The Velcro and Its Use
It was originally and widely known as the zipperless zipper when it was initiated in the marketplace. The convenience of using none metallic zipper-like clothing fastener kind of amused buyers is what paved the way for the fame of the term. But the coinage of its inventor is far too unique than what the buyers suggest. It was unique that the term was actually a portmanteau of two French words. Not to mention the way the product has been invented and discovered is something that can also be regarded as purely accidental although a scientific breakthrough. Thus hail to the new invention known in the military and almost every institution as the Velcro.
George de Mestra, a Swiss engineer who lived in Commugny, Switzerland invented Velcro in 1941. Thanks to the burs that got hooked on his dog’s fur and his pants one day after coming come from a hunting trip, he has able to conceptualize how the Velcro has to work – hook and loop system.
Initially, his invention has been declined by people when he decided to take his invention to a big company named Lyon – the center of weaving during the time. During the presentation, one weaver of that company managed to help him and made two strips of cotton fabric and worked. Early on, he already found out how susceptible cotton for Velcro was so he shifted to using synthetic fibers instead. De Mestral used nylon for Velcro as nylon is known to have greater advantages than cotton such as durability, abundance, and its flexibility in terms of fiber production. With the increase of popularity of the innovation and its proven ease of use, Velcro has been commonly regarded as a product rather than a brand thus has been widely utilized in many institutions around the globe.
Military Use
The US Army is the number one user of Velcro for its battle dress uniforms and other enlisted workwear uniforms. Though just this year, some of military uniforms will be replaced because of a noisy velco strips, it has been announced that the military made a quite type of Velcro with a status of confidential invention.
Household and General Use
We frequently use it for many purposes in our house. It’s often seen in our clothes and in many of our homes appliances and furnishings. Velcro is well-known in shoes as replacement for ties, laces, and zippers. This time, Velcro is now selling high-adhesive hook-and-loop fasteners that can hold not just light materials but as well as pots, doors and many others.
Medical Use
Maybe not primarily used for medicine but its function can be used in many medical usage such as fasteners for medical scrubs, hospital gowns and scrubs uniforms. The older versions of the equipments used to measure the blood pressure such as the sphygmomanometer also known as the manometer. The bag that is filled with air of that equipment has a Velcro so that it can fastened fit to any size patient’s arm. Other hospital equipments are using this brand or product in that sense because of its reliability and ability.
Nature kept many mysteries and it is only with a bright and keen mind that this mystery be revealed. As for the case of Velcro it was the bur which had the mystery and it was De Mestral who exposed it.
