Denim Mill (Photo Essay) Sherry Huck

On Tuesday, March 30, we visited a denim mill, where high quality denim is manufactured. Unfortunately the mill owners did not allow us to take pictures inside the factory, but I was able to take a few pictures outside of the factory. The mill had 2 types of looms that spun the thread for the denim. One was manufactured in Japan and the other in Belgium. Both types spun at about 1,200 revolutions/minute. To create denim the thread initially are imported from various vendors on large reels. The factory keeps track of all the denim and thread using identification cards. After the thread is spun, it is sent for a PCP treatment. Soaking the thread in PCP makes the fabric stronger and more durable. After the thread is sent through the treatment machine it is sent to another machine which separates the individual threads to make the fabric easier to weave. After the denim is woven, all the fabric is sent to a washing room where the fabric is treated in different ways to create different styles. After being wash the denim is cut into sample sizes where it is distressed by hand. From these samples, retailers can choose which distressed style they like best. After being wash the denim is again put onto large reels and hand inspected for defects. Since we visited a high quality denim factory, each reel of denim is hand inspected and corrected before being shipped. The company inspects the denim using a machine that reels the fabric through so that only a small rectangular area is shown at a time (about 3 by 5 ft). The factory worker then presses a button to speed up or slow down the machine and inspects the fabric. If the worker finds a defect he or she stops the machine and corrects the error using either a blow gun to spray off any loose dust or a tweezers to pluck off any imperfection. After the tour, we were allowed to chat with the factory owner's and learn more about the manufacturing process. The company we toured was a family run business that employs about 180 workers divided into 3 shifts. Unlike other denim manufactures this company stayed in Hong Kong and decided to product high quality goods, where as other manufactures moved to China in order to produce less expensive, but lower quality denim. The owners were very passionate about their denim mill and the quality of their products. They even had quality assurance workers on site consistently checking to make sure the product fit the different standard required by their purchasers.

(Outside the Denim Mill)

 (Denim Mill we only view the first floor)

(Reels of Denim)

(Factory worker loading the finished denim)

(We were required to wear masks and ear plugs before entering the denim mill)