Structural Foam Molding Materials

Due to the parts uniformly expanding until filling the mold structural foam holds better flatness.

Structural foam molding materials.

Parts can be foamed that have features which thermoforming is not capable of molding. The foam core is achieved by introducing an inert gas producing foaming agent with the molten resin. The resin is then shot into the cavity without overfilling or packing it out. Structural foam parts have a foam core between two dense skins.

Structural foam molding is a process where the addition of a blowing agent and modification of process parameters creates a sandwich construction that has a solid skin on the outer layers and a foam core in center. As the resin and foaming agent is heated by the barrel and injected into the mold the foaming agent turns into gas. However foam molding results in plastics that are significantly more rigid than other solid materials. Imperial plastics is one of the pioneers in the industry using both low pressure multi nozzle structural foam web and high pressure injection foam.

Structural foam molding can be broken down into several processes and techniques. In addition to structural foam molding where gas is introduced into the melt stream to reduce part density uniloy milacron s springfield line of machines can be used for low pressure molding which also uses an array of nozzles to spread the shot against the cavity and allows the creation of large parts like these drainage lines. Structural foam is a great alternative to wood fiberglass metal or even concrete. How is s structural foam part made.

Structural foam molding can be processed using commodity resins as well as engineered grade resins. Structual foam molding is an injection molding process that creates structrually sound and light weight parts that are less likely to warp. Structural foam plastic molding is an injection molding process that utilizes a foaming agent and or nitrogen gas that mixes with the base resin in the polymer melt before being injected into the mold. What is structural foam.

A form of injection molding the engineering structural foam process offers an efficient and economical way to gain high strength and rigidity required for structural parts. Plus all structural foam molded parts are 100 recyclable. Structural molding parts remain straighter and have better dimensional stability. Structural molding utilizes less energy and has less raw material waste due to density reduction.

In the structural foam molding process a blowing agent creates a cellular structure while a rigid skin forms. Structural foam is a composite material produced when a polymer usually thermoset but can be thermoplastic is combined with either an inert physical gas such as nitrogen or a chemical blowing agent during the molding process. Structural foam molding is a low pressure foam injection molding process where molten resin is injected with nitrogen gas or a chemical blowing agent.