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.

Hurom Slow Juicer: The New Paradigm in Juicers

Calling all health buffs who are into dinking fruit juices to complement their nutritious diet!  Actually if you are also an entrepreneur, you can get a few units of this great juicer and it might be the next big thing this summer season :)

Hurom Slow Juicer during the Philippine International Food and Beverage Expo (PIFBEX) held at the PICC Forum 1-3 in Pasay city.  It is distributed here in the Philippines by Zinven International Corp., is another of Hurom L.S. Ltd.'s innovative kitchen appliances that employ cutting-edge technology that resulted from the company's extensive research and development (R&D) efforts.

The overall idea is to bring health and good life to as many people in the world as possible, and this company is definitely on the right track.

Hurom ("human" and "rom" which means "beneficial" in Korean) L.S. Ltd. which was formed more than a decade ago, commits itself to the research, development and well-being of human life through its "juicers" and "juice extractors". And this commitment through its juicer product like the new "Hurom Slow Juicer" that has already reached other parts of the world like Japan, China, the USA and in other countries in Asia and Europe, is finally here in the Philippines.

Part of the "Hurom Slow Juicer's"  unique and distinct characteristics is that it uses its patented "Low Speed Technology System" or LSTS. Compared to other traditional juicers that has high-speed motors and sharp cutting blades, the "Hurom Slow Juicer" and LSTS gently presses (not crushes) the fruit to extract all the fruit's or vegetable's natural juices without losing valuable nutritive value like vitamins, minerals and important enzymes and most of all, its taste.

And its innovative products and extensive experience for more than 3 decades in juice extraction and slow juicing in Korea were recognized by International award-giving bodies and in global invention exhibitions like the 2010 Swiss Geneva Salon International Des Invention and the 2010 Pittsburgh International Invention  Fair (INPEX) where it won the gold medal. It even got a KOTRA (Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency) Seal of Excellence in Korea, a mark of quality, high technology and trustworthiness.

Hurom Slow Juicer is available at Rustan's Department Store and Home TV Shopping. For more details , visit: www.hurom-slowjuicer.com or call 9267782/ 9267786.

Sbarro Festa Italiana: An Italian Feast

In 1972, Pampanga native Jaime "Jimmy" Salvador joined the Sbarro business. Jimmy worked alongside the original founders and their sons, living and breathing the family brand. He worked in operations as a store manager, then ran the corporate commissary in Brooklyn, and eventually served as Sbarro’s first Area Manager.

Then, in 1989, after 17 years of living in New York and working with the Sbarro family, Jimmy returned to the Philippines — carrying the Sbarro brand with him. Along with Ma. Teresa Rodriguez and her family, he opened the first Sbarro Philippines branch at the Annex in SM North Edsa in 1990 — the first Sbarro in all of Asia. Years later, Sbarro Philippines expanded to the Visayas, thanks to a partnership with Gerardo Luzuriaga and Marcelino Florete, Jr.

And so today, Sbarro Philippines continues to satisfy the cravings of Filipinos with 25 branches nationwide. And through all these years, Jaime Salvador – together with his family – ensures that Mama Sbarro’s legacy remains unchanged: the commitment to good food, fresh ingredients, excellent service and great value for money.

It's been 44 years now and Sbarro still continues to provide great food to food lovers especially those who crave for pizzas and pastas.  Avail of Sbarro's great offer. Like Sbarro Philippines on Facebook to get updates on promotions and new offers.