Foam rubber supplies are used in so many different industries from the automotive industry to foam rubber for upholstery. Because its uses vary so widely, the education materials available to you also vary widely. You should look for educational materials based on your specific industrial use of rubber foam.

Foam rubber suppliers are a great resource when it comes to education as it pertains to the custom foam rubber with which you work. Start by talking to the distributor or manufacturer wth whom you already do business and ask about any training or education materials they may have. If they can't provide you with useful information, consider looking to other manufacturers of the same type of product. To educate your employees, you should:

1. Ask for training materials from rubber foam distributors.

2. Find training materials from news sources and leaders in the industry.

3. Outsource your rubber foam educational needs to a professional training organization.

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Get training materials from rubber foam manufacturers

When you need product specific information for your organizations, such as training on foam rubber sheets, the latest and most accountable information should come directly from the company who manufacturers the foam rubber. If your manufacturer isn't very helpful, don't fret. Several manufacturers on the web offer reliable training materials.

I recommend: Monmouth Rubber & Plastics Corp. offers a library of educational materials dealing with their industrial foam products. Find a wealth of information at the Rubber-Cal website which covers installation instructions, specification sheets, compatibility information and more.

Find news and training resources from industry-leading foam rubber retailers and more

Get dependable training booklets, materials and other resources from industry-leading organizations or publications that specialize in the rubber foam industry. With the help of a few good online resources, you can provide your workforce with an informative refresher or starter course on rubber foam.

I recommend: RubberNews.com is an online publication that contains information about the rubber industry including foams, sealants and many other topics. They also have a resource link to other industry organizations that can provide you with additional information. The Federation of Societies for Coating Technology is an organization of societies around the world providing information and educational resources to foam and coating users.

Hire a professional rubber foam education and training organization

Find a training seminar or course that fits in your budget and meets your industrial rubber foam training needs. Make sure the course will cover information you need covered such as installation, proper handling and maintenance of any equipment.

I recommend: ToolingU and ITC Learning are two professional training organizations that offer a variety of industrial training. Their courses cover topics such as injection molding, principals of foam products and more.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Because foam rubber products are made up of a complex chemical compound, it's important that anyone who comes in contact with the foam has a good understanding of the proper handling and safety involved with its use.

Whether you're in construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding or upholstering, chances are your business uses rubber foam to make its products. While some foam rubber products are easily recognizable, such as mattress toppers and sofa cushions, others, such as o-rings and gaskets, are less glamorous but just as important to your business' success.

Because they have so many commercial and industrial applications, foam rubber supplies come in every imaginable shape and size. Foam rubber suppliers offer products as simplistic as foam rubber sheets and as technical as machine extrusions and caps. Add in the complexity of chemical compounds, and the buying process can become very challenging. Keep the following guidelines in mind when searching for your ideal foam products:

1. Not all foam rubber compounds are the same.

2. Manufacturers usually specialize in a certain kind of foam product application (i.e., soundproofing, hoses or connectors).

3. Ordering customized industrial foam rubber products makes outfitting your equipment straightforward and easy.

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Choose the best foam rubber compound for your business applications

The varieties of rubber foam are nearly as diverse as their industrial applications. Anti-static, fire-retardant, polyurethane and organic rubber foam are just a few of the materials foam rubber manufacturers use to fabricate their products. Choosing the best foam for your business maximizes your production efficiency and customer satisfaction.

I recommend: Quality Foam Packaging, Inc. creates customized foam molds for shipping and packaging purposes. The company provides a detailed description of each of its 11 different foam compounds. Adams Foam Rubber Company, Inc. also produces custom foam products for packaging and cushioning, and even offers a "green" foam that's starch-based and completely biodegradable.

Buy foam rubber from manufacturers who specialize in your product

The shapes, compounds and densities of commercial foam rubber differ greatly from those of industrial foam rubber. Although some companies produce a wide range of foams appropriate for many different applications, most specialize in one or two product classes. If you know exactly what kind of foam product you need, look for a manufacturer who caters to that specialty.

I recommend: Baxter Rubber Company is a leading producer of technical foam like gaskets, hoses, couplings, tubing and extrusions. If you need a foam rubber product for industrial or commercial equipment, chances are they have it. Catering to a more recreation-oriented clientele, Intelligent Foam offers custom solutions for soundproofing and cushioning applications.

Order custom foam rubber parts to meet your unique business needs

If you can't find the exact part or product you need from a pre-made inventory, then you'll need to place a custom order with a foam rubber supplier. Many companies that supply raw foam materials also cut their products using dies, water cutting or even lasers. You get precisely tooled results at a reasonable price.

I recommend: Elasto Proxy Inc. is a great place to look for customized hoses, bumpers, tubing, insulation and other foam rubber products. Specializing in tapes and weather stripping, Lamatek, Inc. also offers custom fabrication of items in their inventory.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose a compound that is rated to withstand any chemicals the foam rubber products will encounter during their application. Compounds have specific characteristics that allow them to repel water, oils, gases and fire.

Rubber foam refers to the rubber material that has been manufactured with a foaming agent to create an air-filled matrix structure. Rubber foam is useful in a wide range of applications, such as cushioning in automotive seats and furniture to insulation in various appliances.

While interacting with experts from the rubber foam industry, you will come across various key terms related to rubber foam processing methods. This guide intends to familiarize you with some of the technical terms from the rubber foam industry.

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ABA (Auxiliary Blowing Agent)

ABA is an additive that is used in the production of foam. ABA supplements the primary blowing agent (water) and is mainly used to make the foam softer or lighter.

I recommend: For the definition of this key term, read through the flexible polyurethane foam glossary at Springfeel, a manufacturer of flexible polyether polyurethane foam products.

Cold molding

Cold molding is a process for the production of high-resiliency foam. In this process, the foam is cured at or near room temperature.

I recommend: For the definition of the term cold molding, read through the polyurethane glossary at Renosol Corporation.

Hot molding

Hot molding is another production process for molded foam components. Unlike the cold molding process, high oven temperatures are used in the hot molding process to drive the curing reaction in foams.

I recommend: Polyurethane Foam Association, Inc. offers a glossary of terms related to the foam industry.

Resilience

Resilience is an indicator of the surface elasticity of foam; it can be measured by dropping a steel ball onto the foam and measuring the height up to which the ball springs back.

I recommend: To learn more about resilience, read through the mattress glossary at Go Mattress, a manufacturer of traditional spring and foam mattresses.

Tensile strength

Tensile strength of a material is the measure of the force per unit area required to stretch a material to its breaking point.

I recommend: For the definition of this key term, read through the polyurethane glossary at Quality Foam, a division of quality foam packaging.

Board foot

A board foot is the most common unit of measure for foam used by the foam industry. A board foot of foam is equal to a 12'x12'x1' piece of foam.

I recommend: For more information about board feet, browse through JW Upholstery’s Web site. Additionally, you can read through an informative article on foam at Upholstery-Supplies-Guide.com.

ASTM D3574 - 08

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) provides the standard D3574 - 08. This standard outlines the standard test methods for molded foam.

I recommend: You can learn more about the ASTM D3574 – 08 standards at the ASTM International Web site.

Rubber foam refers to rubber that has been manufactured with a foaming agent. The foaming agent is able to create a structure in the rubber that is an air-filled matrix. While commercial rubber foam is almost always either polyurethane or natural from latex, the rubber foam applications and uses are similar for every application. There are foam rubber suppliers that can offer these commercial foam rubber supplies, but it is also important to note that custom foam rubber is available from some of the many rubber foam manufacturers.

Rubber foam applications and uses will vary from business to business. Businesses and organizations may benefit from understanding that foam rubber products and foam rubber pieces can be beneficial when:

1. Reviewing foam rubber for upholstery in furniture;

2. Considering the use of foam rubber padding for mattresses and pillows;

3. Making use of latex rubber foam, organic rubber foam or polyurethane foam rubber for construction projects.

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Buy foam rubber for rubber foam upholstery creations

Foam rubber can be used in a number of upholstery projects. Foam rubber can be used to complete creations, whether they are brand new or being rebuilt or remodeled.

I recommend: FoamOrder discusses how certain foam rubber sheets are used by their company, cut to specific measurements, in order to be used as upholstery cushions. Foam rubber retailers also sell rubber foam sheets to be used as replacement seats in automobiles, as discussed at SecondChanceGarage.

Review the uses and applications of mattress and pillow foam rubber products

Some of the most popular products made out foam rubber include pillows and mattresses. These can be created to range in density and capabilities. They may be made from organic rubber foam or latex foam rubber, but they accomplish similar objectives in their application.

I recommend: FoamBed discusses memory foam rubber foam mattresses and the benefits of owning one of them. Natural and organic foam rubber mattresses are discussed at Bedrooms & More.

Examine the role of rubber foam in construction

Rubber foam has been used extensively in construction projects. Rubber foam has been used as a form of insulation for exterior walls as well as a form of fireproof insulation for roofing.

I recommend: Visit Kohls Foam Systems for more information on rubber foam applications and uses for roofing projects. Additional information about the uses of foam rubber as an insulator can be found at LIT Industries. To learn more about foam rubber products and options for insulation requirements, visit Pacor, which discusses foam rubber tape, gaskets and bumpers.