Maintaining Staying Power for Velcro ® Brand Fasteners
Velcro® brand fasteners are such an ingeniously simple product that we often take it for granted, assuming it will last forever. However, there are factors that will cause VELCRO® Brand's durability to fail. Protecting hook and loop fasteners from the following will maximize its useful lifespan.
Chemicals
This is the culprit that most customers don’t have to worry about. The synthetic materials from which hook and loop is made tend to be less vulnerable to chemical degradation than most materials. That said, caustic chemicals and petroleum-based substances could compromise a hook and loop fastener if exposed. To avoid this effect, keep your hook and loop from coming in contact with such chemicals and give it a thorough cleaning in the event of such exposure.
Heat and Cold
Hook and loop is usually made of nylon and occasionally with polyester or plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. These VELCRO® materials tend to be most durable and effective within a certain temperature range. Extreme heat could soften the material and melt it or permanently warp it. This warping will almost certainly reduce the strength of the hook and loop. On the other hand, extreme cold will cause the material to stiffen up. In extreme cases, this stiffening will result in the hooks actually breaking upon separation. To guard against this temperature degradation, restrict the use of hook and loop to specified temperature ranges. Most hook and loop should operate just fine in negative temperatures and up over 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but it’s always important to check the operating temperature range when extreme temperatures become a possibility.
Overuse
Like anything else on the planet that bends or rubs against something, hook and loop fasteners can simply wear out. For applications that require frequent fastening and unfastening, this is just a fact of life for the product. After all, the ease of use is one of the product's key attractions. For some applications, though, we tend to apply it once and only disengage it once in a blue moon. To protect hook and loop fasteners and maximize life in either case, avoid unnecessarily attaching and detaching the fastener. Think of each time you separate the hook and loop as a cycle. Most hook and loop fasteners can withstand up to 20,000 cycles.
UV Light
This is a factor most people never consider. Unless the material is specially formulated to resist ultraviolet light, frequent exposure can dramatically lower VELCRO® Brand's durability. The most common culprit for this effect is sunlight. Given enough exposure, the plastic will become brittle, and the hooks will simply break off instead of releasing as they were designed. To minimize this factor, try to avoid using hook and loop fasteners in areas where they will be in direct sunlight for long stretches of time.
Hook and loop is a durable, reliable product. Reducing its exposure to the few things that can degrade it quickly is the best way to maximize this durability and reliability.
Chemicals
This is the culprit that most customers don’t have to worry about. The synthetic materials from which hook and loop is made tend to be less vulnerable to chemical degradation than most materials. That said, caustic chemicals and petroleum-based substances could compromise a hook and loop fastener if exposed. To avoid this effect, keep your hook and loop from coming in contact with such chemicals and give it a thorough cleaning in the event of such exposure.
Heat and Cold
Hook and loop is usually made of nylon and occasionally with polyester or plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. These VELCRO® materials tend to be most durable and effective within a certain temperature range. Extreme heat could soften the material and melt it or permanently warp it. This warping will almost certainly reduce the strength of the hook and loop. On the other hand, extreme cold will cause the material to stiffen up. In extreme cases, this stiffening will result in the hooks actually breaking upon separation. To guard against this temperature degradation, restrict the use of hook and loop to specified temperature ranges. Most hook and loop should operate just fine in negative temperatures and up over 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but it’s always important to check the operating temperature range when extreme temperatures become a possibility.
Overuse
Like anything else on the planet that bends or rubs against something, hook and loop fasteners can simply wear out. For applications that require frequent fastening and unfastening, this is just a fact of life for the product. After all, the ease of use is one of the product's key attractions. For some applications, though, we tend to apply it once and only disengage it once in a blue moon. To protect hook and loop fasteners and maximize life in either case, avoid unnecessarily attaching and detaching the fastener. Think of each time you separate the hook and loop as a cycle. Most hook and loop fasteners can withstand up to 20,000 cycles.
UV Light
This is a factor most people never consider. Unless the material is specially formulated to resist ultraviolet light, frequent exposure can dramatically lower VELCRO® Brand's durability. The most common culprit for this effect is sunlight. Given enough exposure, the plastic will become brittle, and the hooks will simply break off instead of releasing as they were designed. To minimize this factor, try to avoid using hook and loop fasteners in areas where they will be in direct sunlight for long stretches of time.
Hook and loop is a durable, reliable product. Reducing its exposure to the few things that can degrade it quickly is the best way to maximize this durability and reliability.
- Updated On : Jun 16, 2023
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Posted By:
Stephen Ira
