Foam lamination is a process used to customize foam materials to make them more useful in certain applications. There are many ways to laminate a piece of foam and, when using flame lamination, foam fabricators can attach a variety of other materials to many types of foam. This creates completely custom products with facing that include Aluminized Mylar®, flocking, and Tuftane®.
What’s the difference between the three?
What is Aluminized Mylar® Foam Facing?
Aluminized Mylar® is a brand name for a polyester or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film that can be applied to the facing of foams. This layer of polyester gives a piece of foam added protection against heat and other environmental hazards.
Foam with an Aluminized Mylar facing have additional capabilities that include:
- Electrical insulation
- Higher tensile strength
- Better chemical stability
- Barriers against gas and odors
- Abrasion resistance
- Soundproofing
These properties make foams with Aluminized Mylar facings well suited for applications that include flexible packaging food and liquids and applications that require protection against oils, lubricants, moisture, fuels, and a variety of solvents. The materials can also be used to reduce heat transfer (up to 225°F (107°C)).
What is Flocking?
Flocking is a material that can be laminated to foam in order to give it the appearance and feel of velvet. The velour surface is largely aesthetic and is generally used to make foams more presentable and pleasing to look at. Flocking is largely used in foam applications for sales and demo cases, foam case inserts, storage boxes, and other applications where items will be displayed.
If you need foam for protective purposes but you want it to look really nice when displayed, flocking is an excellent material to laminate to your chosen foam. The material comes in multiple color options for additional customization of appearance.
What is Tuftane® Foam Facing?
Tuftane® is another brand name for a film that can be applied to foams via a lamination process. This material is known for its durability and toughness, being able to stretch to multiple times its length. The films are generally made of polyurethane or polyester and can give pieces of foam additions characteristics that include:
- Better resistance to abrasion, punctures, tears, and impacts
- Better resistance to gasses, liquids and chemicals, both petroleum and water based
- A wide temperature performance
- A more attractive appearance