Overview
ISO 18403:2016 - Footwear - Test methods for slide fasteners - Resistance to damage during closure under a lateral force specifies a laboratory test method to determine the maximum lateral force that a slide fastener (zipper) used in footwear can withstand while being closed without failure. The procedure applies to all types of slide fastener and establishes repeatable conditions for conditioning, mounting, loading and reporting results relevant to footwear quality and durability assessment.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: Determine the maximum lateral force applied during closure under which the fastener will close without failure.
- Test principle: Gradual closure of a fastener while applying incrementally increasing lateral forces until failure occurs.
- Apparatus summary: end clamps, five pairs of movable side clamps, a moveable clamp for the puller, masses/pulleys for applying defined forces and a drive to move the slider.
- Typical loads and settings: longitudinal tension on end clamps (30 ± 5) N; side-clamp lateral forces tested at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 N (with specified tolerances); slider travel speed (100 ± 25) mm/min. Clamp spacing and dimensions are specified to ensure reproducibility.
- Specimens and conditioning: a minimum of three tests per lateral force; number of fasteners required depends on fastener length (tables provided). Test specimens must be conditioned for 24 hours in the standard atmosphere per ISO 18454 prior to testing.
- Failure recording: record lateral force at failure and failure mode (e.g., separation of locked teeth, teeth pulled off stringer, stringer material failure).
- Test report requirements: reference to ISO 18403, full sample description, date, maximum lateral force without failure, failure force and type, and any deviations from the method.
Applications and who uses this standard
ISO 18403 is used by:
- Footwear manufacturers and R&D teams for product development and durability benchmarking.
- Component suppliers (slide fastener/zipper manufacturers) for design validation and quality control.
- Independent testing laboratories conducting conformity, performance and comparative tests.
- Procurement and quality assurance teams specifying acceptance criteria for footwear components.
- Designers assessing fastener selection for safety-critical or high-wear footwear applications.
Practical benefits include improved component reliability, standardized test data for supplier agreements, and clearer failure-mode diagnostics to guide design or material changes.
Related standards
- ISO 19952 - Footwear - Vocabulary (terms and definitions).
- ISO 18454 - Footwear - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing.
- ISO 17709 - Footwear - Sampling location, preparation and duration of conditioning.
Keywords: ISO 18403, footwear testing, slide fastener test, zipper durability, lateral force test, footwear standards, test method.