Watch the denim production process by Orta Anadolu Denim Academy

Orta Anadolu, Denim Academy is structured as a training program and online reference dedicated to all aspects of denim fabric production.
The aim is to share knowledge with the professionals of denim industry, offer a research and training field for design and textile students or apprentices and become an academy for life-time learners who is willing to brush up on technological advancements and innovations.

Being one of the world’s most important natural fibers, cotton is the one of the main raw material for denim fabric process. Sourced from different locations of the world, it goes through specific tests in order to avoid any fluctuation in fabric quality.
Yarn spinning starts with the transfer of the cotton bales from warehouse to the blowing room feeder as a initial step of yarn spinning process. From this point onwards, cotton undergoes a set of preparation process such as cleaning, opening and blending. Carding,
Draw-Frames, Roving Frames are the considered as
pre- spinning steps just before spinning frames where the yarn count is set and followed by winding where yarn is transformed into bobbins. They are warped as ropes at ball warping and prepared for indigo rope dyeing process.

The heart of denim fabric production. The legendary indigo is known to be among the oldest dyestuff used in textile history. The unique character of indigo enables denim fabric to have its final look with different types of finishing and washing treatments.

A group of un-dyed ropes runs through a long machine where the yarn is dipped into the indigo pulled out to oxidize and re-dipped repeatedly into the indigo bath. The number of dips change according to the final colour required. Rope dye is a preferable method of dyeing for color consistency.

Sizing operation is dipping the warp yarn into the sizing solution where all the process parameters like concentration, temperature and viscosity are under control, and then squeezing, drying and beaming onto the warp beam. Sizing liquor consists of mainly starch, wax and other additive chemicals and is cooked at certain temperature and process conditions.
As a result the warp yarns are covered with a protective layer of film and ready for weaving. The object of sizing is to prepare the warp yarns for an efficient and high quality weaving operation.

The process which produces the fabric by intersecting the weft and the warp yarns in an order (weave report) is called weaving process.
For weaving operation we need five basic motions: Shedding, Filling Insertion, beat-up, warp let-off and take-up.

Denim-finish refers to any physical or chemical treatment used to improve upon the look, feel, or performance of denim fabric.
The classical denim finish process is known to be “sanforizing” where it prevents the jean garment from shrinking after washing.
Singeing, scouring, bleaching, desizing and mercerizing are mainly non-denim processes before piece-dyeing. New advancements in denim finishing is in coating and overdyeing which add strong fashion attitude to the final look.

Denim fabric has gone through three test stages after production. Visual Control, Physical Tests and Shade Evaluation. Fabric issubjected to various tests such as dimensional stability, width, weight, tear & tensile strength, stiffness, elongation, growth, recovery, elasticity (if stretch) according to AATCC and ASTM standards.
Physical tests are followed by visual control; markingand flagging defects and cut into rolls. The final stage is shade control carried out by denim colorists in order to ensure color consistency and continuity.