FAQs
About YKK
Q1.
What does "YKK" stand for?
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.
Q2.
Other than zippers, what product does YKK produce today?
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.
Q3.
YKK has a famous philosophy: what exactly is it?
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.
Q4.
How large is YKK?
A4.
Today, YKK Corporation has 251 plants and offices in 60 countries around the world. (as of Mar. 31, 2002)
Q5.
Where can I find YKK products?
A5.
Please refer to Contact Us page for your nearest YKK office.
About Zippers and Sliders
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?
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.
Q2.
YKK produces zippers throughout the world but are their quality and function of an equal standard globally?
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.
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?
A3.
When a silver-colored metal zipper is required, choose an aluminum zipper. Specify an "anti-nickel" zipper
when placing an order.
Q4.
Are YKK products treated for needle detection machines?
A4.
YKK has researched and developed; materials, surface treatment, strength, and zipper designs, to prevent
false needle detection.
Q5.
What are the points to be noted when using zippers in baby wear?
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.