When applications require pieces of foam that are cut, shaped, and/or molded into a specific size or shape, custom foam fabrication is the right solution. Designing and manufacturing the right piece of foam will yield better quality in a product and better performance in an application, along with many other benefits. Manufacturers turn to custom foam fabricators like Amcon for their fabrication expertise and the state-of-the-art technology they use to create custom foam pieces.
When you work with a foam fabricator, you will encounter many fabrication terms. Use the short “glossary” below to help you decipher the meaning and uses behind these common foam fabrication terms.
Precision Water Jet Cutting
Water jet cutting uses a high-precision, pressurized water stream to cut and carve foam into specific shapes. This is ideal for cutting foams in a non-abrasive way and for material stacking. It’s also cost-effective for production.
High Speed Die Cutting
High speed die cutting is an effective way to accurately cut and mass produce pieces of foam in various shapes. Die cutting can also be used to cut shaped holes into sheets of foam for various applications.
Vertical and Horizontal Contour Cutting
Contour cutting is a method of automatically cutting patterns and complex shapes of foam quickly. If your foam needs require intricate cuts to many pieces of foam, this is the ideal fabrication technique.
Abrasive Wire Cutting
Abrasive wire cutting is most useful for cutting contours in various closed cell foam types. Planks or slabs of foam can be accurately cut into a variety of different configurations for a range of specific applications.
Convoluting
Convoluting is a method of altering the surface of a piece of foam, generally creating the well-known egg crate foam that is used in packaging, storage, and cushioning applications, among others.
CNC Routing
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) routing uses guided drill bits and machine tools to cut and carve foam into different shapes. This technique allows for foam to be cut into complex shapes at multiple depths.
Vacuum and Roll Skiving
Skiving allows for very dense foams (ideally closed cell) to be cut with precision and ease without wearing down the materials. Foam sheets can be fed into machines and cut to various thicknesses.
Foam Lamination
Laminating foams together allows for the creation of composite materials that are made from two or more types of foam. This gives pieces of foam unique characteristics like increased heat and corrosion resistance, ESD properties, and many others. Foam can also be laminated into buildups (case inserts, end caps, and the like) utilizing a variety of different lamination methods (hot glue, spray glue, hot air, chemical bond and robotic gluing).
Rely on Our Fabrication Experience
With industry-leading foam fabrication capabilities backed by over 45 years of experience and technological advancement, along with the equipment, access to a vast array of raw materials and the resources necessary, Amcon is well suited to be your partner in foam fabrication. Get in touch with our foam experts to talk about your fabrication needs today.