Foam Fabricating Types and Terms
Foam Fabricating Types
- 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.
- is padding that stays completely intact
and provides even pressure distribution. Adhesive-backed foam padding
is often used in the medical industry.
- 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.
- is a type of foam that has
cells that are not interconnected. Closed
cell foam is good for padding and is typically watertight.
- is any foam used for cushioning. Uses for cushion foam not only
include furniture applications but athletic padding as well.
- is a closed-cell, expanded, regular (uncrosslinked)
polyethylene foam product that is a trademark of The Dow Chemical
Company.
- 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.
- is a light, spongy materials used for thermal insulation and packaging.
- is any foam used for cushioning purposes.
- refers to the process that is used to cut foam into various shapes and forms.
- Foam padding can be used for virtually any industry or product that requires extra lining for protection, comfort, sound insulation and product protection.
- is a cellular foam product that holds the shape of the
mold cavity in which is was produced.
- 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.
- is a general term applied to foam that provides the
highest protection to a product during shipment.
- 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.
- is a very rigid foam made primarily through an
extrusion process.
- 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.
- 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.
- contains hundreds of millions of closely packed air cells.
Rigid foam has excellent thermal performance and is extremely
moisture resistant.
Foam Fabricating Terms
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Category of compounds that catalyze in polyurethane foam
reactions.
- 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.
- An additive that supplements the
main blowing agent-water-in the production of foam and could
create softer or lighter foam.
- 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.
- Large, irregular cells found beneath the surface
of the skin of a molded foam part.
- The method of foaming
flexible polyurethane in production. Blowing happens when toluene diisocyanate
and water react to create CO 2.
- The blending of two or more components into a composite.
Foam is typically attached to other foam grades or polyester fiber.
- The contouring or shaping of flexible polyurethane foam
pieces by the removal of foam with abrasives.
- A section of foam cut
from a constantly produced slab stock kind of foam.
- The hollow space left behind in the structure of polyurethane
foam encased by polymer membranes or the polymer skeleton after blowing
is finished.
- Flexible polyurethane foams produced without using
chlorofluorocarbons as auxiliary blowing agents.
- A process in which high-resiliency foam is produced.
Pouring is carried out without heat and foam is cured at or near room
temperature.
- An additive that will decrease
the ability of flexible polyurethane foam to ignite or make it burn more
slowly.
- Also known as "compression
load deflection (CLD)," it is a calculation of the load-bearing
capability of a foam.
- A process involving special cutting equipment to
create a foam sheet with dimples.
- The capability
of a flexible polyurethane foam to return to its natural state from the
pinched results of
die cutting.
- 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
- The cutting of foam with a specialized saw into
patterns from a foam block, creating a custom foam part.
- The inner area of foam, away from the outer skin.
- A procedure, typically mechanical- or vacuum-assisted,
in which the closed cells of a high resilience slab stock or molded foam
are opened.
- Foam with low resiliency that does not quickly regain
its original shape after deformation.
- A method in which the shape of the foam is altered
from its original state through compression or heat.
(
http://www.diecutting.net)
- 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.
- 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.
- Polymers that, when undergoing deformation, resist
and recover in a way similar to that of natural rubber.
- 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.
- 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.
- The cutting of foam using high-temperature wires
instead of a saw blade. Hot wire cutting is generally used for cutting
intricate parts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Method of cutting thin sheets from a foam cylinder.
- The higher-density exterior surface of foam, typically resulting
from the foam surface cooling at a higher rate than the core.
- Flexible polyurethane foam produced by the constant
pouring of mixed liquids onto a conveyor, which creates a continuous
loaf of foam.
- Method of cutting sheets from a rectangular foam block.
- Significant hollow spaces that inadvertently form in foam
structures. Voids are typically the result of inaccurate mold filling
or inadequate moldability.