Worldwide known brand famous especially for producing the highest-quality zippers. YKK Group is worldwide leader in this area. The company was founded January 1934 in Tokyo. From the very beginning, the company focus was on producing hand made zippers, snaps and buttons. And that remained. In 1946, one year after the end of World War II (and burnout of the main factory), YKK registered as a trademark of Yoshida Kogyo K.K. This stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha (Yoshida Company Limited). Today, the company is divided into six global regions, making it the YKK Fastening Products Group.
How does zipper actually work ?
Zipper is used to join two separated parts together and its structure is following – it consists of tape (usually made of some fabric - polyester, etc.) and the teeth, also known as elements, which are the parts on each side of a zipper that mesh, or engage, with each other when passed through the slider. The slider joins or separates the elements when the zipper is opened or closed. The zipper also features bottom stop and top stop (depending on the type of the zipper) that would also include insert pin, boxpin and retaining box.
What makes YKK zippers so unique ?
The zipper is therefore a seemingly simple device, consisting of many small parts. However, if one of them is not of good quality, it will reduce the quality and reliability of the entire zipper. Therefore, in YKK they have their own production machines, use their own materials and use their own unique production procedures. Of course, all this is constantly improving and carefully hiden from the competition. And all products will undergo a strict testing methods.
Reliable and durable - YKK zippers, that is world-class performance in terms of function, quality and craftsmanship. They are characterized by their reliability, even after long-term use. Some of the YKK zippers are waterproof and are used on products intended for extreme weather conditions. YKK zippers, that isn´t "made in China" zipper, they are high-quality zippers made in Japan, Europe or USA. These zippers are highly durable and reliable and are made to last. This eliminates constant sewing of new zippers for pants or repairs of backpacks and bags. The broken zipper can devaluate the entire clothes or other product and sometimes the damage is irreparable. However, if your product is equipped with YKK zippers, you can forget about these issues.
YKK zippers have many certifications. Most importantly it is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, certification system for textile raw materials, intermediate poducts and final products at all stages of production. Many of YKK’s production locations have been certified as meeting – ISO/TS 16949:2009, OSHMS, ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 9001:2008.