From a conversion perspective, structural foam molding can replace wood, metal, concrete and fiberglass. It can also have significant advantages in relation to alternative processes such as rotational molding, die cast, stamped metal, smc, thermoforming, rim and fiberglass layup. . The results? Significant reduction in cost and increases in productivity.
Structural foam plastic molding is an injection molding process that utilizes a foaming agent that mixes with the base resin in the polymer melt before being injected into the mold. This mixture becomes a combined polymer/gas melt. This process allows for less volume of plastic than a solid injection molded part to completely fill the mold, or a “partial fill” method. The lesser polymer volume requires less clamping pressure on the molds. This is often described as a low-pressure molding process. Due to the lower pressure and forces involved, the structural foam process allows very large parts and/or multiple parts to be produced on a single machine and in a single cycle. Additionally, cost effective tooling solutions can be utilized for these large or multi-cavity molded products.
