By Liz White, UT contributing editorToledo, Ohio-Owens Corning has developed a Fire Resistant (FR) Filler Cloth for use as a mattress cover, to allow mattress makers to meet California's open-flame-resistance standard TB603 without making any manufacturing process changes.The new composite cloth is made of fire- resistant and self-extinguishing fibres, "seamlessly bonded directly to standard non-FR filler cloth," said the firm. The composite "looks, feels and installs just like traditional materials that are applied to the bottom of no-flip mattresses," Owens Corning added. No additional chemical treatment is needed, the cloth shields foam and other flammable materials within the mattress and foundation, Owens Corning said. Pointing out that "compliance with new regulations often results in costly or complicated process changes," J.P. Blanchard, market manager for OC Veil Technologies North America, said the new cloth "meets this challenge by fitting into the existing manufacturing process" and needs no employee retraining. The California Bureau of Home Furnishing's TB603 standards come into effect in California in January 2005 and US-wide later in the year. "
