News | Kuraray Europe

11/19/2018 | Product News

Clarino™ to Be Used in the Manufacture of V200W, Mikasa’s Next Official Tournament Model Indoor Volleyball for FIVB-Sponsored International Games; Kuraray Asked to Serve as Supplier for at Least 10 Years

Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masaaki Ito; hereinafter “Kuraray”) hereby announces that Clarino™, a man-made leather it has been producing and marketing, has been chosen for the surface layer of V200W, the next official tournament model indoor volleyball produced by Mikasa Corporation (hereinafter “Mikasa”) for use in international games sponsored by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball Association (hereinafter “FIVB”).

The V200W was unveiled to the general public on November 16, 2018 at the 36th FIVB World Congress held in Cancun, Mexico. Taking over from the MVA200, the model in use since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the V200W is slated to become the official tournament model indoor volleyball for the FIVB Volleyball World Cup scheduled for 2019 and other major FIVB-sponsored games to be held afterwards.

1. Backgrounds

Kuraray has long maintained partnership with Mikasa, with collaboration between the two companies dating back to 1967 when they began co-developing a surface material for volleyballs.
In 2008, Clarino™, the result of the aforementioned co-development efforts, went on to be used in MVA200, the official tournament model volleyball designated by the FIVB.
Designed for use in MVA200, Clarino™ garnered a solid reputation as a volleyball surface material. Building on this success, Clarino™ was named as a material for use in V200W, the upcoming model of the official tournament model volleyball to be used in the FIVB-sponsored games.

2. Features of Clarino™ -Based Volleyball Surface

A “double-layered cushioning structure” that combines a surface layer of foamed polyurethane and a nonwoven microfiber layer with a sponge-like texture, lends the resulting volleyball surface a distinctive softness to the touch and elasticity
A “multi-pattern structure” due to dimple embossing and fine surface patterning helps stabilize the ball’s trajectory
The “Nano Balloon Silica” coating greatly enhances ball control by preventing slipperiness attributable to such factors as perspiration during the game

Outward appearance of V200W, the official tournament model for FIVB-sponsored games
(Photos provided by Mikasa Corporation)

Reference
Overview of Mikasa

Name	Mikasa Corporation
Address	1, Kuchi, Asa-cho, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Representative	Yuji Saeki, President & CEO
Establishment	May 1917
Capital	¥120 million (as of November 2018)
Website	http://mikasasports.co.jp/e/

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