A foam fabricating and polyurethane foam manufacturers directory including polyethylene foam, foam cushion, acoustic foam, closed cell foam, cushion foam, packaging foam, foam cutter, foam plastic, foam cutting, foam fabricators, foam fabrication, cushioning foam, and foam padding.  

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About Foam Fabricators

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.

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Featured Articles

"Reticulated Foam"
http://www.steplaw.com/reticulatedfoam.html

"Open-Cell Foam"
http://www.steplaw.com/opencellfoam.html

"Closed-Cell Foam"
http://www.steplaw.com/closedcellfoam.html

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.