Foam Fabricating

About Foam Fabricating and Foam Fabricating Services Including: Foam, Foam Cushions, Foam Cutting, Polyethylene Foam & Polyurethane Foam.

Foam fabricating is the manufacturing of a lightweight, versatile, polymer-based material called foam. The material, such as plastic or polyurethane, is “frothed up” while in a molten state and then cooled, which fills the material with countless little bubbles, giving it an appearance similar to a sponge. Foam fabricators classify their product by two categories: open-cell foam and closed-cell foam. In closed-cell foam fabricating services, each little air pocket, or cell, is made to be completely enclosed by a thin wall. The individual cells are interconnected in open-cell foams. Foams are extremely safe. They are considered non-toxic by U.S. government agencies. Although they do not burn by themselves, when forced to burn, the emissions of foams are no more toxic than those of burning wood.
 
Foam fabricating services work with many, many types of foam for even more numerous applications. Polyurethane foam is a closed-cell foam that can biodegrade in direct and indirect sunlight. Its typical applications include surgical scrubbers, x-ray positioning pads, EKG pads, insulation foam, protective padding foam, custom insulated containers, and the list continues. Ethafoam is a closed-cell polyethylene foam with excellent shock absorption qualities and is generally used for packaging foam. Polyether foam is a low-cost polyurethane foam that provides good cushioning and has acoustics and packaging properties. PVC foam is a closed-cell vinyl foam that is pliable and soft and used in gasketing to prevent water transmission. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is being used in some surprising applications: ladies bedroom slippers padding foam, air conditioners’ air filter foam, home insulation foam, padding foam in protective helmets, smokestack scrubbers filter foam, medical transportation packaging foam, seafood transportation packaging foam, oil rigs, weather balloons and satellites.
 
Although the types of foam fabricating share common characteristics, there are some differences in the various processes. Plastic foam (also called “foamed plastic” or “cellular plastic”) is a material that consists of many gas bubbles dispersed in a solid plastic phase, which forms the matrix. The cellular structure in plastics may be formed by physical, chemical or mechanical means. The material to be foamed is in a liquid or plastic state during part of the process, no matter the method. Flexible polyurethane foam (FPF) has many uses, such as carpet padding foam, upholstered furniture padding foam, automotive padding foam, bedding padding foam, sponge foam, toys, packaging foam, sound deadening foam, etc. FPF can be fabricated by either the slabstock process, which produces large continuous buns of foam that are later converted into desired shapes, or the molding process.
 
Foam fabricating services produce a large amount of scrap. The first major source of scrap is produced during foam production. Foam fabricating scrap results from the startup and shutdown of the production line when changing run formulations and when foam blocks are shaped into the desired end product. The second major source of foam scrap is foam products that have reached the end of their useful life. Scrap foam has been shredded and rebonded and then used for such things as carpet padding and filler for pillows and furniture. A significant problem associated with the growing use of recyclable foam materials is the process of collecting the foam, separating out foam's contaminants and then shipping the foam in an economic manner to those foam fabricators who utilize scrap.
 

Foam Fabricating and Foam Fabricating Services Images provided by New Dimension Industries

Types of Foam Fabricating

• Acoustic foam is flexible polyurethane foam and serves one of two purposes, depending on whether it is attenuated or non-attenuated.  The attenuated foam absorbs sound and is good for soundproofing purposes; the non-attenuated type allows sound to travel through it.
  
• Adhesive-backed foam padding is padding that stays completely intact and provides even pressure distribution. Adhesive-backed foam padding is often used in the medical industry.
  
• Bonded foam is a functional product created by gluing flexible polyurethane particles or shredded flexible polyurethane foam together. The foam block that results is typically peeled into a desired thickness and is most commonly used as carpet cushioning.
  
• Closed cell foam is a type of foam that has cells that are not interconnected.  Closed cell foam is good for padding and is typically watertight.
  
• Cushion foam is any foam used for cushioning. Uses for cushion foam not only include furniture applications but athletic padding as well.
  
• Ethafoam padding is a closed-cell, expanded, regular (uncrosslinked) polyethylene foam product that is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company.
  
• Flexible foam is polyurethane foam that is used in furniture such as beds, couches and chairs, because it molds itself to the shape of the body, providing comfort and support.
  
• Foam is a light, spongy materials used for thermal insulation and packaging.
  
• Foam cushions is any foam used for cushioning purposes.
  
• Foam cutting refers to the process that is used to cut foam into various shapes and forms.
  
• Molded foam is a cellular foam product that holds the shape of the mold cavity in which is was produced.
  
• Open cell foam is flexible foam in which there are no barriers between cells, and most of the cell walls have been ruptured to a varying extent. The permeable structure allows gases and liquid to pass through the foam.
  
• Packaging foam is a general term applied to foam that provides the highest protection to a product during shipment.
  
• Plastic foams are made up of a mass of tiny gas bubbles dispersed in a solid gas phase (matrix). Plastic foams are lightweight and have high strength-to-weight ratios.
  
• Polyethylene foam is a very rigid foam made primarily through an extrusion process.
  
• Polyurethane foam and flexible polyurethane foam is different from polyethylene in that it cannot be reheated; it must be shaped into the final product in the foaming process.
  
• PVC foam is a closed-cell foam with very low moisture absorption. It is self-extinguishing, will not rot and has excellent fatigue life and good bond strength with common adhesives and resins.
  
• Rigid foam contains hundreds of millions of closely packed air cells. Rigid foam has excellent thermal performance and is extremely moisture resistant.

Common Terms Related to Foam Fabricating

Additive - A material utilized to alter the properties, processing or final use of a base polymer. The quantity of additive is usually articulated in terms of parts per hundred of the total resin in the polymer formulation
 
Air Flow - The quantity of air that can flow through a two foot by two foot by one foot foam sample with a five inch water pressure differential.  Air flow is expressed in cubic feet per minute.
 
Air Traps - Voids in molded foam parts that are the result of the entrapment of air pockets occurring during mold fill out.  Air traps are characterized by shiny, smooth surfaces.
 
Amine - Category of compounds that catalyze in polyurethane foam reactions.
 
Anti-Static Flexible Polyurethane Foam - Foam containing electrically conductive material in order to prohibit static electricity buildup or to promote static discharge. Anti-static flexible polyurethane foam is used mainly for packaging electronic components.
 
Auxiliary Blowing Agent (ABA) - An additive that supplements the main blowing agent water in the production of foam and could create softer or lighter foam.
 
Ball Rebound - A test technique that measures the surface resilience of flexible polyurethane foam by dropping a steel ball of a specified mass from a certain height onto the foam sample. The ball rebound value is the ball rebound height as a percentage of the height of the fall.
 
Basal Cells - Large, irregular cells found beneath the surface of the skin of a molded foam part.
 
Blowing - The method of foaming flexible polyurethane in production. Blowing happens when toluene diisocyanate and water react to create CO 2.
 
Bonding - The blending of two or more components into a composite. Foam is typically attached to other foam grades or polyester fiber.
 
Buffed - The contouring or shaping of flexible polyurethane foam pieces by the removal of foam with abrasives.
 
Bun - A section of foam cut from a constantly produced slab stock kind of foam.
 
Cells - The hollow space left behind in the structure of polyurethane foam encased by polymer membranes or the polymer skeleton after blowing is finished.
 
CFC-Free Foams - Flexible polyurethane foams produced without using chlorofluorocarbons as auxiliary blowing agents.
 
Cold Molding - A process in which high-resiliency foam is produced. Pouring is carried out without heat and foam is cured at or near room temperature.
 
Combustion Modifying Additive - An additive that will decrease the ability of flexible polyurethane foam to ignite or make it burn more slowly.  
 
Compression Force Deflection (CFD) - Also known as compression load deflection (CLD), it is a calculation of the load-bearing capability of a foam.
 
Convoluting - A process involving special cutting equipment to create a foam sheet with dimples.  
 
Clickability - The capability of a flexible polyurethane foam to return to its natural state from the pinched results of die cutting.
 
Closed Pour - A process in which the mold lid is closed and locked in molded foam production and the foaming mixture is injected through ports in the lid of the mold
 
Contour Cutting - The cutting of foam with a specialized saw into patterns from a foam block, creating a custom foam part.
 
Core - The inner area of foam, away from the outer skin.
 
Crushing - A procedure, typically mechanical- or vacuum-assisted, in which the closed cells of a high resilience slab stock or molded foam are opened.
 
Dead Foam - Foam with low resiliency that does not quickly regain its original shape after deformation.
 
Deformation - A method in which the shape of the foam is altered from its original state through compression or heat.  
 
Die Cutting - The cutting out of parts from foam using a process that is similar to stamping out the part.  It is good for long duration runs of cut parts that necessitate uniformity in size.   
 
Drilling - The boring of holes into a foam to enhance air flow, provide for greater ease of button application in tufted design and to make the foam feel softer.
 
Elastomers - Polymers that, when undergoing deformation, resist and recover in a way similar to that of natural rubber.
 
Flame Lamination - Also called "flame bonding" it is the process of bonding flexible foam to a fabric, film or other material by melting the surface of the foam with a flame source and quickly pressing it to the material before the foam resolidifies.
 
High Resilience (HR) Foam - A kind of polyurethane foam created with a combination of polymer or graft polyols.  This foam is not as uniform in its cell structure in comparison to conventional products, which enhances the comfort, support, resilience and bounce of the foam.  
 
Hot Wire Cutting - The cutting of foam using high-temperature wires instead of a saw blade. Hot wire cutting is generally used for cutting intricate parts.
 
Isocyanate - A quick way to refer to the group of diisocyanates that are one of the two primary ingredients in the chemical process from which polyurethane foam is produced.  
 
Laminating - A method of bonding layers of foam together in a simple composite. Laminating could be attained with adhesives or with heat processes, such as flame lamination.
 
Peeling - Method of cutting thin sheets from a foam cylinder.
 
Skin - The higher-density exterior surface of foam, typically resulting from the foam surface cooling at a higher rate than the core.
 
Slab Stock - Flexible polyurethane foam produced by the constant pouring of mixed liquids onto a conveyor, which creates a continuous loaf of foam.
 
Slitting - Method a foam cutter uses for cutting sheets from a rectangular foam block.
 
Voids - Significant hollow spaces that inadvertently form in foam structures. Voids are typically the result of inaccurate mold filling or inadequate moldability.