Design Guide & Services

Expert guidance for optimal foam solutions

Design Excellence

Designing with Foam

Engineering Support

Expert Assistance

Designing with foam materials requires careful consideration of various factors to ensure optimal performance in your application. Our design guide provides valuable insights and best practices to help you create effective foam solutions.

Our engineering team is available to assist you throughout the design process, from material selection to production scale-up, ensuring your foam components meet all performance requirements.

Design Considerations

When designing foam components, consider these key factors to ensure optimal performance and manufacturability.

Material Selection

Choosing the right foam material is critical for optimal performance in your application.

Key Factors:

  • Density requirements
  • Compression set resistance
  • Temperature range
  • Chemical resistance
  • Flammability requirements
  • Environmental considerations

Dimensional Tolerances

Precise dimensional tolerances ensure proper fit and function in your application.

Key Factors:

  • Part size and complexity
  • Material characteristics
  • Manufacturing process
  • Assembly requirements
  • Environmental factors
  • Cost considerations

Adhesive Selection

Proper adhesive selection ensures strong, durable bonds between foam and substrate materials.

Key Factors:

  • Substrate materials
  • Environmental conditions
  • Temperature range
  • Pressure requirements
  • Cure time
  • Removability requirements

Design for Manufacturability

Designing with manufacturing processes in mind ensures efficient production and consistent quality.

Key Factors:

  • Material utilization
  • Tool design
  • Process capabilities
  • Assembly requirements
  • Quality control
  • Cost optimization
Our Approach

Design Process

Our structured design process ensures efficient development of foam solutions that meet your requirements.

1

Requirements Definition

We work with you to understand your application requirements, including performance specifications, environmental conditions, and cost targets.

2

Material Selection

Based on your requirements, we recommend appropriate foam materials and adhesives that will provide optimal performance in your application.

3

Design Development

Our engineering team develops detailed designs for your foam components, considering manufacturability, assembly requirements, and cost optimization.

4

Prototyping

We create prototypes of your foam components for evaluation and testing, allowing for design refinement before full-scale production.

5

Testing & Validation

We conduct comprehensive testing to validate that your foam components meet all performance requirements and specifications.

6

Production Scale-Up

Once the design is validated, we transition to full-scale production, implementing quality control procedures to ensure consistent product quality.

Our Offerings

Design Services

We offer a comprehensive range of design services to support your foam component development needs.

Engineering Support

Our engineering team provides comprehensive support throughout the design and development process.

Service Includes:

  • Material selection assistance
  • Design optimization
  • Prototype development
  • Testing and validation
  • Manufacturing process selection
  • Cost optimization

Prototyping

We offer rapid prototyping services to help you validate your design before full-scale production.

Service Includes:

  • Quick turnaround
  • Multiple iterations
  • Various material options
  • Functional testing
  • Design refinement
  • Production feasibility assessment

Testing & Validation

Our comprehensive testing capabilities ensure your foam components meet all performance requirements.

Service Includes:

  • Compression testing
  • Thermal testing
  • Acoustic testing
  • Durability testing
  • Environmental testing
  • Custom test protocols

Production Scale-Up

We provide seamless transition from prototype to full-scale production with consistent quality.

Service Includes:

  • Process optimization
  • Tool design and fabrication
  • Quality control procedures
  • Production scheduling
  • Inventory management
  • Continuous improvement

Design Tips

Practical tips to help you design effective foam components for your application.

Consider Compression Set

For applications requiring long-term sealing or cushioning, select foam materials with good compression set resistance to maintain performance over time.

Account for Tolerances

Design with appropriate tolerances based on the foam material properties and manufacturing process to ensure proper fit and function.

Optimize Material Usage

Design parts to maximize material utilization and minimize waste, considering the nesting capabilities of the manufacturing process.

Consider Environmental Factors

Account for temperature, humidity, UV exposure, and chemical exposure in your material selection to ensure long-term performance.

Design for Assembly

Consider how the foam component will be assembled into the final product, including alignment features, adhesive application, and handling requirements.

Prototype Early

Create prototypes early in the design process to validate performance, fit, and manufacturability before committing to full-scale production.

Success Stories

Design Case Studies

Our engineering team has helped numerous customers develop effective foam solutions for challenging applications. Here are some examples of our successful design projects:

Automotive HVAC Sealing Solution

Challenge: A major automotive manufacturer needed a custom sealing solution for a new HVAC system with complex geometry and tight space constraints.

Solution: Our engineering team developed a custom die-cut foam gasket with precise dimensions and material properties tailored to the application requirements.

Result: The solution provided excellent sealing performance, met all dimensional requirements, and reduced assembly time by 30%.

Electronics Packaging Foam

Challenge: An electronics manufacturer needed a protective packaging solution for sensitive components that would provide shock absorption and ESD protection.

Solution: We designed a custom foam insert with varying densities to provide optimal protection for different components, incorporating ESD-safe materials.

Result: The solution reduced shipping damage by 85% while maintaining ESD protection and optimizing packaging size and weight.

Design Collaboration Process

Our collaborative design process ensures that we understand your requirements and develop solutions that meet your needs. Here's how we work with you:

Initial Consultation

We discuss your application requirements, performance specifications, and design constraints to understand your needs.

Concept Development

Our engineering team develops initial concepts and material recommendations based on your requirements.

Iterative Design

We refine the design through collaborative feedback and prototyping to optimize performance and manufacturability.

Design Validation

We validate the design through testing and analysis to ensure it meets all performance requirements.

Production Implementation

We transition the validated design to production, implementing quality control procedures to ensure consistent product quality.

Resources

Design Guide & Sample Board

Access our comprehensive design resources to help with your foam component development.

The Advanced Quality and Design Planning Guide is offered as an indicator of our focus on customer satisfaction among engineers and quality personnel. It represents 60 years of experience in terms of "best practices" for the design, release, and use of efficient fabricated products, including those made from materials other than foam.

Click on the image of the sample board to view its contents. Plastomer offers a design guide to help customer engineers. CLICK HERE to request a hard copy of the guide or a sample board be mailed to you.

Plastomer-Seller Considerations for Potential Buyers

Ready to Start Your Design?

Contact our engineering team to discuss your foam component design needs and how we can help you develop effective solutions for your application.

Contact Our Engineering Team