Polyformes Ltd - Foam Inserts, Waterproof Cases

As the UK and Europe's largest and most advanced foam solutions provider, Polyformes converts and supplies Plastazote foam, Ethafoam (Jiffycell equivalent) , Stratocell and Microlen (Palsiv style) foams.

Not only supplying Plastazote sheets and blocks, our polyethylene foam packaging conversion plant offers protective cushioning foam inserts, foam protection and engineered foam parts for all industries. We are the UK's biggest supplier of rugged Explorer waterproof cases and have a purpose specified warehouse to hold our large stocks of the complete range of 26 case sizes in 3 different standard colours.

Explorer Cases are supplied with either routed or water-jet cut foam inserts or empty if required. We specialise in CNC routing all densities of foam, laser engraving of Plastazote and Evazote foam, water-jet cutting, thermoforming, fabric-to-foam lamination and a complete design  solutions answer for the spectrum of industrial and commercial users of expanded polyethylene foam of a closed cell nature.

Whatever the size of your product Polyformes can package it. Not only do we package and protect your products but we can design the packaging too if you are not quite sure of what you require.

Packaging is a term which usually refers to the method of housing and protecting equipment for storage, transit or display. It goes without saying that with so many industries producing such a variety of items, from the smallest up to the most enormous, a range of packaging solutions must be provided.

Here at Polyformes for example, we are able to provide tiny plastic hinged cases with small foam pads inside for holding coins, chips, mini-meters etc, custom size cartons with foam end caps, cradles and foam furniture for support and  cushioning, timber crates with heavy duty foam to hold engines during road, sea, rail and air transit.

For service and satisfaction, let Polyformes make it easy for you. Call us any time on 01525 852444 or e-mail sales@polyformes.co.uk with any enquiry you may have.

Foam inserts perform a more than one duty - they cushion and protect equipment, they allow for a complete set of parts to be easily and quickly utilised, and they add value. We produce thousands of foam inserts every month in varying sizes. These are fitted to cases, cartons, tins, wooden crates, ply and batten boxes, cabinets - whatever is required to fulfill the function and ensure your products are safe and attractively presented.

The closed-cell cushioning foams are available in a range of grades and densities from 15kg/m3 up to 200kg/m3so no matter what the weight of the parts, the foams are suitable for every need. They are also available in colours (in the mid-range densities) to enhance your kits and also to show if a tool hasn't been returned to its pocket. This is invaluable when it comes to tool control where maybe an aircraft, ship or Formula 1 racing car relies on the right tool for the right job.

Are these the most rugged waterproof and shockproof cases in the world?

They come with a lifetime replacement guarantee and as yet we haven't replaced any! IP67 water and dustproof, they seem to be able to withstand all extremes and conditions whether on a North Pole expeditionary trip, a war zone or accidentally dropped in sewage plants in Swansea (no ingress, no damage, only a slight whiff until hosed down!)

Explorer Cases are available in a standard range of 26 sizes. Other sizes can be made to order depending on quantity and size.

We stock Explorer accessories including the hands-free easy carry backpacks, combination locks and padlocks, pick n' pluck foams, panel rings, shoulder straps.

Adapting the cases to allow for external plugs, switches and electronic connections is a service we offer so you can rest assured that if a cooling fan, an external battery pack or mains attachment is part of your preferred set up, this is not difficult for us to accommodate.

The advantages of expanded polyethylene foam over other packaging madiums is that it is firm yet flexible, clean, light in weight, easily machined and very versatile in both how it can be processed and what can be made from it. Foam forming and shaping allows the material to be used in the most awkward places as packing pieces, buoyancy components, filling pads, cushioning furniture etc.

With  polyethylene foam (PE) there is no need for an outer covering as the foam is durable enough without. It is not like the  polyurethane foam (PU)which is often easily discoloured, tears easily and soaks up liquids because of its open cell structure.

Our polyethylene foams have been used in every conceivable industry from textiles and fashion as flesh colour comfort pads within bras and corsets to expansion joints in the Olympic Stadia. If you want any foam shape, ask Polyformes to quote.

Here at Polyformes we stock and convert closed cell expanded polyethylene foams - cross-linked and non-cross-linked.

These include Plastazote, Evazote, Zotek, Ethafoam, Stratocell, Microlen, Alveolen and some other flexible pe foams

As the largest foam converter in the UK, we keep the vast majority of all of these foam makes in nearly all of the densities and colours on site ready to process the blocks and sheets as required.

Running a 24 hour triple shift system in the factory enables us to turn around large volumes of machined and shaped parts as well as sheet and cut pieces.

Owing to the volumes of foam we use, we forward order raw materials up to a year ahead in order to ensure continuity of supply.

Flexible polyethylene foam is widely used throughout the industrial world for a whole host of purposes. The photograph shows an inner foam insulation core for cryogenic purposes.

Our foams are used a great deal in the automotive field, in fact, in many factories producing products that either move down an assembly line, or that are moved around the industrial plant. This is where tote trays and dunnage come into their own. Dunnage is the name given to the materials used in holds and containers to protect goods during movement as well as from contamination, mechanical damage etc.

Tool control trays and drawer inserts in non abrasive foams ensure tool selection is correct and tools are returned to the same station for optimum efficiency and security. Dual colour foam, e.g. a top layer in black and the main body in blue, instantly highlights missing tools.

Our range of highly attractive soft touch foams are used extensively in the promotional and design industries. They enhance product launches and corporate promotions, and give excellent added value. With a range of colours and densities qualities available, they are the perfect material for fancy gift boxes, plastic cases, tins, presentation packs or simply on their own within an acetate or acrylic sleeve.

Retail is another market sector that uses large amounts of foam for display purposes, whetther as a window dressing, forms of signage or point of sale stands.

Promotional products have been manufactured at Polyformes for French Connection, Levis, Nike, Sennheiser, Adidas, Bentley, Jaguar and many more. The high quality of the foam is representative of the high quality of the end product.

Our plastic cases range covers a host of various styles, sizes and colours. These cases range in size from business card dimensions up to large attache case sizes which means all forms of products can be housed.

All industry and commercial sectors utilise our plastic cases for example:

• Instrumentation, precision parts, meters, monitors, imagers
• Photographic lenses, microphones, cameras
• Medical, pharmaceutical, mobility and dental equipment
• Tools and machine parts
• Advertising, promotion, stationery
• Water, oil and gas and environmental utilities

We produce custom-made flight cases for all industries. Strong, tough, made to any size with protective foam inserts or foam furniture, to suit YOUR products. Built to last when shipping or storing your equipment. You get peace of mind with our bespoke flight cases. We will make any size and any colour flight case for you.

Both the military and aircraft markets are very demanding in terms of quality, supply, standards and development. In commercial and military aircraft, internal flame retardant foams and high temperature materials with low toxicity and smoke emissions are a standard requirement. We stock FAA/CAA approved FR materials.

Tool control is vital in both industries. Both industries use the Explorer waterproof rugged cases and the small parts plastic cases.

LD45 Plastazote is a military foam with MoD approval which is recognised the world over for its stability, superb cushioning and protective properties. At Polyformes we are able to process this foam material into all types of products including missile cradling, ammunition box inserts, cone supports etc. In the defence world both Plastazote and Ethafoam materials are used as packaging, support, and sleeping mats. We can pack to Level J and have group DR14 accreditation.

Polyforme's employees and staff are foam engineers. We design, construct and shape a blocks or  sheets into useful products and finished items that are functional and aesthetically pleasing.
The image shows a hinged, flush-fit lid on a curved dual colour Plastazote foam base made from three different density grades of foam.
By  applying our experience and knowledge, our technical foam skills allow us to provide and offer solutions to projects and problems across all industry sectors.

With a dedicated Technical Centre coupled with an Engineering and Research Department, we continually strive to push the boundaries in foam developments to the mutual benefit of customers and ourselves alike.

What sport doesn't use foam? Okay, tiddlywinks possibly but for so many sports and leisure activities there will be foam used somewhere; an EVA foam layer in footballs, Plastazote cross-linked foam in saddles and knee rolls, PE foam in rugby post protectors, foam skins and reconstituted foam in archery butts.

We make:

• Swim floats, pool rafts and play boards
• Hockey goalkeeper protection - shin pads, chest protectors
• Yoga, gym and Pilates mats
• F1 tool trays
• Aqua sport products
• Foam quoits
• Flume mats
• Cycle seats and supports
• Shin pads, cricket pads

Medical use foam must be high quality, comfortable touch, skin-friendly and able to be processed easily to suit the specific medical need.

Advanced Plastazote foams suit these requirements perfectly. They are latex-free, inertnon-toxic and hypoallergenic.
Polyforme's medical foam is lightweight and durable too. Their resistance to chemicals, lotions and fluids is world renowned.
Non-toxic and safe, Plastazote and Evazote foams allow for direct skin contact whether as a finished brace, splint or support and actually during "direct to body" moulding whereby the foam is heat-formed around areas of the patient.
Being cross-linked and exceptionally stable, the Azote foams (Plastazote and Evazote) can be thermo formed using a combination of heat and pressure.

Azote is the brand name for a family of foams which include Plastazote, Evazote and Supazote, all made in the UK and used worldwide.
Our closed-cell, expanded polyethylenes are available in a range of densities and colours for all applications. Polyformes are converters of these materials (and other makes of polyethylene e.g. Ethafoam and Strartocell), processing and machining them a variety of different ways in order to provide a foam part or packaging solution.

Zotek materials are closed cell foams based on Kynar PVDF technology. Zotek N is excellent for under the bonnet automotive applications with its high-temperature performance (170 C maximum operational temperatures) and its tolerance to hydrocarbons, oils and brake fluids.

As flexible foam solutions providers, we process raw materials from scratch to the highest finished levels as required.
Our machinery and systems investments are based around current and future foam conversion potential and development.
As well as investing in foam conversion and bespoke machinery, we also invest in setters, operators, programmers and R & D. Automated machinery is efficient, but automated machinery with experienced and professional personnel to add their input and knowledge is to our customer’s advantage.
We build and construct many of our machines in-house in order to be able to achieve final requirements.

As long serving suppliers to many of the UK's most demanding and prestigious companies, it is important that they have the confidence in our capabilities - from the design and development stage through to testing, trialling and ultimately to production all the way through to final delivery.

ISO9001 certification is a good base standard but direct approval from large or precision companies is also a must when dealing with important contracts. We pride ourselves in being able to show the level of our standards and capabilities to the quality audits undertaken.

Whatever your foam, case, carton or packaging requirements, please do call us if you need assistance. We are here to help and guide if you are not quite sure what you need. We have a team of Technical Sales Representatives who cover the UK and can visit to discuss any projects you may have should this prove more beneficial. For any technical data, health and safety information or general queries, please call or e-mail us for a swift response.

E-mail: info@polyformes.co.uk
Tel:        01525 852444
Fax:        01525 850484

Address:

Polyformes Ltd, Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 4UH