Custom foam injection molding is a process that allows manufacturers to create products with foam. Custom foam injection moldings can be made in almost any shape or size and can also have different textures or hardness depending on what you want your final product to look like. Learn more about how the process works and PopFoam’s injection molding services.
Learn more about the custom foam injection molding process
Custom foam injection molding starts by first melting thermoplastic materials, which are then injected into a mold to form the desired product. Custom foam injection molding is a process that allows manufacturers to create a wide variety of products with foam. Custom foam injection moldings can be made in almost any shape or size and can also have different textures or hardness depending on what you want your final product to look like. PopFoam’s custom foam injection molds are created using the latest technology, including our proprietary custom foam injection molding process.
The Custom Foam Injection Molding production process is efficient and environmentally-friendly. The foam injection molding process uses less energy than other processes, such as compression and transfer molds. Custom foam products also have a lower carbon footprint than many traditional manufacturing methods because they require fewer foam materials to create them and use no solvents or volatile organic compounds.
The PopFoam Process
Design
It all begins with the right design. PopFoam’s design flexibility allows you to create lighter foam-molded items with less waste and more efficiency using complex geometry without the need for special equipment.
Tooling
A Custom Foam Injection Molding process begins with the creation of a foam injection mold tool for the melted plastic. This is done by first making an aluminum core and then covering it in high-grade steel to make the cavity, which will hold your product during production. The PopFoam manufacturing process, which includes a series of tool- and toolmaker-specific processes, requires specialized steel molds. Foam injection molds also self-eject, necessitating a smaller cavity size.
Production
We use decades of industry expertise to ensure that your foam molded goods are manufactured precisely according to your specifications during production time.
Hoppers fill with the precise combination of compounds designed for your product’s characteristics. The pellets are melted and injected into your product’s mold cavity. The foam is cross-linked by heat transferred through the mold to the compound, which cooks it. This is modern-day alchemy: a specific ratio of ingredients binds together to create a miniature representation of your product.
The mold separates at a quicker rate, allowing the foam to expand rapidly after injection pressure. Then, the new foam item is placed in a fixture to cool to the appropriate dimensions to ensure that your product maintains its original size and form.
Finishing
The Custom Foam Injection Molding process also allows for additional features such as printing, painting and labeling. We can apply these secondary processes to foam-based products which will enhance your product.
Packaging
Once the custom foam injection molding is complete, it’s time to package and ship the finished product. Custom foam injection molded products are easy to package and ship because they’re lightweight. Customized packaging can also be made for your Custom Foam Injection Molding, including printed inserts that will help communicate what is inside and how it works.
Learn more about how the process works and how PopFoam creates injection molded foam products.