News

Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City; President: Mitsuhide Takaoka; hereafter "Kuraray Fastening"), manufacturer and seller of MAGIC TAPE hook-and-loop fasteners and MAGILOCK extrusion molded hook fasters, hereby announces the release of a lineup of stability-control molded hook fasteners for securing Buddhist altars in place in the event of an earthquake. Incorporating MAGIC TAPE hook-and-loop fasteners and MAGILOCK extrusion molded hook fasters, the new product lineup was developed jointly by Kuraray Fastening and the Shizuoka Buddhist Altars Wholesale Commerce and Industry Association (Location: Shizuoka City; Chairperson: Mikihiko Shimura). With the Shizuoka Buddhist Altars Wholesale Commerce and Industry Association acting as sales agency, the products will be launched at Buddhist altars and related goods stores nationwide in early August, 2008.
This stability-control hook fastener series is based on Kuraray Fastening's control hook fastener series for securing furniture and home electronics against movement during earthquakes and has been commercialized especially for Buddhist altars. Using higher-performance serrated hooks than the existing MAGILOCK extrusion molded hook fasteners employed, the new series for Buddhist altars boasts holding power approximately four times that of ordinary MAGIC TAPE. In addition, the products come with special metal fittings (patent pending) to withstand particularly strong tremors.
Buddhist altars differ in shape and size by sect. Therefore, Kuraray Fastening offers four types of products, each set featuring parts to make it appropriate to a particular style of altar and effective in restraining both horizontal and vertical movement. For kasane karaki altars, gilded altars, modern kasane altars and altars for the Shoshu sect, specialized pieces of the fastener set will secure the upper part of the table under the altar, bottom of the altar, back surface and side surfaces. Furthermore, reflecting the increase in smaller residences without purpose-built alcoves for Buddhist altars, there are an increasing number of modern and compact-type altars that can be placed on top of a chest of drawers or other small space. To secure such altars, Kuraray Fastening offers a styrenic elastomer (SEPTON, a Kuraray Co., Ltd. brand) sheet.