In the mass-manufacturing sector, businesses implement a number of useful foam technologies in order to deliver unique products to clients. Materials like polyurethane are incredibly useful in a variety of fields, and their utility is often tied to the ability to create customized forms based on clients’ specifications. When a client orders a large number of a product, a custom mold will be created and mass-produced to allow for an assembly line process. Whether it’s car seats, medical furniture, shoe soles, or something else, factories usually produce these items in large batches to accommodate large orders from clients.
To create a mold, a model is often created out of a material other than polyurethane or foam. Technologies like these have been used for decades, and they’re crucial to producing a large number of items. Once the mold is made, a relief is created. The relief is basically an inversion of the mold itself. Where the item once sat, now there is an empty space. Where there was space around the item, now there is material that reveals the item’s edges and contours. The cast is then duplicated over and over again to create a large enough number of production stations. The number of reliefs depends on the size of the order and the deadline.
Because all the casts are identical, factories are able to produce polyurethane products that are all identical. Many quality control practices are implemented to ensure the material, molds, and reliefs are all of the highest quality. Many formulas are used in foam technologies, and companies ensure that the mixes they create for clients create uniform results. Each polyurethane mixture has a different set of qualities, and customers are able to determine the exact characteristics they want a product to have. Some want a material that is stretchy, soft to the touch, and comfortable on the skin. Others need products that are incredibly resilient and capable of standing up to wear and tear.
New foam technologies are emerging all the time, but the mold system is still implemented in factories across the world. You’ll find them in auto manufacturing plants, technology plants, and in the food industry. Some companies create limited runs of specific molds. If it’s a shoe company, they often unveil a new line of products and need manufactured soles to match. Once they’ve moved on to the next design, the former mold is no longer needed. On the other hand, some companies are constantly producing the same shapes and forms based on demand.
Foam technologies have allowed professionals in the design industry to utilize the incredible qualities of polyurethane and other synthetics while achieving precise shapes and forms. It’s no wonder so many items in the 21st century utilize these materials.