The right material, at the right density, in the right place.
Material selection is where protection is won or lost. This guide explains the foams, shells and finishes we work with — and how we choose between them for a given part, weight and route.
EVA foam — the workhorse
Closed-cell ethylene-vinyl acetate foam: resilient, moisture-resistant, clean-cutting and available across a wide hardness range. Soft grades cradle finished surfaces; firm grades carry structural loads and hold cavities open under heavy parts. Because EVA machines cleanly by CNC, die and waterjet, it suits everything from one-off prototypes to production runs.
- Hardness: approx. 38°–75° Shore C, often combined in one insert.
- Format: sheets laminated to the required stack thickness.
- Behaviour: good repeated-impact recovery; not a single-impact-only material.
Foams we specify
| EVA foam | General-purpose insert foam. Wide hardness range, excellent machinability, clean presentation. First choice for case inserts, shadow boards and kitted trays. |
|---|---|
| XLPE (cross-linked PE) | Finer cell structure and a smoother surface than standard PE foam; good chemical resistance. Used where a premium surface feel or finer detail is needed. |
| EPE (expanded PE) | Lightweight, economical cushioning for one-way shipping protection and carton interiors where presentation matters less than cost per shipment. |
| PU (polyurethane) foam | Soft, open-cell foam for very delicate, light items and acoustic applications. Lower resilience than EVA — specified selectively, not as a default. |
| ESD-safe grades | Conductive and static-dissipative EVA/XLPE variants for circuit boards, sensors and electronic assemblies that must not see a static event in handling. |
| Foam + textile / film laminates | Surface laminates for abrasion-sensitive finishes, wipe-clean requirements or a softer contact surface on cosmetic parts. |
Case constructions
Rotomoulded LLDPE
Seamless, thick-walled and highly impact-tolerant. The heavy-duty option for site, freight and military-style handling patterns.
Injection-moulded PP
Lighter and precise, with gasket-sealed series available for dust and water resistance. The hand-carry instrument case standard.
Aluminium
Rigid sheet-aluminium cases with a professional finish; good heat tolerance and a clean, technical presentation.
Laminated plywood (flight case)
Phenolic or film-faced ply panels in aluminium extrusion frames — fabricated to any size for transport cases and heavy equipment.
Corrugate & carton systems
Heavy-duty corrugated outers paired with foam interiors for one-way product shipment where a case is not returned.
Barrier & ESD layers
Moisture-barrier bags, desiccant provision and ESD shielding films integrated into the packing specification for sea freight and electronics.
Identification that survives the route
Laser engraving
Logos, cavity labels and instructions etched into foam or panels — permanent and clean.
Screen printing
Bold branding and handling graphics on case shells and panels.
Etched nameplates
Metal or laminate plates for asset numbers, serial ranges and contents identification.
Colour coding
Dual-colour shadow boards and colour-coded cases or trays per kit, part family or site.
Not sure which foam your part needs?
Tell us the part, its weight and how it travels. The material recommendation comes with the quotation.