Did You Know that YKK’s Production is Vertically Integrated?
Vertical integration is inherent in YKK’s Field Technology Centers, or FTCs, which provide a complete service structure to help develop more efficient and economical manufacturing operations for our customers. Since we produce both products and the machines needed to attach them to the products of our customers, we can increase quality and efficiency of our customers’ production, all while decreasing costs.
Field Technology Centers: Benefits to Our Customers
YKK sees its FTCs as one of many extensions of its CYCLE OF GOODNESS® philosophy, or the belief that “no one prospers without rendering benefit to others.” Not only do FTCs offer solutions tailored to individual customer application, but the vertical integration service structure also allows customers to deskill their production. Deskilling is synonymous with eliminating certain steps in the production processes and making overall production simpler. Thus, output can be maximized, and consistent high quality can be maintained.
Machinery
The SEW200, YKK’s CONCEAL® zipper sewing system, makes the sewing process simple and quick. Some customers have experienced an over 70% labor reduction. As sew manufacturers face diminishing labor pools, automation of the fastener attachment process becomes crucial.
With the FLEXLINE®, the scope of the jeans fly assembly process is reduced from an average of 3 operators to 1.5. By eliminating the gap between each fly, $10,000 in waste reduction is saved annually.
YKK’s QAL machine automatically cuts and dispenses QUICKFIT®, an effective fastener and tie down system for automotive seats, into the seat foam tool according to recipes dictated by the foam facility. The machine is fed by 1000-meter continuous spools of QUICKFIT® and automatically switches between spools as necessary. The QAL is even able to spatially distribute QUICKFIT® within the same tool.
Here is the QAL in action:
FTC in Marietta, Georgia: Operating with Sustainability in Mind
The YKK (U.S.A.) Inc. Field Technology Center (FTC) in Marietta, Georgia takes our environmental pledge to heart by recycling its machines, scrap metal, spare parts, paper and cardboard. This FTC gets machines powder-coated, which lowers waste generation, and tracks its water and power consumption.
Find your nearest FTC and contact your YKK Solutions Group to get started!
