Richard Harris, UK Sales Director at Carpenter Co., reflects on a successful Furniture Components Expo and details why its new products were show-stoppers.
As one of the headline sponsors of the second Furniture Components Expo, which took place during March at the Telford International Centre, foam manufacturer Carpenter displayed new product innovations, met with high anticipation from visitors.
“Our stand was busy with both current customers and new contacts, experiencing our latest innovations in comfort technology,” says Richard. “We showcased several new products, with the stars being Serene® Foam with Supportive Air Technology™, Podz™ mini and the Podz™ Pocket foam springs, a unique supportive foam layer and our graphite-infused Aurora+ & Celsius+ foams which allow the transfer of heat away from the body, available in both high resilience and memory foam options.
“Our innovations have been created to be sold across a range of markets, be it furniture, mattresses, bedding or leisure industries so customers can specify multiple products utilising the same technology.”
As Richard highlights, the star of the show was its Serene® Foam, which has been designed to offer the optimum in comfort and support. “It is enhanced with billions of microscopic air capsules to cradle the body, increase the level of support and aid in reducing pressure on sensitive areas,” explains Richard. “It gives an immediate comfort response at virtually any temperature, making Serene® Foam the perfect comfort layer for cushions, mattresses, toppers and pillows.
“Our new Podz™ Pocket design and the Podz™ mini are available in our full range of foam grades offering enhanced support and performance when used as a base or comfort layer in a mattress, as a unique layer in a topper, in a pillow core or as part of our comfort cushioning range. The Podz™ Pocket and Podz™ mini are ergonomically designed to give a luxury feel, deliver excellent durability, respond to body movement and minimise motion transfer.
“The Podz™ mini offer the benefits of spring-like support, while the Podz™ Pocket give immediate comfort response and have the advantage of a firm edge to edge support on the sides of the mattress. Both designs are easily recyclable at the end of the product life without the need to segregate multiple component materials.”
Carpenter has also designed a range of foam cushions using the Podz™ Foam Springs, as a wrap or as a core and using different grades in their construction, with the options endless and suitable for use in the upholstery and leisure markets. Mattresses have been developed using the Podz™ mini as a top layer or transitional layers within the product design, while the Podz™ Pocket may be used as a base layer for support or as a comfort middle layer. “All we need to know is the desired feel and the comfort level to develop a mattress to suit the customer’s requirements,” Richard adds.
“Our graphite-infused foam has been developed to help control the sleep environment. Both Aurora Foam+™ and Celsius+™ Graphite Foams offer an improved transfer of heat in thermal conductivity testing when compared against a standard polyether or memory foam which can lead to a cooler environment. Aurora +™ Foam is a high resilience foam which gives superior support and durability and has open cell technology for increased airflow. Celsius+™ Visco-elastic foam will contour to the body for personalised comfort and help ease pressure on sensitive areas. Both foams are melamine-free and are ideal for mattress, bedding and cushioning applications.”
Carpenter continues to develop and create new products as its success is based on technical innovation, exceptional product quality and outstanding customer service. Carpenter’s R & D teams, based in Richmond, Virginia, and Wetteren, Belgium, are continually pushing the boundaries while looking for future innovations with the focus on making comfortable products.
Carpenter is also fully aware of the need to be more sustainable and has just received planning permission to build a one mega-watt solar panel farm, as Richard reveals: “This will comprise of 1,800 panels and will generate up to 12% of the electricity used at our Glossop Branch. We are also committed to developing more sustainable foams through the mass balance approach, where the fossil fuel is replaced by alternative feed-stock, whether it be bio-circular (cashew nut shells) or circular waste at the start of the chemical process.
“The advantage of mass balance foams is that the performance, feel and durability are the same as our current grades and can be produced in most of our foam ranges. We’re working towards ISCC plus accreditation as a chain of custody to offer the customer documented evidence that the foams have been produced from a more sustainable source.”
Furthermore, Carpenter also recycles all its trim foam used in the manufacture of its product range and takes back trim from its customers to be recycled into either ReBond ™ Foam or carpet underlay.
“We’ve had a very successful show and look forward to more exciting developments during the year,” said Richard. “If you’re interested in reviewing our range of products, please send an email to sales.uk@carpenter.com to find out more.”
