Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka; President: Mitsuhiko Takaoka), which manufactures and sells MAGIC TAPE hook and loop fastener, and Uchida Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya; President, Yasuhiko Uchida), which manufactures and sells materials for auto parts, resins, and construction materials, have announced the joint development of a special plastic hook tape that allows quick and easy replacement of screens in doors and windows. The new product (Patent applied for), will be available from October 1. This hook tape is easy to use with stainless steel and other metal screens, as well as with resin screens, which will be appreciated by families troubled by pets tearing screens.
Screens, which keep out insects and dust while letting in air and sunlight, are indispensable to comfortable living. If they become excessively soiled or are torn by pets, the screen must be replaced. However, there are expenses involved with calling in a repairman, and doing it yourself is difficult. In addition, as a countermeasure against emissions of dioxins, there is a shift to polypropylene as a screen material, because it contains no polyvinyl chloride. However, polypropylene screens have a useful life of only three to four years, so the frequency of replacement is on an upward trend.
The screen material is held in place by pressing a rubber grommet into the sash. This requires that the screen be held precisely in place while the four sides are carefully pressed into place. This new product is special, polyester, hook and loop fastener tape, 22mm in width, with three rows of arrowhead-shaped hooks on both sides. The hooks hold fast when it is bent at the fold in the middle, the ends evened up, and pressed. The inner half of this special tape is attached to the four sides of the sash with double-sided tape, the screen material is pinched between the hooks of the outer half, and the replacement of the screen is completed when it is secured by folding the tape over and pressing. It can be used even when the gaps in the screen mesh are larger than the hooks, and can also be used when families with pets switch to metal screens.
Both firms intend to develop this product by introducing a variety of colors (gray, bronze, etc.), selling longer tapes for bigger jobs, and developing products for car windows and agricultural facilities such as pigsties and chicken coops.
First year | ¥100 million |
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After three years | ¥300 million |
1. Headquarters | 1-12-39, Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8611, Japan (Shin Hankyu Building 9F) |
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2. President | Mitsuhiko Takaoka |
3. Capital | ¥100 million |
4. Number of employees | 120 |
5. Business activities | Manufacturing, development, and sales of MAGIC TAPE hook and loop fastener, extrusion molded hook fastener, and related products.
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1. Headquarters | 1-16-37 Tachibana, Naka-ku, Nagoya |
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2. President | Yasuhiko Uchida |
3. Capital | ¥30 million |
4. Number of employees | 200 |
5. Business activities | Development, manufacturing, and sales of materials for auto parts, resins, and construction materials |