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About YKK
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Q1. |
What does "YKK" stand for? |
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A1. |
YKK was founded in Japan as a zipper manufacturing company in 1934 by Tadao (pronounced
in English as Tah-dah-o) Yoshida. In the early years, Mr. Yoshida's company carried
his name; it was called Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha--or "YKK" for short. (That
long Japanese name translates roughly into English as "Yoshida Company Limited.")
Over the years, the letters "YKK" were stamped onto the zippers' pull tabs, and
thus YKK became known as the Company's trademark.
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Q2. |
Other than zippers, what product does YKK produce today? |
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A2. |
Aside from zippers, YKK also makes other fastening products--like hook & loop
self-closing tape fastening systems, webbings, and metal and plastic notions and
buckles. YKK also produces aluminum building products--like window and entrance
systems for low, medium, and high rise applications.
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Q3. |
YKK has a famous philosophy: what exactly is it? |
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A3. |
Mr. Yoshida called his philosophy the Cycle of Goodness. It means that "No one
prospers unless he renders benefit to others." According to his philosophy, Mr.
Yoshida believed he must manufacture only useful, high quality zippers that would
benefit, or enhance, the end-use goods in which they were installed. Since his
product was a component in his customer's products, and the critical moving part,
he believed it would have to perform perfectly over a long period of time so that
those end-use goods would last longer and perform better than others on the market.
When they did, all involved would benefit. Because of this guiding principle,
YKK became involved in vertical manufacturing. This means that YKK not only produces
the zippers, but also the machines that make the zippers--and even many of the
raw materials that go into the zippers--like the polyester and brass that make
up the tape, teeth and sliders.
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Q4. |
How large is YKK? |
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A4. |
Today, YKK Corporation has 251 plants and offices in 60 countries around the world.
(as of Mar. 31, 2002)
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Q5. |
Where can I find YKK products? |
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A5. |
Please refer to Contact
List page for your nearest YKK office.
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About Zippers and Sliders
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Q1. |
The slider sometimes catches on cloth when opened or closed.
Is there any way to free the slider without causing damage
to the cloth? |
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A1. |
Remove the trapped cloth by moving the slider back while pulling the cloth outward.
Take care to avoid the possibility of the zipper getting caught when opening and
closing it.
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Q2. |
YKK produces zippers throughout the world but are their quality and function of
an equal standard globally? |
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A2. |
All the zippers produced and sold throughout the world by YKK meet the quality
standards set by YKK, so there is no difference in quality and function. However,
special care should be taken regarding the existence of counterfeit zippers.
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Q3. |
A zipper purchased was made of or coated with nickel and caused an allergic reaction
on direct contact with the skin. How can I avoid it? |
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A3. |
When a silver-colored metal zipper is required, choose an aluminum zipper. Specify
an "anti-nickel" zipper when placing an order.
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Q4. |
Are YKK products treated for needle detection machines? |
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A4. |
YKK has researched and developed; materials, surface treatment, strength, and
zipper designs, to prevent false needle detection.
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Q5. |
What are the points to be noted when using zippers in baby wear? |
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A5. |
Special zippers, such as zippers with plastic top and bottom stops, are offered
for infants and kids wear. Please ask your YKK sales agent for more details.
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Q6. |
What type of zipper works best with garments made of a thick material? |
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A6. |
Example: If a garment is made with a piece of material that has a weight of 12 oz. or more, you must use at least a number four size zipper or larger.
If you use a number three size zipper or smaller with this type of material, the zipper elements may break.
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Q7. |
What should you do when material gets caught in a slider? |
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A7. |
If you attempt to free the material from the slider by force, the problem will become worse. Instead, turn the slider in the opposite direction, and slowly remove the trapped material from the slider.
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Q8. |
How can manufacturers prevent zipper tape from becoming
discolored and worn by chemicals found in detergents?
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A8. |
They should use a YG type zipper. We recommend this zipper because its chain is
stronger than most zippers, which enables it to withstand the wear and tear caused by the washing process. After washing this zip, be sure to rinse it thoroughly to ensure that acids do not remain on the tape. Since chemicals can sometimes have an adverse effect even on this fastener, we recommend testing it after it is washed.
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Q9. |
Can
zipper tape become discolored in a home laundry? |
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A9. |
A zipper's tape will not usually lose its color in a home laundry. However, discoloration may occur if the tape comes into contact with vinyl chloride, synthetic leather, or a resin coated material. When the tape comes into contact with these substances, a chemical reaction often causes it to lose its color.
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