There are many fabrication techniques for foam fabricators to use to custom cut, shape, mold, laminate, and customize various types of foam for a variety of applications. This allows customers to get a unique piece of foam for their project that fits the exact specifications of what needs to be padded. This is especially useful from a foam packaging standpoint, as the unique piece of foam perfectly fits the box and the products being shipped.
What is Die Cutting?
Die cutting is a foam fabrication process where a piece of foam is placed underneath a press that cuts out shapes into the using tools that press into the foam’s surface. This allows fabricators to create custom pieces of foam with intricate pieces cut directly out of the foam itself.
Die cutting can be used on various types of foam, including polyurethane polystyrene, cross-linked polyurethane, and many others.
The Benefits of Die Cutting Foam
There are a few reasons to use die cutting for foam fabrication:
- Allows for custom cut pieces of foam that provide better protection
- Is an affordable foam fabrication method
- Can be done quickly and to large quantities of foam, reducing lead times
- Can be combined with kiss cutting (a form of die cutting that cuts a shape into a piece of foam, but does not cut completely through the sheet of foam, leaving an impression cut)
- Can be used to fabricate open and closed-cell foam
When to Use Die Cutting for Your Application
Die cutting is useful for foam used in various applications, particularly for packaging. If you ship many products in bulk, it can be a cost-effective way to customize protective packaging foam for your products. Die cutting allows the fabricators to cut multiple custom shaped holes into a single piece of foam, which can be placed into a box and allow you to provide end-to-end protection for multiple products.
Die cutting is also ideal for items that are uniquely shaped. A lot of dunnage and protective packaging comes in standard shapes but, using die cutting, you can create custom packaging for even the most irregular-shaped products.
Finally, die cutting is great for very fragile products, as the foam absorbs external impacts while also gently holding the product in place while in transit.
Other applications for die cutting include custom case inserts and sales and demo cases. These applications always require one-of-a-kind pieces of foam designed specifically for unique items. Die cutting, among other fabrication techniques, makes it possible to custom create foam for any protective case.
Need custom foam pieces to protect your products? Get in touch with Amcon, the experts in foam fabrication, today.