Posted by Nancy Grossbart
I was thinking back over my last ten years in the injection molded (EVA and polyolefin foam) business, and wondered which products made with this process are my favorites. It's an extremely hard question because there have been lots and lots of products made. Many products have been made by my company but other companies in our industry have also created incredible designs. If I had to narrow it down to only five, which five would it be?
It was hard to decide, but here's my list. I'm sure, however, that I will need to do another post for the runners up.
Crocs Sandals. The Crocs Sandal is the number one obvious choice. It’s not only because of the incredible (so ugly, it’s beautiful) design but because of the worldwide phenomenon it created. We were lucky enough to manufacture Crocs in our factory and it never ceased to delight me to watch them being made. After they came out of a hot mold, the sandals were cooled on a unit that looked like a ferris wheel, where each level held one cycle of production. Round and round they would go and, at the end of the cycle, they would be removed from the carousel. Straps were attached and "voila" a new pair of Crocs was born, in a rainbow selection of colors.
Backpack Padding. If you’ve owned a backpack, especially a high-end backpack, you probably never noticed the comfort-foam included in the product. Why? Because it was always hidden behind fabric or mesh. The ability to injection mold EVA and polyolefin foam changed all that. Here’s a backpack that is wearing its lumbar and upper back comfort-foam on the outside, as a showpiece. The detail of the injection molded foam process allowed for industrial design to not only deal with the practical, but also the beautiful.
Kayak Seat. Traditionally, kayak seats were made from compression molded foam with a fabric laminate. This product design has always had a limited life. Several years ago a few kayak companies were adventurous enough to recognize the durability and detail benefits that result from the application of the injection molding foam process. They designed kayak seats that were not only very detailed with undercuts and logos but extremely durable.
Carseat Armrest. Check out this really creative foam carseat armrest. The carseat manufacturer designed the armrest foam to be injection molded separately and allowed the foam to "shrink" onto a plastic substrate. The subtrate has ridges on it that create a "grip" relationship between the foam and the plastic. The results ended up utilizing the benefits of EVA/polyolefin foam in an armrest application that needed to be "kid friendly."
Construction Kneeling Unit. I don't know if I like this product more because of its design or because of its function. I'll bet if you just looked at the product on the left you would never know it was used in construction. 
This clever kneeling pad design allows workers to stay on top of a house during roof construction as they are installing one truss after another. The time savings in crane rental is up to 40%, paying for the product almost the first time it is used. The orange support is made of durable, powder-coated aluminum. The injection molded EVA/polyolefin foam padding provides comfort for knees and legs and stays dry during use.
If you have a favorite, I'd love to hear about it. If you send me a photo, I will be happy to post it. In the meantime, visit our product solutions gallery to see a selection of products we've made over the years
Posted by Nancy Grossbart
When a gas is captured inside another material or resin, you get foam. Because the resin is filled with gas, it makes it expand like a balloon filled with air. This creates many beneficial characteristics such as being lightweight and, sometimes, soft with cushioning capacity. Foams that are made from a plastic resin, start as a solid and then are turned into foam by creating a "gas phase" with a foaming (blowing) agent.
The foaming process begins by creating thousands and thousands of gas bubbles in the melted plastic resin. These thousands of bubbles cause the cubic volume of the base plastic resin to expand as the bubbles increase in size and number. The resulting foam can be open cell foam or closed cell foam.
The next step is for the plastic resin to begin the process of hardening, fixing the shape and size of the bubbles. Foams may be soft and flexible (flexible foam) or hard and rigid, depending on the base resin that is used to make the foam.
When a foam shell wall forms from a rigid material like most metals, plastics, or ceramics, it acts like a tiny ping-pong ball providing lighter weight material. In other words, it has a higher volume-to-weight relationship (lower density) than the same material without a foam shell. This lower density is an important property that plays a key role in many industrial applications such as floatation and insulation, which currently are substantial markets. However, when a shell wall forms from flexible material like rubber or elastomer, it acts like party balloons and provides extra cushioning or softness to the material as well as more volume-to-weight ratio. It can be used in the athletic and furniture industries. Other industries also benefited by the usage of flexible polymeric foams are automotive interiors, seals and gaskets, footwear, medical aid devices and packaging.
You can foam almost anything, if you can find an application that needs it: metal foam, polymeric foam, paper foam, wood foam, and ceramic foam have been developed and used in a variety of products for unique advantages to enrich our lives or to explore the mysterious universe.
In terms of practical perspective, foams can be viewed in three categories; properties, technologies and ingredients.
In general, foam properties can be defined by dimensions, density, softness, cell size, number of cells per cubic volume, shape, and other properties such as surface appearance.
As for technology, it is basically classified as three types of manufacturing: soluble foaming, reactive foaming and melt/solution quenching.
When producing flexible molded foams you will find huge benefits in using some ingredients like polyolefin elastomers (POE). They are known for their flexible characteristics with benefits such as:
- High Durability and Abrasion/Scratch Resistant:
- Chemical Resistance
- High Weathering and UV Stability
Flexible foam can be created in sheet form or by an injection foam molding process. The main difference is that the injection foam molding process produces a "finished part" at the end of the foaming process. The foam molding process that produces a sheet still needs a secondary "fabricating" process to turn it into a usable part.
Learn more about "Understanding Injection Molded Flexible Foam". Download our 8-page white paper.
Posted by Nancy Grossbart
Lately, I find myself waxing philosophical about great product design and what it really means. I voraciously devour articles and blogs on the subject, finding that the writings that affect some inner space inside me are the ones that make the most sense. Knowing great product design is probably more emotional than anything else.
Dan Harden's article at Fastcompany.com about the Disappearing Act of Good Design affected me that way. In his blog, he says.
When a product is so completely and rightly designed, it has aesthetic and functional elements that are clearly stated and obvious. The product itself communicates without words its utilitarian value, ease of use, and beauty, and you perceive the quality-contributing elements instantly.... When a product does all the above things well, instead of it having abundant presence like one would expect, it actually sort of disappears when you use it.
What this means to me is the best product designs are ones you love instantly and then take for granted (in a good way) after you incorporate them into your everyday life. Harden uses the examples of the iPhone, a Porsche, an Aeron Chair. All of these are great designs that we admire whether we own one or not.
As a manufacturer of injection molded polyolefin and EVA foam, we have worked with some really great product developers and product designers. One customer, in particular, made the development process extremely difficult by creating five different designs (five molds) over a two to three year period before settling on the final design. As you can imagine, from a manufacturer's perspective, we were both frustrated with the process and anxious to be in production. However, when the 5th design came out of the mold, it was astoundingly beautiful both in aesthetics and function. It was hard to remember ever being frustrated, which only emphasizes Harden's take on this.
There is unity and wholeness, and it is so evident that this thing will totally satisfy a physical and/or emotional need....The product becomes a subconsciously satisfying experience, not a heavy conscious thing that demands attention because it's pretty or different...
I recently heard a story about Holly Hunter, the Academy Award Winning Actress, who is starring in the TV series "Saving Grace". One of the directors is a friend of a friend. The director said "She is so frustrating. I have a budget to meet and every time I OK a scene, ready to move on, Holly always asks for one more take insisting that she can do it better. Reluctantly, I agree and every time she is right. She adds that something extra that makes it amazing."
Obviously, this doesn't relate directly to product design or molded foam or foam manufacturing. It does, however, relate to the truth that when creativity is right, it's just right.
Posted by Nancy Grossbart
Polyolefin foam is a great material for kid's products. It works well in lots of applications from padding for sporting goods to sandals (Crocs) and now, products for kids.
To begin with, it's closed-cell. That means it's waterproof and won't absorb bodily fluids. It also means it resists mold and mildew because the bacteria has no place to reside.
It's so light that it floats and can be used for bath or pool toys and has no adverse chemicals so when kids put the toy in their mouths, there is no need to worry.
Polyolefin foam has a high tear and tensile strength so it can't easily rip and won't crack or peel. This means it will not only last a long time but, when kids put it in their mouths, it will pass the bite test.
The chemistry of polyolefin foam makes it resistant to most chemicals. This allows you to clean and disinfect it with any household cleaner keeping it safe from any surface bacteria.
Parts can be also designed with lots of features and benefits including molded-in logos and graphics. And can be made in extremely bright, attractive to kids, colors.
If you're wondering if it will pass the new CPSIA standards, it will!
MDI Products' offering of formulas known as PolyCellTM are phthalate free, PVC free, AZO dye free, with insignificant metal content. In addition to all the other reasons why it is great for kid's products, you can also be confident of its safety.
I'd love to get your feedback on what other specifications might be important for kid's products.
Download 8-page white paper on
"Understanding Flexible Foam".