LOUDON, Tenn.—The Polyurethane Foam Association has created a new division, the Molded Foam Division, to address more strongly the specific needs of molded flexible polyurethane foam manufacturers and their customers.
PFA members voted to create the new division at the association's recent meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla., the PFA said in a news release.
The PFA decided to take this action after its molded foam manufacturer members and other molded foam makers asked the association to take a more proactive role in advocating issues important to the industry, the release said.
“For years, PFA has actively and aggressively advocated for flexible polyurethane foam manufacturers on issues including combustibility, flame retardants, environmental regulations and workplace safety,” the association said.
“However, there are some significant manufacturing differences between slabstock and molded foams,” it said. “With the new division, PFA will focus on application-specific support when necessary.”
The PFA has already faced some pressing issues in the past few months, according to PFA Executive Director Robert Luedeka. These include:
- New regulations on the use of isocyanates in the workplace;
- Issues concerning the recycling of flexible polyurethane foam;
- Reclassification of chemicals used in the flexible polyurethane foam industry that could either raise costs or affect manufacturing; and
- Product labeling.
“As we add more foam molding companies to our roster, we will have more resources to handle the challenges our industry faces,” Luedeka said.
To learn more about the PFA, visit www.pfa.org.