German cushioning specialist Hukla is one of the
Transcription
German cushioning specialist Hukla is one of the
German cushioning specialist Hukla is one of the world’s biggest producers of moulded flexible polyurethane foam furniture and is committed to waterblown MDI-based materials. The company, based at Gengenbach in the Black Forest, employs 10,000 people in Europe, Japan and the USA. It offers a wide range of sofas, settees, seat/bed combinations, armchairs, upholstered beds and mattresses. Polyurethane foam was introduced for upholstery production m 1968. The choice of moulded foam rather than cut slabstock brought many advantages: the formation of a protective skin and the potential to integrate springs and supporting parts within the foam led to higher quality and greater freedom of design, perfect fit and practically no waste. In addition, modular design allowed for a multitude of furniture variations to be made economically. The Gengenbach facility has achieved a high degree of computer-integrated manufacture. It features one of the world’s largest flexible foam production lines, some 198 m in length. This comprises 120 mould carriers, served by two highpressure dispensers, and is capable of producing up to 7,500 parts a day. Hukla and ICI have worked together for many years - leading for example to the complete conversion of moulded foam to CFC-free, waterblown MD1 systems as early as 1989. They are currently co-operating closely to achieve further product, processing and environmental advances as part of Hukla’s continuous improvement philosophy. Typical is the recent introduction of a range of mattresses featuring ‘Waterlily’ comfort materials from ICI. “As an innovative company, our interest in this novel type of comfort material is obvious,” declares mattress production manager Gerhard Essig. ‘That’s why we decided to take advantage of its excellent properties right from the start.” Mr Fred Winter, Hukla-Werke Gmbtt, Germany; Phone: 07803-9310 Fax: 07803-931408