Glossary

Electrically conductive foam

Electrically conductive foam dissipates electrical voltage and is therefore used as packaging for electronic parts.

Filter foam

Filter foam is a reticulated polyurethane foam based on ether and ester. Filter foams generally differ in pore size and thus pore count per inch (PPI).

Filter foams can be used as mechanical and as biological filter material.

Technical parts made of filter foam are components manufactured from foamed plastic that are suitable as filter media for industry. They are used as filter materials in the ventilation industry, among others.

For loudspeaker fronts, we manufacture individual cuts and stamped parts from filter foam.

For ponds and aquariums we carry filter foams with special properties. A selection of materials is available, which also differ in structure and color.

Closed cell

Means that the air bubbles formed during foaming of the foam have not bonded. The  material (e.g. PE foams and cellular rubber) cannot absorb liquids.

Conceal

To permanently join or weld materials with different components such as films e.g. self-adhesive film, PE film and fabrics.

Laminating

Manufacturing process for PE foam. Several PE foam sheets can be joined together by welding.

Melamine resin foam

Melamine resin foam is a very lightweight foam with excellent sound insulation properties and is flame retardant.

Nubbed foam

Our nubbed foam is cut from PUR foams in varying thickness (dimple height and shape). Suitable for the sound studio, cinemas, as sound insulation in workshops and garages, for sound insulation in mechanical and plant engineering or simply for the home cinema.

Nubbed foams are equally suitable for packaging purposes or for acoustic or thermal insulation. In most cases, a flexible foam is used. The special properties of the nap foam are given by the nap height or the nap ratio. This makes it possible to achieve almost complete sound absorption. Dimpled foams can be equipped with a double-sided self-adhesive film and are thus easy to apply.

Open cell

Means that the air bubbles that form when the foam is foamed have bonded and the material can allow air and liquids to pass through. (e.g. PUR foam).

PE foam film

PE foam film is particularly resistant to chemicals and moisture. PE foam foils are available in rolls, as cut-to-size or die-cut parts and in antistatic versions.

Polyethylene foam (PE)

Polyethylene foam or PE foam is a closed-cell material with good mechanical properties and is resistant to weathering and aging, while providing good thermal insulation.

Areas of application:

• Packaging
• Automotive industry
• Electrical appliance industry
• Medical technology
• Mechanical engineering
• Construction industry

PE foam is a closed-cell material with excellent properties, e.g. low density, very good resistance to weathering and aging, good sound and heat insulation and very good resistance to common acids, alkalis and other chemicals. Mainly PE foams are used as  packaging (technical, medical, pharmaceutical packaging) sound insulation, gaskets, transportation protection, thermal insulation, etc. PE foam is supplied as sheets, blanks, stamped parts, strips and structural parts.

PE foams are divided into cross-linked (see cross-linked PE foam) and non-cross-linked PE foam. .

Polyurethane foams (PU/PUR)

Polyurethane (PUR) foam is a plastic developed in the 1930s by Otto Bayer of Leverkusen, Germany. It is formed by polyaddition of isocyanates with polyols. The foaming of polyurethane foams is caused by the addition of water. When water reacts with isocyanate, CO² is split off, which causes the foam to expand. The amount of water determines the bulk density (kg/m³) of the finished foam. The type of polyols and isocyanate determine the subsequent properties of the foam. 

There are different foam variants: From soft, rather elastic foams to hard, rather brittle foams. 

Open-cell soft  PUR foams are used, for example, for the  production of filter inserts, household sponges, transport protection, padding in vehicle construction, seat cushions, mattresses, packaging.

Closed-cell, rigid PUR foams are used in the manufacture of packaging, suitcase inserts and for thermal insulation.

PPI

PPI indicates the number of pores per inch  for filter foam. The smaller the PPI number, the more porous the material.

Pyramid foam

We produce pyramid foam from melamine resin foam. By profiling melamine resin foam, a pyramid profile is created. Due to the enlargement of the surface, the absorption of sound is much higher than on the smooth melamine foam board.

Raster foam

Raster foam is a perforated foam. Raster foam is often used as standard equipment for photo cases, for example.

Volume weight (RG) / bulk density

The bulk density is calculated from the mass of a yarn or sheet to its volume and, in the case of porous bodies, takes into account the enclosed air.
It is expressed in kg per m3 (= cbm). The higher the density at constant hardness, the better the service properties, i.e. high elasticity with low material fatigue.

Soundproofing Foam

Foams such as nap foam, pyramid foam, melamine resin foam, visco foam are excellent for sound insulation due to their open-pored surface.
The effect is enhanced by increasing the surface area, such as nap foam and pyramid foam.

Foam sheets

Foam boards are cut from e.g. PUR foams, filter foams, nap foams, composite foams, PE, cross-linked PE foams . The areas of application are very diverse and range from packaging, sound insulation, thermal insulation to pallet interlayers and anti-slip mats. Foam sheets can also be manufactured in self-adhesive version.

Foam punched parts

Foam die-cuts are made on automatic die-cutting machines from PUR foams, filter foams, nap foams, composite foams, PE foams and cross-linked PE foams. Individual cutting dies are made for this purpose. Foam die-cuts can also be manufactured in self-adhesive versions. Die-cutting is suitable when larger quantities of the same parts are to be produced (small and large series). Almost all types of foam can be laminated with a self-adhesive film and can also be die-cut in this form (e.g. gaskets, cushion pad)

Foam blanks

Foam blanks are made of PUR foams, filter foams, dimpled foams, composite foams, PE, cross-linked PE foams. Foam blanks can also be produced in self-adhesive design.

Shore hardness

Shore hardness is the mechanical resistance of a material to another, harder one and is given on a scale of 0-100. The test involves measuring the depth of penetration of a spring-loaded pin into the foam. 

Low penetration depth = high Shore value.
High penetration depth = low Shore value

Different indenters are specified depending on the material. For foam, Shore - A gauges are used. Indication is therefore: Shore-A 0 to Shore-A 100.

Compression hardness / kPa (kilopascal)

Compression hardness is the physical pressure in Pascal (Pa) acting on an area in square meters (m²), which is necessary to compress the foam by 40% according to DIN 53 577. The higher the compression hardness, the harder or stronger  the foam.

Composite foam

Composite foam or composite foams consist of a high proportion of recycled foam flakes (polyurethane foam). The bonding process under compression creates a new material with an independent property profile which, for example, has extremely high strength and is characterized by good shock absorption and damping properties. Composite foam is used in particular in the automotive industry and in mechanical engineering.

Crosslinked PE foam

In cross-linked PE materials, the polymer chains are chemically connected to each other at specific points, forming a three-dimensional network. There are two types of crosslinking, chemical crosslinking and physical crosslinking.

Cross-linked PE foam has a fine, regular and closed cell structure. The closed-cell structure provides excellent heat and cold insulation properties. In addition, crosslinked PE foam cannot absorb water. With different color variations, it can be designed in a particularly attractive way, e.g. by means of precisely fitting grooves, and has a smooth surface. Almost all crosslinked PE foams have very good thermoplastic properties. Cross-linked PE foam is also available in particularly bright colors and is therefore very suitable for presentation cases, for example.

Viscoelastic foam also called visco foam

Viscoelastic foam is permanently elastic, has a high density and provides unique pressure relief when used as a mattress, both at low and high weight loads. Visco foam has shape memory. By applying pressure to the material, a perfect imprint is formed in the material. If you then  pull your hand away, for example, the imprint can be seen for one to three seconds before the material returns to its original position. Viscoelastic foam is also used for acoustic purposes.

Flexible foam

Flexible foam refers to foams that have an open cell structure and are therefore permeable to air.