Aquafoam "development and evolution"
Thoughts of the research team from the beginning of development to the present
- Matsumura Kogei Co.,Ltd and water absorption foam
- In the early 1955's, Matsumura Kogei introduced Japan's first water absorbing foam and introduced it to the Japanese market.
At that time, in addition to Kenzan, which is used for flower arrangement, water moss and vegetables were used as the base for inserting flowers.
With the advent of water-absorbing foam, the range of flower arrangements has expanded dramatically, and Matsumura Kogei has made efforts as a general distributor of overseas manufacturers in Japan to popularize water-absorbing foam and establish a market in Japan.
Beginning of Aquafoam
Matsumura Kogei who knew about water absorption foam created "Aquafoam" that started selling in 1991 when he wanted "a better foam".
Until now, Matsumura Kogei, which used to be the sole agent in Japan for overseas water-absorbing foam, was made in Japan to meet the unique needs of Japan.
At the beginning of development, we started a factory from scratch and repeated trial and error, such as repeated formulation adjustments and experiments.
The driving force of the R & D team was the spirit of challenge to create the highest quality water-absorbent foam made in Japan and the desire to have Japanese florists use, improve, and be surprised.
Matsumura Kogei, which used CFCs for manufacturing, prioritized environmental protection, and research has begun again to defoam CFCs that have just been completed.
If you think about it, it may be that the research attitude of "evolving Aquafoam" has taken root from this time.
As a result of research for about one year, we succeeded in developing a product that does not use CFC and yet retains water absorption, water retention, and arranged flowers that exceed conventional levels.
We created a new production line, and SMEs at the time were among the first to operate a non-CFC plant.
Even after that, as environmental efforts, we continue to research every day while solving various problems such as reduction of formaldehyde, which was indispensable in the manufacturing process, and selection of raw materials that do not generate dioxin.
To eliminate the stress of flowers
The next goal of the R & D team was to further increase the flower retention of Aquafoam.
It was because there were voices saying that the foam at that time died flowers earlier than water.
It was a challenge for the research and development team to extend the life of the flower, an area unknown to the research and development team.
In fact, my research was a series of failures, and I couldn't get any good results. In anguish, the R & D team decided to return to the starting point.
Let's review the raw materials once again, as if we made eco-friendly foams during dechlorofluorocarbons.
Perhaps flowers are stressed by something in their composition, just as people and the earth are stressed by environmental problems. It was around this time that we started to mix the raw materials we had ordered with other companies in-house.
A satisfying product was nearing the end of the stock of water-absorbing foam that had been stocked for supply until development was complete.
However, at that time, environmental problems caused by CFCs became a global topic.
Matsumura Kogei, which used CFCs for manufacturing, prioritized environmental protection, and research has begun again to defoam CFCs that have just been completed.
The research and development team patiently investigated the effects on flowers in order to review the raw materials and arrived at a certain ingredient.
That was stressing the flowers.
Isn't it possible to reduce the stress on the flowers by adding naturally-derived ingredients to the foam? The inspiration has come to fruition, and a new Aquafoam with 1.5 to 2 times the "flower holding" that is now synonymous with Matsumura Kogei (compared to our company) has been completed.
More "more flower" up
Although it is an Aquafoam that has more flower life than water, Matsumura Kogei is not yet satisfied.
We are still conducting trial and error research in order to make further progress.
The result of the foam will change greatly depending on the amount of ingredients.
In addition, in order to know the results, it is necessary to observe the condition that the flower buds inserted in the foam bloom and die, and it takes a very huge amount of time, such as two weeks or more per experiment.
It may take time, but nevertheless, because flowers are "always beautiful", the sellers of flowers, the decorators, the givers, and the beneficiaries smile, and the flower industry is further activated. . We are working to create an Aquafoam that makes everyone happy.
