LFI research results in list of 4 FR suppliers
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 18, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS — Latex Foam International, a supplier to bedding producers, is taking a proactive approach to mattress flammability.
The producer, North America's only latex manufacturer, came to last month's Expo 2004 here with a list of recommended suppliers of fire-resistant materials.
That list represented the culmination of months of research on FR materials, which bedding producers will be using to help them pass the stringent new open-flame flammability test that will be enforced in California next year.
Although California will test finished beds to see if they meet the state's new requirements, Latex Foam International wanted to give its bedding producer customers insights into FR materials that work well with latex foam and are effective.
"We are the only latex supplier that has done the research and burn testing to come to customers with recommended barrier solutions," said Kevin Stein, director of marketing for Shelton, Conn.-based Latex Foam International. "Our customers are excited that a supplier is doing this homework, even though the California test is a finished bed test."
Stein said Latex Foam evaluated 10 FR products and conducted burn tests jointly with the barrier manufacturers. The company was looking for FR products that passed the test and "retained the unique, conforming feel of latex," he said.
Latex Foam came to the Expo 2004 with recommendations that producers consider four suppliers who offer a variety of different FR solutions: DuPont, Western Nonwovens, Vita Nonwovens, and Wolf Corp. It offered samples of each of those company's FR products at its show booth.
Stein said Latex Foam is not certifying or guaranteeing that those materials will pass. He noted that workmanship and mattress design are critical to passing the California test.
Latex Foam will continue its research on FR materials, Stein said.
The FR recommendations were only part of the story at Latex Foam, which used "advanced support from start to finish" as its overall show theme. "Success with latex requires more than a container of foam," Stein said.
The producer showcased new sculpted foams, one with massage features in a zoned construction, and the other with a channel zoned construction. Those foams enable bedding producers to provide new feels in their mattresses, Stein said.
Latex Foam also showed products that combined Talalay and Dunlop process latex with polyurethane and visco-elastic foam. Some of those products capitalize on the growing interest in visco-elastic foam.
"We feel that both the latex and visco technologies have a place in the market, and some customers are looking for both products," Stein said.
The company also showed a 100% natural Talalay latex for customers who want to tout a nature-based marketing story. Latex Foam believes that Talatech latex, its blended latex product, has the best performance characteristics, Stein said. But he said the natural Talalay latex is the best natural latex on the market.
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Latex Foam Int. shares insights on FR materials
Jun 27, 2004 -
Latex Foam Int. shares insights on FR materials
Jun 17, 2004
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