COMPANY PROFILE

The RGC Foam Group produces the Uratex Foam and is part of the RGC Group of Companies, one of the most progressive manufacturers in the Philippines today. The company’s thriving foam business began in 1968 when Robert Go Cheng realized his dream of producing high-quality foam. Together with his wife Natividad Cheng, the current Chief Executive Officer, he founded the Polyfoam Chemical Corporation and started with less than 10 employees in a rented warehouse in Pasay City. Some parts of the foam production and company meetings were held under the shade of a santol tree. Later on, the company expanded into related businesses to address the growing needs of the automotive, furniture, bedding, footwear, garment, textile and food industries.

In 2001, the company’s 50-hectare State of the Art Foam Factory was established in Plaridel, Bulacan. The State of the Art Cebu Foam Factory was established in 2008. Additional foam plants in Naga, Pangasinan and Davao and Cagayan de Oro were constructed in 2010, 2011 and 2013 respectively. They have currently 16 factories located in 12 locations across the country which are the Miller Foam Conversion Plant (Polyfoam RGC International), Alabang Plant (Multiflex RNC Phil.), Pasig RGC Textile Plant, Valenzuela Plant (Polyfoam RGC Phil.), Lamination Plant, Inoac Canlubang Plant, Plastic Injection Plant, Multiflex Canlubang Plant, RGC Mufflers Plant, Leaf Spring Plant, Canlubang Radiator Plant, Stamped Auto Parts Plant, Plaridel Plant in Bulacan, Naga Marcos Highway and Pangasinan Plants, Cagayan de Oro Plant and Showroom, Davao Plant and Showroom, Iloilo Plant, and Cebu plant. Aside from foam production, they also produce good quality plastic wares such as chairs and tables, and offers lamination and fabrication services.

The company’s State of the Art Cebu Foam Factory was established in 2008 to cater the Visayas and Mindanao Markets. The Cebu Plant occupies 5 hectares of land area in Plaridel Street, Barangay Umapad, Mandaue City, Cebu. It has a total of 200 personnel in the manufacturing section. The Cebu plant also includes a showroom where they showcase their high quality products. (kulang)

The company upholds their vision which is to be the number one foam company in Southeast Asia in terms of customer satisfaction, quality, market share, technological advancement and commitment to world-class excellence. They intend to attain this vision through teamwork, innovation and total quality management. They also aim to satisfy customers through quality products that are competitively priced, delivered on time and developed through close coordination with their customers. The company have three missions which are to be the customer’s choice with products and services that can be relied upon and depended on, to be the employee’s choice with a commitment to their welfare and their growth and lastly, to be able to contribute to the community we are in and to the Filipino society as a whole.

FOAM PRODUCTION

The chemicals used such as polyol and TDI are kept at temperatures 8 to 20OC in order to produce high-quality foam. The raw materials utilized by the Cebu Plant come from global suppliers such as Bayer, BASF, Shell, Dow, and Mitsui. The chemicals are mixed in desired ratios and a chemical reaction is obtained to produce the stable, long chain polymer known as urethane. Small blocks of foam

are formed from the chemical reaction. Different colors of foam are produced for different foam densities. Each color corresponds to a specified density. The foam blocks are then tested using the tear test machine at the Quality Assurance Room. If the quality of the foam is within the acceptable value, the large scale production of foam begins.

The formula for the foam production is introduced in a conveyor machine which also acts as an oven to solidify the liquid foam. This machine is called the Laaderberg Foaming Machine from Norway. It is equipped with a MaxFoam Computer that controls all the processes from mixing of chemicals to speed of conveyor. The machine could foam 5.6 meters per minute. Paper with plastic is coated at the top and sides of the produced foam to avoid the sticking of foam in the machine. A mechanical roller is also used to flatten the foam. The paper is removed and the solid foam is left coated with the plastic material. The solid foam is cut every 18 meters since the Cebu Plant only utilizes crane that can transfer the mentioned length of foam. The dimensions of the foam are 18m x 33.5m x 80m and its weight is approximately 1 ton. The inside temperature of the foam is approximately 150-160OC and it is allowed to cool down for 24 hours at the curing room. The foam’s inside temperature is constantly monitored using digital temperature-measuring equipment. Sprinkling system is also prepared in case of fire due to heat from the foam. Once the inside temperature of the foam is at room temperature (32OC), samples from both ends and center of the 18-meter block of foam are obtained. These samples are subjected again for quality test. If the quality of the samples fails the test, the foam is rejected and is utilized for the production of rebonded foam. If the samples pass the quality test, the 18-meter block of foam is transferred into the cutting area.

Different cutting machines are used by the Cebu Multimax inorder to produce wide variety of products. The Horizontal Cutting Machine cuts foam horizontally. A built-in roller helps press the foam to exactly give the desired foam thickness. The cutting settings are automatic and made possible with its digital control in a separate panel. The Vertical Cutting Machine is used to cut the long block into short blocks. Short blocks are converted into cut sizes or slabs depending on customer’s specification. The vertical cutting machine is also used in trimming foam block sliding before slicing the foam to its desired dimension. Some of the products from using these machines are the Fold A Mat (FAM), Kiddie Sit n’ Sleep, Senso Memory Foam and the Assorted Mattresses.

The Wintech Profiler Machine is another cutting machine that cuts the foam according to the drawing made by an operator on a computer. A software would let the computer communicate with the cutting machine. Contoured pillows, sofa beds, contoured sofa and seat cushions are some of the products produced using this machine. On the other hand, the Bio-Aire Machine is a cutting machine that transforms regular foam slabs into contour shape or egg-tray shaped foam after passing the machine rotating blade. Bioaire Mattress Topper, Senso Aire Pillow, Contour Plus Pillows and Snuggles are some of the products made using the said machine. Bio-aire products are also used in sport equipment such as the protective gear.

Springs are added in foams for mattresses in the Spring Department of the plant. The springs can either be Bonnel springs wherein the springs are interconnected, or Pocket springs in which they are

individually created and placed in fabric pockets. The Pocket Spring machine and Assembly is used producing the pocket springs. The design of the pocket springs allows the springs to move independently to achieve the right support regardless of differences in weight. The adhesive used to produce the Pocket Spring Mattress is a water-based chemical supplied by Simalfa from Switzerland and is non-toxic, water-soluble, and therefore very safe to use. Uratex is phasing out the use of Rugby, a toxic petroleum based flue, for its mattress fabrication.

The different foams that were cut for different designs are covered by fabrics. The quilting section of the plant utilizes a machine that imprints the various quilt designs on to the fabrics used for covering mattresses. Through the control panel of the said machine, the operator can draw designs and command the machine to start the quilting using complex set up of needles and threads. The average quilting rate is 5 minutes per meter. The tape edge operation of the plant uses a machine that is used to close by tape edge sewing the edges of foam and spring mattresses to produce a completely enclosed mattress. There are two machines available each with a capacity to produce 100 assorted mattress per 8 hours. The product is covered with plastic, with its warranty placed inside, at the packing section. It is then transferred at the plant’s warehouse for storage until it is transported to different clients buying the foam.

The different problems met by the plant’s foam production are due to environment, man, and machine. For the environment, uncontrollable temperature changes cause severe effect on the process of foam production, especially during strong thunderstorms and rain. On the other hand, human error occurs when there is inaccurate analysis of the quality of the foam. Human errors are also observed in inaccurate handling of the different cutting machines. Finally, machine error occurs when the equipment suddenly stopped in operating or the machine overheated. Thus, it is a necessary to continuously check the equipment to avoid such circumstances.

Name and Market of Products

Listed below are the commercial names or brands of the Uratex Products. These products are found in the local market and are proudly exported by the company. Uratex Foam Comfort Plus ScatolaMassage Pillow Comfort & Joy Sofa Bed US Rubber FoamPermahard Foam Orthocare Mattress Comfort Zone Latex PlusPurifoam Senso Memory TrapuntoViscoluxe Memory Uratex Premium Mattress Premium Touch ComfortTherapoint Mattress Sleep Comfort Memory Mattress Premium Touch CozyLatexSafe & Clean Mattress Play and Grow Baby Seat

Market of ProductsThe Cebu Cushion Making Department was created in 2008 in response to the growing demand

by export furniture makers based in Cebu (DEDON, PCFR, etc.) for expertly crafted cushion items that can meet strict quality requirements of European and American furniture customers.

The department started with only two personnel making sample cushions. Through patient efforts in development of product construction and assembly, Cushion Making is now employing 24 sewers producing 80 cushions per day serving the furniture factories in Cebu.

Products: insert pads for furniture cushions (seat and back)

URATEX: WORLDCLASS ACCEPTANCEToday Uratex is considered one of the top 30 foamers in Asia and arguably number 1 in

Southeast Asia.Uratex standards has acceptance by automotive and motorcycle OEM (Original Equipment

Manufacturers). Acceptance by the export market – Suisse Sense (Europe), NFL (USA), DEDON (a multinational company), and by Ford/Mazda/Inoac (Japan).

URATEX: MODERN DESIGNSExclusively designed for Uratex by Rajo Laurel, one of the country’s most celebrated fashion

designers. Scatola is a concept of inspired versatility – a stylish three-fold futon that easily converts into an ottoman in just seconds.

Italian for “to embroider”, Trapunto is a classic European quilting style known for its elegance and exquisite beauty. This specialty mattress offers a new level of luxury, support, and comfort.