Right first time (RFT) is more than a buzz phrase of the nineties. It is an approach that becomes the culture by which the whole dyehouse operates. It can mean the difference between success and failure in an industry facing demands of tighter color specifications, higher quality standards, and shorter production runs. Studies reveal, for example, that even with 80% RFT performance, the 20% wrong first time may account for between 30-50% of both machine time and production cost to the polyester dyer. Controlled coloration starts with a full audit of current performance and establishment of a monitoring system. It involves introduction of tight controls of ail raw materials in the dyeing operation from the water and substrate to dyes and chemicals. It requires exploitation of machine control provided by the latest microprocessors and on-line monitoring systems. The key to achievement of controlled coloration is understanding how disperse dyes behave at each stage of the polyester dyeing cycle, so that dye and process selection can be optimized to maximize shade reproducibility and to ensure that leveling and fastness requirements are met.
