How to control the button safety in garments sector

1. Button Control
Standard
Operating Procedure

2. I. Purpose of Guide
The purpose of this guide is to ensure all the buttons are securely
attached on the garments and avoid buttons falling off. It does
provide control measure in helping the factory understand the
proper maintenance program.
The Guide also consists of the following sections :
a)Button Attachment Control Procedures & Maintenance
Program b)Cause & Corrective Action for Buttoning
Problems
FACTORIES PRODUCT SAFETY GUIDE & PROCEDURE
1)Button Attachment Control Procedures and Maintenance Program
Buttons

Buttons are a potential choking hazard for babies. The quality of the button attachment is key to
avoiding a choking hazard. In terms of construction, all buttons (2‐ or

3. 4‐hole) must be attached using a lock stitch machine with a minimum of 16 needle
passes, using only spun polyester thread. In addition, 4‐hole buttons must be lock
stitched through all 4 holes in a cross‐stitch pattern to ensure secure attachment.
16 Needle passes as picture

5. Machine

Must be attached by lockstitch button machine; not by hand or another type of
machine stitch. Vendor must clean button attachment machines on a daily basis to
avoid any fluff, which could snag the thread and cause missing stitches/passes.
Bobbin
 Vendor must clean bobbin area on machine to remove fluff and dirt twice a day (4
hourly) :
• During lunch break
• Before a shift change or before a worker finishes work for the day
Needle Size

The correct needle size must be used. Needle sizes prefer #11 to #16 are the best for button
attachment.

Needle size selection is also a key point to note and in recommending a
particular needle size to be used, the vendor need to take into consideration the
garment construction, fabrication, and number of ply being used to apply to the
garment.

6. Condition of Needle

A faulty needle is one of the primary causes of button attachment defects. A
faulty needle must be replaced before production can be allowed to continue.
Examples of faulty needles are :
a)No bent needle
b)No tipped
needle

Operator need to change the buttoning needle at least twice a day, to ensure the needle is in
good condition.
Faulty Needle Check

An operator can check whether a needle is bent or tipped by rolling it on an even
smooth surface. If a needle will not roll smoothly on the surface, it is defective and
must be changed immediately before production continues.
Thread Tension

Thread tension must be adjusted in a right position.
a)Not too loosen
b)Not too tighten

Thread tension must be properly adjusted as it may cause missing stitches (i.e. 2 holes
instead of 4 holes).
Note : Always adjust bobbin thread tension first.

7. No sewing operator is allowed to do any adjusting on the machine.
All adjustment must be made by the mechanic or technician.
Button Attachment Strength

Buttons are graspable small parts; therefore all buttons must pass the standard
attachment strength test of 20.2 lbs. for 10 seconds. For some fabrics, an
interlining must be used to stabilize the fabric in order to meet this button
attachment strength requirement.

Finally, toggle buttons. Toggle buttons have one additional requirement – they must be subject
to drop testing as well as extended laundering to ensure strength and durability.
Missing Stitches/ Security & Tension Check
 On the machine, the thread remaining on the needle must not be too short,
the minimum length being at least 3” long. This will prevent the thread from
slipping out of the needle eyelet at the start of sewing or sewing from the
middle of the predetermined stitches.
Note : The above reason is the cause for missing or skipped stitches on
one side of a button.

8.  To overcome the problem of skipped or missed stitches and evenness of thread
tension, this simple procedure must adopted by every operator :
• When a bobbin case is refilled with thread, perform the first (1st) button
attachment on a piece of interlining before going into actual production.
• When the bobbin thread in the bobbin case is depleted, the last button
sewn from the depleted bobbin must always be removed from the garment.
• Record of style #, date and time of procedure must be clearly recorded and
kept as part of standard operating procedures.
Pre-Production
• Verify foundation thickness
• Apply 50 buttons to a mock seam
• Verify button attachment strength
• If any one of buttons fail to meet standard, the root cause (such as foundation,
thread, button, stitch formation & etc) should be defined and solve before
production.

9. Interim Inspection
Construction review : Appearance and security of button stitching
 A 100% check must be conducted on buttons sewn-on garments.
 The total quantity of production done at every 2-hours interval must be
collected, serial number of machine recorded and quantity noted before
100% inspection begins.
Three criteria must be inspected during the audit :
• Buttons are sewn with a complete stitch pattern;
• The “Rabbit Ears” and knot are clearly visible on the back-side;
• The first and last button tension check which is characterised by missing or
skipped stitches on one side of a button.
Note: All button attachment defects are considered critical defect. If one is
found during the audit, a 100% re-audit of the whole production is required.
Line supervisor must trained by appropriate button machine supplier annually.

10. Cause and Corrective Action For Buttoning Problems
Problem Cause Corrective Action
1. The needle thread slips
A.
The needle thread
remaining •Decrease the tension of the thread tension controller.
on the needle is too short.
•Adjust the timing to release the tension disc of the
thread
out of the needle eyelet
B. The material used flaps. tension controller.
at the start of sewing.
C. The wiper does not catch
the •Apply the needle hole guide with a higher boss.
2. The machine starts
thread. •Apply the button clamp jaw levers with a thinner
sewing from the middle
plate.Correct the spring of the wiper properly.
of the predetermined
stitches for sewing a
button.
3. The needle often breaks A.The needle hits against the
•Adjust the position of the button clamp jaw levers so
that
button in the area around the the needle enters the center of the holes in the button.
holes
. •Adjust the position of the feed plate to prevent it from
B.The tip/point/ball of the needle coming in contact with the boss of the needle hole
hole guide comes in contact with
guide. If the sewing size specified is too large, use the
feed
the recess of the feed plate. plate for medium-sized buttons or that for large buttons.
C.The needle used is too thin. •Change the needle of another count according to the
D.The knotting mechanism
comes sewing product to be sewn or the holes in button to be
in contact with the needle. attached.
•Adjust the timing of the knot-tying mechanism or its
stroke so that the knot-tying plate does not come in
contact with the needle.

11. II. Forms
Lockstitch Button Attachment Capacity and SOP Check
•Generated by
Factory authorized staff e.g. factory QC.
•When
Apply 100% check every two hours per day per order.
•Why
The purpose is to ensure all the buttons are security attached on the
garments and avoided button falling off. Additional it is a control measure in
helping the factory management to track the production.
Check Record of Even Attachment Tension for Bobbin Thread
•Generated by
Factory authorized staff e.g. button sewing operator.
•When
The initial refilled and the ending of each bobbin thread.
•Why
The purposes are to ensure all the buttons are security attached on the
garments, as to avoid missing stitch and caused button falling off. Additional it is
a control measure in helping the factory management to track running
production.

12. LOCKSTITCH BUTTON ATTACHMENT CAPACITY AND SOP CHECK
- Complete 2 " Rabbit
Ear" -Complete Stitch Pattern
Vendor : Factory:
Model No. / Operator :
Machine No. :
PSO: Date :
Style No.
: Stitch Density (Nos. of
stitches) :
Production Control - apply 100 % check every two hour. The initial refilled and the ending of
each bobbin thread, button must be sewn on Interlining.
Time Complete 2 "Rabbit Ear"
Complete Stitch Pattern (Cross or Parallel
stitches) The initial refilled
& ending of
bobbin thread
record
Output
TOTAL
Defective Action Taken Output
TOTAL
Defective Action Taken Nos. Of Button