Foam Fabricator Serves as Example for Industry

Avoids Use of Methylene Chloride

Foam Craft Inc., located in Cerritos, California, employs 160 people. The firm started operations in 1965 and was bought by Future Foam in 1994. Future Foam, Foam Craft's parent company, has several plants throughout the U.S.; some of these plants pour flexible slabstock foam and some pour and fabricate the foam. Foam Craft fabricates foam for use in packaging, furniture and bedding. Products like futons, recreation vehicles, trucks, tractors and dog beds, use the foam fabricated by Foam Craft.

"We're 93 percent converted to water at this stage," says Bob Nylander, the plant manager. "We still use a small amount of solvent-borne adhesive in critical bonding but we're working on that too."

Foam Craft began their conversion efforts about three years ago. The firm was using adhesives containing 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), a solvent widely used for that purpose at the time. Production of TCA was banned worldwide on January 1, 1996 because the chemical contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. Although supplies of TCA are still available, they are likely to be depleted entirely in 1998. Congress levied an increasing tax on TCA in 1990 to discourage its use and products containing TCA have become extremely expensive.

Adhesive formulators began developing new products to accommodate the eventual demise of TCA. They focused on three types of products: water-based alternatives, including one- and two-part formulations; hot melts; and methylene chloride-based adhesives. The methylene chloride-based adhesives were technically attractive alternatives because they performed in almost exactly the same manner as TCA-based adhesives. The water-based and hot melt adhesives were completely new products and firms that wanted to use them went through a long learning curve to optimize their use. In a sense, the vendors and users had to form a partnership to sort out and remedy the problems that all new and innovative products have.

Foam Craft examined the situation carefully and decided to begin work on water-based alternatives and they emerged as one of the industry pioneers. They did not want to use methylene chloride-based alternatives. Methylene chloride is on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) toxics list and the District would probably not allow a conversion to the chemical in adhesive applications. Though Foam Craft was certainly forward thinking, they were unaware of just how smart their decision was until recently. On January 10, 1997, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finalized a regulation on methylene chloride that lowered the permissible exposure level (PEL) from 500 to 25 ppm. The action level in the regulation is 12.5 ppm and plants with workers exposed above the action level must institute regular monitoring and medical surveillance programs. The new OSHA regulation is likely to eliminate methylene chloride use in adhesives. Formulators, in most cases, do not plan to offer methylene chloride-based adhesives because they do not want to be covered by the OSHA regulation.

Foam Craft spent two years of hard learning to optimize their use of water-based adhesives. They began work with a one-part adhesive and have found that to be the best option. The water-based adhesives do not dry as fast as the solvent-borne adhesives so they require different application procedures. Instead of spraying two pieces of foam and putting them together for an instant bond, the water-based adhesive must be applied and the operator must wait five minutes before joining the foam pieces. At first, when Foam Craft was testing the new adhesives, they used three people to do the fabrication instead on one. The workers eventually learned how to optimize their time, however. At this stage, they spray a stack of foam pieces for five minutes and then join them. Worker application time is virtually identical now to what it was before the conversion. There may even be an advantage in the longer tack time of the water-based product; it does not firm up as quickly so rework is not as difficult as with solvent-borne adhesives.

Foam Craft had to work out several other problems over the two-year period. They had difficulty developing a gravity feed system for their eight stations with 32 booths and guns. At first, they used 1.6 times as much of the water-based adhesive because they were not experienced in its application. Over the last two years, as they optimized the application methods, they have reduced the use to 1.1 times as much. Foam Craft is proud of the material usage. Says Bob Nylander, "some foam fabricators use twice as much of the water-based adhesive as we do."

The cost of the water-based adhesive is $9 a gallon. Foam Craft would be paying $20 to $25 per gallon if they still used the TCA adhesive. Because the increase in use is so small, the firm is saving substantially through the conversion.

Foam Craft is now working on the last 7 percent of their applications where they continue to use TCA-based adhesive in critical bonding. These applications require a pinched or rolled edge and only a solvent with instant bonding is effective. Foam Craft is studying alternative production methods that would eliminate the need for adhesives entirely in critical bonding applications.

"The ban on TCA was a good thing. It forced us to examine our process and find a better alternative for workers and the environment," says Bob Nylander. "We've provided information on our process to the other Future Foam plants in the country. They are planning to use our example to convert now that methylene chloride can't be used."