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#Textile processing

YKK receives two ISPO Textrends awards for innovative fastening solutions

3D Printed Snap Cap © 2026 YKK
YKK Corporation is pleased to announce that its 3D Printed Snap Cap was named Best Product in the Accessories category of the ISPO Textrends, while Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® AquaGuard® was named an ISPO Textrends Selection in the same category.


ISPO Textrends, held twice a year in conjunction with the ISPO exhibition in Amsterdam, recognizes innovative performance textiles, components, and apparel.

Award-Winning Products

Best Product: 3D Printed Snap Cap

The 3D Printed Snap Cap is a new snap button that combines YKK’s expertise in snap button manufacturing with Variloom’s on-demand print-to-shape fabrication system. Utilizing Variloom’s customizable materials and 3D printing process, this product can eliminate the need for conventional molds and the constraints of minimum order quantities (MOQs). It also enables a high degree of customization, including complex textures and details that are difficult to achieve with conventional manufacturing methods, offering brands and designers new possibilities.

By combining Variloom’s materials with Sulapac’s bio-based wood composite material and mimicking organic forms found in nature, the product is designed to achieve a more natural look and feel while maintaining structural strength. Based on Sulapac’s material specifications, more than 55% of the snap cap insert is made from bio-based materials, combining wood composite material, cotton fibers, and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

This product is a concept item exhibited for ISPO Textrends. Commercial availability has not yet been determined.

Selection: Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® AquaGuard®

Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® AquaGuard® is a repair solution that allows only damaged or missing elements of a VISLON® AquaGuard® zipper to be replaced, rather than replacing the entire zipper. The product is designed to improve the efficiency of zipper repair work at brand repair centers and other facilities, while reducing zipper waste generated during repairs.

Following last year’s iF DESIGN AWARD for Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON®, designed for VISLON® zippers, the version developed for VISLON® AquaGuard® has now been named an ISPO Textrends Selection, which identifies trends in materials and products for the sports and outdoor industries.

By providing an environment in which products can be used longer through repair, YKK aims to contribute to the more efficient use of resources. The product is scheduled to go on sale in January 2027.

Yasuhiro Sato, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy Division, Global Sales Headquarters, YKK Corporation, commented on the recognition: “We are truly honored by these awards, which we see as recognition of YKK's commitment to innovation. Going forward, YKK will continue to strive to enrich people’s lives through innovation while contributing to solutions for the environmental challenges facing the textile industry.”

Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® AquaGuard® © 2026 YKK
Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® AquaGuard® © 2026 YKK




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