AsahiKASEI

Ease of fabrication

  • Cutting, slicing, adhesion and other machine processing is easy.
  • There is no need for expensive injection molding, so small-lot production is perfectly viable.
  • Reduces time from trial-production to mass-production.

Processing characteristics of SUNTEC FOAM

SUNTEC FOAM is well suited to many kinds of machine processes, such as cutting, slicing, pressing (punching), grooving, and mortising, as well as adhesion.

Cutting

SUNTEC FOAM can be easily shaped using a vertical cutter (cutting machine) or box-cutters.

Pressing (punching)

  • Pressing with a hydraulic press is easy.
  • Items of the same shape can be efficiently fabricated very conveniently.
  • SUNTEC FOAM is an expanded polyethylene that recovers its shape well after compression. This makes it suitable for pressing (punching). (Styrofoam is not suitable for pressing.)
  • For pressing dies, plywood (structural plywood) with an embedded Thomson blade is used.
    → Compared to the molds needed for bead forming, these press dies are much cheaper and faster to make.

Adhesion

  • SUNTEC FOAM is a non-crosslinked foam made of polyethylene-a thermoplastic resin-so it can be thermally adhered. A hot gun (industrial dryer) or hot plate can be used for this purpose. In general, commercial crosslinked foam products cannot be joined together by thermal adhesion.
  • To adhere SUNTEC FOAM to other kinds of materials, such as cardboard and wood, an adhesive agent is used.

Note) Hot-melt adhesives are used for adhesion to cardboard and wood.

Note) Rubber-based adhesives are used for adhesion to metals and smoothly planed board.