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Plastics Moulding Processes - Foam Moulding and Structural Foam Moulding
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Foam moulding goes by many names such as foam rubber moulding, flexible foam moulding, polyurethane foam moulding, styrofoam moulding, polystyrene foam moulding, rigid foam moulding, open cell foam moulding, closed cell foam moulding and structural foam moulding (more on the last one later).
Foam rubber is found in a wide range of applications, from cushioning in automobile seats and furniture to insulation in walls and appliances to soles and heels in footwear. Foams are made by forming gas bubbles in a plastic mixture, with the use of a blowing agent. Foam manufacture is either a continuous process for making laminate or slabstock or a batch process for making various shapes by cutting or cavity molding.
Structual Foam Moulding
Structural foam moulding is a derivative of the injection moulding process. Large structural parts often require thicker walls than standard injection moulding can produce. Structural foam moulding allows for the injection moulding of thick wall parts through the addition of a foam agent, thus the term structural foam moulding. Any injection mouldable thermoplastics can be structural foam moulded. To produce the thicker wall part, a small amount of nitrogen or chemical blow agent is introduced into the plastic material. Under pressure inside the injection screw, the foaming agents do not expand. When the melted plastic enters the mould cavity, foaming occurs. As the foaming plastics fill the foam mould cavity, the wall of the part solidifies against the cold mould wall. A thin layer of plastic solidifies without foaming along the mould wall. This thin layer forms a skin structure over the foamed inter core. The thin solid wall is supported by the interior cellular foamed structure. A part produced this way results in a heavy cellular structure similar to wood products. Structural foam moulding is a common process.
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