Case Study: Custom Fabric Button for an Airline Catering Supplier in Portugal
Source:Murano Glass Sculptures /
Time:2026-09-18
Fabric Button for an Airline Catering Supplier in Portugal
An Airline Catering Supplier approached us with a fabric button requirement for the Portugal market. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive freight and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.
The challenge
- Cartons packed to the factory ratio instead of the buyer's size ratio
- An interlining that bubbled after the first press
- Elastic that lost recovery after three washes
What we specified
| Item | Fabric Button |
|---|---|
| Client type | An Airline Catering Supplier |
| Market | Portugal |
| Order volume | 50,000 pieces across 6 specifications |
| Base material | TPU |
| Standard size | 15 mm Width |
| Finish | Sandblasted Finish |
| Sampling rounds | 3 |
| Delivery window | 10 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | EN 71-3 |
How it was resolved
- We rebuilt the specification around TPU and locked the tolerance before bulk.
- The finish was moved to Epoxy Doming after strike-off tests showed better durability.
- A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.
Result
- 50,000 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
- Unit cost held within 2.0% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 1.5%.
- The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Approve a pre-production sample made from the actual bulk base material. Substitute material behaves differently in finishing.
Planning something similar?
Share the programme details and we will propose two alternatives — one optimised for unit cost, one for lead time — and let you choose.
