The foam or foam/fabric composite is heated in an industrial convection oven and then placed in a machined, matched tool which is mounted in a molding press. The mold is then closed using hydraulic pressure. This pressure forces the heated and now pliable material into contact with all of the mold surfaces while the pressure is maintained. Once the material has cooled, the mold is opened and the finished part is removed from the tool. On most parts, we are also able to cut the perimeter and any internal features of the part during the molding process. Cutting features in tandem with the molding process results in a finished part and allows us to avoid the expense of a secondary cutting operation.
Flextech utilizes our foam compression molding process to manufacture parts for medical, industrial and personal protection markets.
✧For the medical market, we compression mold pads for orthopedic supports and braces, orthotics, patient positioning parts, patient interfaces for diagnostic/therapeutic devices and medical device packaging.
✧For industrial markets, we compression mold thermal insulation parts for refrigeration applications, three-dimensional gaskets, seals and case inserts, to name just a few.
✧We also produce a wide variety of compression molded foam parts for the broad personal protection market. We manufacture helmet liner pads, ballistic vest pads, parts for law enforcement, military and tactical gear, backpacks, occupational safety padding components and many other padding parts for protective recreational products.