Polyethylene foam – PE foam

Due to its properties, PE foam is widely used in many industries. They are eagerly used to protect household appliances and electronics during renovations or removals. The same applies to furniture and all other elements used on a daily basis or making up the interior design.

Of course, we are most interested in the use of PE foam in the production of packaging and suitcase inserts. Its aforementioned properties mean that polyethylene is most often used in the transport industry. The polyethylene foam protects goods against:

• damage caused by shocks or vibrations,
• electrostatic discharge,
• scratches and bruises,
• dampness,
• airborne pollutants.

PE foam has found its application in the packaging industry due to a number of properties that make the inserts made of this material effectively protect the transported goods against mechanical damage and many external factors. Find out with which properties of polyethylene foam you can effectively protect transported items against damage.

This is one of the most important features thanks to which polyethylene foam retains its durability. This definitely distinguishes it from the commonly used polystyrene, which during transport very often breaks, crumbles or cracks, thus reducing the safety of the goods. Thanks to its resistance to abrasion and tearing, PE foam can be used for transporting items with smooth and sharp surfaces and ends.

Polyethylene foams do not absorb humidity. Thanks to this, items transported in packages with a polyethylene insert are not exposed to the harmful effects of water. The moisture resistance of polyethylene foam also prevents the formation of mold or fungus. PE foam is resistant not only to water but also to chemical solvents. This is of great importance in virtually every case – from electronic equipment to valuable items such as specimens or art collections.

PE polyethylene foam is characterized by a high level of shock absorption, which makes it perfect for transport, when goods are highly exposed to shocks and vibrations. Effective cushioning makes the foam inserts for packaging or suitcases safe for the safe transport of, for example, very sensitive measuring or calibration instruments.

The polyethylene foam is impermeable to air, and thus – also to the dust in it. Therefore, PE inserts for packaging enable the transport of goods that require sterile conditions, e.g. medical or laboratory equipment.

Polyethylene foam does not react chemically with the goods packed in it. This allows you to use PE also when transporting food products. In addition, polyethylene foam is non-flammable, which further increases the security of delivery, while the resistance to Skydroll guarantees safety during air transport.

The antistatic nature of polyethylene foam is a feature that gives it another use, namely the possibility of transporting electronic equipment. Modern devices in which components have undergone the process of miniaturization are particularly vulnerable to faults or failures as a result of electrostatic discharge (often not felt by humans at all). Polyethylene foam dissipates electrostatic charge, thanks to which the goods are not exposed to damage.

The polyethylene foam may be present in various density values expressed in the unit kg / m3. Depending on this parameter, the foam will effectively protect objects of greater or lesser weight.

In the packaging industry, polyethylene foams are increasingly replacing polystyrene, which is not characterized by good mechanical and physicochemical properties as polyethylene. First of all, it is flammable, much more fragile, less flexible, and also more difficult to shape. It also does not guarantee such good shock and vibration absorbing properties. Unlike polystyrene, polyethylene foam is a material that can be recycled for reuse. Therefore, it is a much more environmentally friendly choice.

Non-crosslinked polyethylene foam is created according to the technology of using an inert gas (most often propane-butane with additives), thanks to which foamed polyethylene is formed – the material adopts a closed-cell structure. Such a form is pressed into a sleeve and then cut and rolled onto a roller. This is how polyethylene foam in rolls is made.

On the other hand, cross-linked polyethylene foam is produced in a completely different technological process. First, a mass of PE granules is prepared, which is enriched with the necessary additives. Such a mass is formed into a ribbon, which then passes through a specialized heating furnace. When heated in the mass, cross-linking and foaming agents are activated. Then give it the appropriate thickness and wind it on a roll.

Our offer includes custom-made shadow boards as well as inserts for suitcases and packaging. We will prepare for you polyethylene inserts for boxes or suitcases that will perfectly fill the entire space between the transported object and the walls of the packaging, eliminating the possibility of any movement of goods inside it.

Our offer includes the following colors and thicknesses of PE foams:

• black foams from 10 mm thick with no height restrictions;
• two-color foams with a black layer 5 mm thick and a layer in the selected color – standard thicknesses are: 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm and 50 mm; non-standard thicknesses above 50 mm.

The available color variants are:

• black and blue,
• black and red,
• black and orange,
• black and yellow,
• black and green.

How can you be sure that the filling will fit perfectly?

After carefully measuring all dimensions of the item you intend to pack or transport in a suitcase, we will create a 3D model using CAD programming. When you accept it, we will reflect the model in the movements of the CNC machine, which will make a contour in the block of polyethylene foam corresponding to the dimensions and shapes of your goods. The CNC machine tool guarantees perfect repeatability

• Shadow boards for tools,
• Foam insert for suitcases,
• ESD foam.