Local foam maker Uratex announced that it acquired and started operating the country’s first top-class foaming machine from German company Hennecke GmbH.
The acquisition of the new Quadroformat (QFM) foaming system, said to be the biggest and most efficient in its class, will help further strengthen the status of Uratex, one of many companies under the RGC Group of Companies headed by President and CEO Natividad Cheng, as the leader in the foaming industry in the country.
Hennecke GmbH is a global leader in slabstock machinery and equipment with seven decades of experience in designing and manufacturing polyurethane processing machinery, innovative systems, and improved technology.
RGC Group of Companies’ Executive Vice President for Furniture and Bedding, William Lee, told FrontpagePH.com that it took them 6 months to fully install the whole QFM system and facility. “The past year was very challenging to all of us but we were more inspired to complete this facility and begin its operation as we welcome a new year, a true milestone for the RGC Group of Companies as it celebrates its 53rd year. This is our achievement, the whole company with the help of our employees, business partners, and customers,”
By installing Hennecke’s QFM foaming system, Lee said it allows Uratex to continuously operate without a hitch even during change of formulation or adjustment in production by using “hydraulically and pneumatically controlled multifunctional injectors.”
The machine helps reduce production downtime, increases efficiency and competence while ensuring high industrial output capacity. Lee said the QFM can produce approximately 30 long blocks with 60 meter length, equivalent to 12,930 queen-sized foam mattresses in only 6.5 hours of operation. This large-scale production is made possible with the QFM’s 2,500 mm width and maximum height of 1,500 mm heavy-duty capacity.
Lee said that prior to using the QFM, the foam blocks are being cured and placed horizontally on the floor, which is very space consuming. With the QFM’s Racking System, they were able to cure up to 45 foam blocks with 60 meter length simultaneously.
“With this recent acquisition of the QFM, Uratex now has limitless opportunities to innovate and provide the best quality products even in larger quantities,” Lee emphasized.
The QFM system also allows Uratex to produce high-quality slabstock foams made from very precise mixing and formulation. The system, assures Lee, can help create “perfect foam quality that is almost free from pinholes,” an assurance that every customer will receive the best sleeping essentials from Uratex.
Aside from the regular foams and mattresses, the QFM system helps Uratex strengthen its capability to produce other related products like specialty and automotive foams. Thus, it allows other member-companies such as Roberts Automotive and Industrial Parts Manufacturing Corporation (Roberts AIPMC), Uratex Automotive Seating, and INOAC Philippines Corporation (IPC) to produce specialty foams required in the automotive industry such as Ester foams.
The QFM also has a flat-top system that prevents the formation of dome or extra top crust in a foam block, making it a perfect square. This will help the business become more sustainable by maximizing the use of its raw materials, reduce losses, and avoid waste.
Lee said the best investment of Uratex is not on the machine itself but the benefits it offers to help the company grow and make it a more sustainable company with high regard for saving and protecting the environment.
“Because we want to be globally competitive, we do it ‘The RGC Group Way’ with efficiency through technological advancements as one of our tools to draw business success. We believe that only the efficient can survive and Uratex will,” Lee pointed out.
The RGC Group of Companies is a Filipino owned company involved in various industries like furniture, packaging, automotive, and export. The company seized every business opportunity and viable investment to support its employees and also help the country grow the economy. Also, it is part of the companies’ strategic plan to continuously drive excellence and build world-class business through improved machinery and technological advancements in the Visayas region by 2022.
