Note: The name Velcro® is a trade name for what is known as “pressure sensitive hook and loop fastener.”
It is a commonly used material for closure systems. Before the advent of Velcro®, snaps and
zippers were the preferred method of closing containers. Velcro® changed how the parachute industry
designed products. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was a tendency to overdo the use of
Velcro® and problems with durability and interaction with other materials became known. Since
then, the use of Velcro® has been reduced to those applications where it is superior to other methods
and can be easily replaced.
1.0 DISASSEMBLY:
1.1 Identify the nature of the use of the Velcro®. Before you remove the piece, note how it is
attached to the container. Some designs are such that several layers of construction have to be
reversed to get to the location where the Velcro® was sewn on. If this is the case, the rigger
may have to make a very expensive repair to replace a small piece of Velcro®.
2.0 REASSEMBLY:
2.1 Cut the replacement Velcro® to size. Velcro® is normally scissor cut, not cut with a hot knife.
2.2 Position the Velcro® and stitch around the perimeter at .12" from the edge. For any pieces 1"
in width or wider, sew a row of stitching down the center [Figure A]. This prevents the
center from being pulled up from the material and loading the outside row of stitching
[Figure B].
2.3 Some applications have the Velcro® sewn to a piece of
tape for support. Again, if it is 1" or more wide, sew
down the center to prevent lifting.
2.4 Depending on the application, the mating loop piece
of Velcro® may be wider than the hook to provide
additional protection. That is, the hook may be .75"
wide and the loop 1" wide.
3.0 INSPECTION:
3.1 Check that thread tension is
correct.
3.2 Verify orientation is correct.
3.3 Check that center stitching is
used where needed.
