How do you make foam?

Image from www.uratex.com.ph

I am a fan of the TV series "How'd They Do That."  The show is about features on how things that we see almost every day were created or processed.  From appliances ovens to talking toys to microchips, they have shown how they were made from scratch.

Here's an interesting post that I hope you'll find interesting.  It's about our favorite companion every night.  Nah! I'm not talking about your spouses. I'm actually referring to our beloved beds and the glorious foams they are made of.

Foam-making in the past may have been a tedious, manual labor-intensive job but the process was made even better, thanks to modern technology. By using state-of-the-art equipment, Multiflex RNC Philippines of the RGC Foam Group, makers of the popular Uratex foam, totally revolutionized foam-making not only in the Philippines but also in South East Asia.

Being one of the largest foam-makers in the region and with advanced foam manufacturing equipment, let us see how a Uratex foam product is made:

• The Research & Development laboratory – Just like cooking, a good foam starts with the perfect recipe, and in foam-making, the R&D facility of the RGC Foam Group, one of the country’s most advanced, is where it all starts. There, Uratex laboratory personnel develop formulations that result to certain types of foam and also conduct tests to ensure that the formulation will meet final product specifications that customers look for. Over the years, this department has developed thousands of formulations that benefited the Philippine industrial history, from the car development program of the 1970s to the footwear, garments and electronics boom in the 1980s and 1990s.  
• Foaming – Once the formulation is finalized, it is entered into the foaming machine’s computer system. There, up to 26 streams of different chemicals are doused using computer-controlled metering pumps for precision.  The liquid will turn into cream within seconds and then into solid state within 1.5-2 minutes, and where the solid foam block may be cut between 1 to 60 meters in length.  At the Muntinlupa plant, the foam is cut in 30-meter lengths. This high-tech machinery is complimented by a quality management system and ran by highly-trained personnel. 
• Curing area – The 30-meter long blocks are then picked up by an overhead crane and transferred to the curing area.  Foam is produced via an exothermic reaction where the center may reach up to 145-165 degrees Celsius within 20-30 minutes. It will not start to cool for another 3-4 hours but will reach room temperature within 24 hours and is “cured”.
• Foam block warehouse – This is the storage area for the foam blocks. From there, the plant’s production department will request for a specific type of block with different sizes as per orders coming from customers. These blocks are then moved to the production area where they will be cut according to the desired sizes.
• Production area – It is from this area where the Uratex products that we all see come from. The foam blocks are cut into the requested size and then “contoured” based on the type of product to be produced, whether a pillow, a mattress, or even a car seat foam. Once cut and contoured, the product goes straight to packaging under strict quality control standards, ready for delivery to the customer.

The RGC Group of Companies revolutionized foam making back in 1987 when they set up the first continuous foaming machine in the country called the “Vertifoam” process. This involves computerized metering of materials to form perfectly-shaped foam with lesser scrap that benefited both the market and the environment because of less wastage.

In 2001, the group further blazed the trail in foam-making when it installed new foaming equipment called “Hennecke.” Tagged as the “Mercedes Benz” of the foam-making industry, this German-manufactured equipment is regarded as the best in the world. On December 2009, the RGC Group invested on another Hennecke machine with the latest technological improvements to serve as back-up to the year 2001 version.

For more details about Uratex, visit www.uratex.com.ph.

Practical surprises for the Chinese New Year

For this Chinese New Year, we all want that item that gives us all the good fortune and positive vibes, and we feel extra lucky upon receiving it, be it a miniature water fountain that is known to let good luck flow continuously in our abode, a precious piece of jewelry made of jade, or any of the numerous lucky charms in Chinese Feng Shui.

But does a piece of lucky charm really give us wealth, success and especially good health?

In times of crisis, common sense should rule the season of new beginnings. To give and receive an item that is convenient, useful and practical is ultimately the best for the coming year.

Take the case of the Ready-Wrap Party Pack from Uratex. The Uratex Ready-Wrap Party Pack is a 12-piece set composed of drinking cups, plus rectangular and round plastic containers that are ideal for people on the go who are in need of affordable and smart storage solutions to protect, store, freeze and organize food and small items.

The colorful containers are mirowavable and can go directly from the freezer to the microwave without distortion or cracking. Compact and stackable, the Ready-Wrap Party Pack from Uratex is the perfect gift for the hygiene-conscious or those who want space efficiency in the house.

From nourishment needs, we go to the comforts of the bedroom.

Everyone desires a good night’s sleep, which is helpful to everybody because it helps us recharge our tired bodies after a hard day’s work. And this is where the Uratex Premium Mattress line comes in, with products like Premium Touch Cozy Latex, Premium Touch Viscoluxe Memory, and Purifoam.

But there are other Uratex premium mattresses that can be a perfect Chinese New Year gift like the Therapoint® Mattress, with its superior grade, high-resilient foam for a perfect balance of comfort and support so that you can enjoy deep, sound sleep every night. The Coolmax® Technology Mattress cover comes with a high-performance fabric which dries fast compared to other mattresses, balances body moisture, while tiredness caused by perspiration is minimized to maximize sleep quality.

For those who value designer-made products, try Trapunto by Rajo Laurel. Meaning “to embroider” in Italian, Trapunto is a classic European quilting style known for its “delicate elegance and exquisite beauty.” Exclusively designed by acclaimed fashion designer Rajo Laurel, this specialty mattress offers a new level of luxury, support and comfort.

If you have aspirations of sleeping, celebrity-style, try the K Everyday® Deluxe Mattress that delivers the perfect combination of healthy support, protection, comfort and durability. With its beautiful design, K Everyday® Deluxe Mattress is a fabulous addition to any feminine bedroom. It is the right bedding choice for the kikay in you, just like its inspiration, the incomparable Kris Aquino.