Foam Conversion Services: All You Need to Know

If you’re looking to buy a protective bag or case, you’re going to want to look at the type of interior foam which is best for you. Equipment can be stored within the foam to protect it from day to day wear, weather, transportation and any other conditions your equipment might endure. You will need to think about which items can be stored in your case / bag, so it can be customised to fit your tools.

Foam conversion is the process of customising foam by shaping and cutting it to a particular size and requirement. The process of foam conversion allows us to produce bespoke foam to hold and support your equipment, with a perfect fit.

At PottertonPacs, we are professional foam converters and engineering specialists. We execute the process of foam conversion with precision and accuracy. With the many processes we offer, the options and capabilities for foam conversion & customised interiors are endless!

In this article, we’re going to talk you through the variety of foam conversion services that we use in foam conversion, so you know exactly what goes on in the background after you order a protective case or bag from us!

CNC Routing (Computer Numerical Control)

CNC Routing (which stands for Computer Numerical Control) is used to create precise cuts at various depths in the foam. Very complex shapes can be precision-cut at a high speed for a consistent and exact fit.

The process of CNC routing is fully computer-controlled, by using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) to route the plastazote into a designed shape and size. Foam inserts that have been CNC provide a high quality, precise finish.

CNC routing is commonly used for the interiors of delicate equipment cases, pharmaceutical or medical cases, instrument or electronic component packaging & heavy equipment plus for tool control and FOD (foreign object debris) prevention.

Learn more about How CNC Foam Cutting Increase Efficiency & reduced Costs

Water jet cutting

Water jet cutting is an alternative to CNC routing and has now become the fastest-growing precision method for cutting materials.

A water jet cut offers a precise cut without interfering with the original structure of the foam. It works by using an ultra-high pressure jet of clean water to cut the foam. The speed of a water jet is so high that it is three times higher than the speed of sound.

Die-cutting

A die cutting machine is used to design custom cuts to materials when consistency is needed to produce repeated designs. The process press cuts component shapes into foam using a specialist cutting knife, which has to be created using specially fabricated blades. The blades are inserted into a plywood block to create the perimeter outline of the products or components to be held in the foam.  

Die-cutting allows us to create customised foam interiors to achieve a repeatedly accurate, high-quality finish at a competitive price.  Read more in our Guide to Custom Cut Foam Blog.

Vacuum formed trays and inserts

Using a mould, vacuum-formed inserts can be produced in HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) or ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) with ABS being the most hardwearing and impact resistant of the two materials.  Both of these thermoplastics are often chosen as a case insert solution when the need to clean or sanitize the interior is required.

Vacuum formed inserts are particularly well suited for high volume users as tooling is required to produce this type of insert. They are commonly used for medical inserts as they can easily be cleaned thoroughly.

How can PottertonPacs help you?

With one of the broadest ranges of bespoke interior solutions on the market, PottertonPacs are confident we will be able to propose a custom interior solution to suit your needs. We also offer custom fabricated, stitched, moulded and fabricated interior solutions too.

We pride ourselves on being expert designers, manufacturers and suppliers. We provide expertly made protective presentation cases, padded soft bags and other heavy duty transit equipment cases for a wide range of industries.

If you’d like to talk to our experienced team regarding foam conversion or other custom interior options that could offer a solution to your requirement, we would be happy to answer any of your questions or recommend a possible solution for your consideration. Get in contact at 0116 276 7562 with any queries or concerns you may have.

Get started on protecting your valuables today!