameters and
categorizing it according to Fabric Quality Grading (FQG) is
universally applicable to all types of woven
fabrics, irrespective of material used, fabric construction, weave or design,
nature of weaving, fabric condition and country of origin. If need be, minor
modifications or further subdivisions may be made in the method to meet
specific requirements.
Courtesy Prof. D.V. Muniswamy
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