Milliken will join forces at K 2016 with polyurethane (PU) foam producer Torres Espic and foam-cutting innovators Fecken-Kirfel to demonstrate the persuasive appeal of using the uniquely strong and bright deep shades of Milliken's Reactint colorants in combination with innovative cutting profiles to indicate high-end quality, and differentiating features and benefits in PU foams in applications such as mattresses.During K 2016, a striking, multicolored, giant foam sample produced by Torres Espic will be displayed at the Fecken-Kirfel booth Hall 3 Booth 15. The mattress-sized foam is cut into different contours with special profiles, created with a Fecken-Kirfel horizontal Contour Cutting Center, which differentiate the PU layers and support ergonomic benefits. Each layer will be colored with a different deep shade developed from Milliken's Reactint colorants to really catch the eye of K visitors.
Using deep shades to color PU foam is an increasingly popular way to grab consumers' attention, particularly in the mattress segment where today's brand owners want to show high-end quality, avoid visible yellowing of the PU foam, and stand out in the market through a strong brand color or by displaying specific performance features, such as cooling effects, memory contouring layers or high resilience mid layers.
Milliken's Reactint colorants provide the deepest shades available for PU without affecting the formulation or quality of the foam, creating a unique opportunity for foamers and converters to enhance the value of their products.
The polymeric liquid, non-particulated colors achieve appealing, bright shades over a wide color range. They do not contain heavy metals or harmful substances and react into the PU, avoiding migration and emissions potential.
Torres Espic chooses Reactint colorants for its Ikon foams (visco) and Resilén special high-resilience foams to visualize its high-end foams and to actively demonstrate the support and comfort features of the mattress core. The company values the colorants for their ability to color foam beautifully and to delay yellowing, with the particularly strong, deep shades creating a desired impression of high quality. The foam ranges fulfill the high demands of Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 1, German HYG-CEN certificate and AITEX certificate concerning very breathable visco foams. In addition to mattress foams, Torres Espic also produces foams for packaging and acoustic insulation, mainly for recording rooms and studios.
The specific contour cut foam sample on display at K highlights the performance capabilities of Fecken-Kirfel's horizontal Contour Cutting Center, which is equipped with an endless rotating bandknife. Each machine is tailored to customer requirements to ensure functionality and production efficiency at a high level. The operator-friendly system features an online capable user interface for the visualization of the production processes, enabling foam converters to analyze and continually improve production. It is part of the comprehensive portfolio of German-manufactured, foam-cutting machines, high-tech CNC contour cutting centers and fully automatic cutting lines that Fecken-Kirfel will display during K 2016.
Francis Pinckers, Vice President Sales Fecken-Kirfel, comments: "Our collaboration with Torres Espic and Milliken at K 2016 is an ideal opportunity for PU foamers, PU converters and brand owners to visualize what can be achieved for high end PU foams, culminating in the specific profile cuts and optimized production available with a Fecken-Kirfel machine."
Visit Fecken-Kirfel at Booth 15 in Hall 3. More information on Reactint colorants for PU foam is available at the Milliken K 2016 Booth A27 Hall 6.
