Between 2003 and 2018, the number of times a person would wear the same piece of clothing multiple times has gone down by 36%.1* This is, in part, due to the dramatic increase in the fast fashion industry. Despite its negative environmental impact, many times it ends up being one…
Have you ever looked at shirt or jacket and noticed that the zipper or the buttons are on the opposite side? Perhaps you’ve bought a new shirt or jacket and have been disoriented by the positioning of these fasteners. An estimated 70 to 95 percent of people in the world…
In spring 2020, when the world came to a halt, millions of people got in touch with their creative side. For recent Marist College graduate Ava Grand, a spark of inspiration ignited her while looking at all the plastic packaging that had accumulated in her New Jersey bedroom. “I was…
Many of us use zippers in our everyday life without thinking much about just how all the parts work together. Whether it’s keeping your jeans or backpack closed or providing an airtight seal on a spacesuit, the structure of a zipper is crucial to its performance. Let’s start with the…
Welding YKK® fasteners to other materials depends on the material compatibility, the method used to weld them together, size of the weld, and the application. The two most popular methods to weld fasteners and fabrics together are Radio Frequency (RF) and Ultrasonic welding. They both rely on heat and pressure…
Since YKK manufactures roughly 3 million kilometers worth of zippers every year, some assume we invented this integral apparel product. However, the invention of the zipper predates our company’s founding. This begs the question: Who invented the zipper? Let’s find out! 1851: Elias Howe Jr. and the Unutilized Patent In…
About 385,000 babies are born each day according to the UN. That adds up to more than 140 million a year. Moreover, there are more than 46 million adults aged 65 and older living in the U.S.; by 2050, that number is expected to grow to almost 90 million. Therefore,…
The definition of a two-way zipper is one where you can close or open the zipper from two opposite ends at the same time. There has always been confusion regarding the “two-way” function of a zipper. Is two-way separating generally used for an outerwear jacket application? Or maybe a two-way,…
YKK has a wide variety of extruded hook options that are engineered to engage with an assortment of woven, knitted, or nonwoven loop materials. These options allow customers to have just the right combination of peel, shear, and cycle life for their particular needs. The key is choosing the right…
While speed is surely better than slowness in today’s business climate, what is perhaps more beneficial for manufacturers is planning for the most optimal speed of product development rather than the fastest speed possible. Ensuring the development of products occurs at an appropriate rate of progression through the consideration of…
