Our manufacturing facility is spread across 3 composite units in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Together, they have the capacity to produce two hundred thousand garments a month. The facilities house over 1500 highly skilled workers, in addition to technicians, engineers and managers who report to our administrative office in the port city of Chennai. We provide complete services, including value-added ones like computerized embroidery, custom washes, and dry finishes like hand scraping, grinding, nicking, tacking, etc. All our processes are controlled and monitored by an ERP system.
Fabric sourcing
Having started out as a textile trading company back in 1982, we have an edge over our competitors in this department. We have local knowledge and decades of deep relationships with some of the top manufacturers of premium fabrics in India. This makes us very strong in fabric development and forecasting fabric trends, as well as in sourcing the right fabrics at competitive prices. We source all kinds of twill, dobby, satin, plaid, flannel, ripstop, rigid or stretch cotton, blends using cotton/ rayon/ wool/ taslan, etc., natural fibers such as flax and linen, or whatever else you need.
Teams of well-trained professionals take care of the fabric
weave,
texture, drape, and pattern or design. Each meter of fabric is
inspected against a 4-point system where we accept a maximum of
20 points per 100 meters. Since fabric is the key input for
apparel manufacturing, stringent systems are laid down to
control the quality of fabric right from the weaving stage.
Our factories come with large warehouses that store all the running fabrics for orders underway, all inspected and labelled. Our warehouses are designed to meet all safety norms, including fire safety, as per local laws. Inventory is clearly marked and segregated and follows the bin system.
Sampling
Our factories come with a dedicated CAD room with trained operators. We use the latest software to ensure least wastage of time and fabric. We use this mainly to create precise patterns and markers. Our CAD room accepts block patterns in any format, giving our customers the ability to control the process from remote locations as well. We have a quick turnaround time for any amendments desired by customers.
We use CAD to create all kinds of samples: prototype samples in
the early pre-production stages, and top-of-production samples
before bulk production. In most cases we produce proto, FIT,
salesman, size set and
pre-production samples through various stages of approval in the
development stage. In the production stage, our manufacturing
units submit a few extra samples, including top-of-production
samples and shipment samples.
cutting
The cutting section is a crucial element of our manufacturing process. Besides the cutting floor, there are separate floors for marker ratio planning, fabric relaxation and order reporting. The taskforce in this department comprises highly skilled planners, inspectors, and cutting machine operators.
The floor deploys spreaders and cutters with trained personnel to input the required length of the fabric rolls for uniform spreading. Our team of experienced inspectors checks for qualitative errors at every stage, from spreading and plying to the cut components. The top, middle, and bottom layers of each component so cut are inspected against the hard pattern for cutting quality. It is then subjected to 100% panel inspection to filter out any fabric defects. The defective panels are replaced by the reserved 5% length of the original roll. Each panel of the bundle is then ticketed sequentially.
SEWING
At the heart of our enterprise is the sewing department, equipped with high-performance Japanese machinery, organized in different lines to produce different types of garments. We follow best practices in our assembly lines. Every line has a flow chart with crucial information such as sequence of operation with grade, machinery layout, etc. Flow charts are developed by a group of experienced industrial engineers who regularly carry out time and method studies, as well as manning and utilization studies. This way, they estimate production outputs operation-wise, thus minimizing wasted man hours.
Our modern machines – under-bed trimmers, edge cutters, and more – are all computer-controlled. These machines are mainly used in stitching operations to make welt pockets, stitch waistbands, attach arms, stitch buttonholes, wrap buttons, and attach labels. Every machine has special attachments and guides to enhance production and quality of apparel. We have invested in a variety of special machines that produce immaculate stitches in various styles for specialized garments such as chinos and cargos. From inseams to J stitches, we remain committed to offering the best finishing to our buyers. Each garment passes through an automatic thread-sucking machine that ensures it is free from loose threads and other foreign particles. For more information DOWNLOAD PDF
The productivity of each operator is monitored every hour and reasons for low productivity (if any) are analyzed. We conduct regular refresher and training programs for our workforce so that they’re always up-to-date on the latest production techniques and inspection methods.
Embroidery is not just an embellishment; at Meenakshi, we know that it adds real value. Our latest automated machines have a staggering output of 1200 stitches per minute, in 9 colours at a time. No job is too big or too small for our machines, as they consistently produce unique, creative and outstanding patterns, brand logos and designs at blazing speeds. Whether our clients are large corporations or niche brands, we have every kind of tool to deliver the most optimum and specific results.
Quality CONTROL
The purpose of inspection and quality control in each stage of production is to detect and rectify defects at the source. We conduct inspection at our sewing floor at various stages such as line/spot inspection, finished garment inspection and random open box analysis of packaged merchandise.
Spot inspection is carried out in each line to ensure we consistently produce topnotch merchandise. Typically, in an assembly line, 4 checkpoints controlled by one auditor are deployed. Trained inspectors are stationed at critical points of apparel manufacture. Spot inspectors are trained with visual exhibits of defects that may occur before sewing each style.
Final inspection is carried out by a team of experienced inspectors. Each garment (inside and outside) is checked in a stipulated manner to identify every minor defect that may occur. Defects are marked for correction or rejected if irreparable.
Just before the merchandise is passed on for final inspection, it is inspected as per the 'Acceptable Quality Level-1.5'. The number of samples is randomly selected as per AQL norms for audit. During audit, standards of the fabric, garment construction and visual optics are verified.
LAUNDRY
The laundry process at Meenakshi India is one of the most important aspects of manufacturing. Our state-of-the-art machines are capable of giving all-round finishes to each garment, ranging from the most basic softening washes to the more complicated grinding and nicking processes. Our washing gear includes 15 dryers, 20 washing machines and 7 hydra extractors. A state-of-the-art ETP infrastructure is another highlight of our green initiative – we use treated and recycled water for all our washing requirements, in compliance with international safety and regulatory standards.
Our skilled washing gear operators work closely with our design team to ensure that each of our customers’ requirements of look and feel are thoroughly matched when the garment goes through wet and dry processes and techniques. Each piece of garment is cared for, to ensure proper pH levels and color fastness. Never is any product washed with haste or in non-compliance with quality standards and customer expectations. We’re proud to promise our clients the quickest turnaround time and the best possible quality.
Finishing
Ironing is carried out on vacuum tables by a group of proficient workforce. All our irons are Teflon coated so that they do not leave any marks.They maintain the iron temperature and steam pressure based on shell fabric quality. For cleaner and crease-less finishes, we also have the option of using Topper Machines and Seam-splitter Machines. A quality check is done here to ensure conformity of the length and width of the fold, measure of tie gap and other parameters specified by our clients.
We understand that the perfect finishing touch to your clothing products lies in those little labels and clothing tags. These are attached by our professionally trained staffers who follow the rigorous method used in our flow charts so that there is absolutely no size mismatch.
Our team is capable of handling any type of packing like – flat-pack, hanger- pack etc. Apparels are usually bagged and boxed immediately after final inspection and enters the stores in prepacked form after metal detection
SECURITY
We recruit our security staff from verified sources that specialize in factory security and safety. Protection of people, property, and assets is the main priority. All finished goods warehouses and gates are under CCTV surveillance, which in turn is monitored by trained personnel. All visitors and employees have to produce proof of identity before entering the factory premises.
