It’s certainly true that trading conditions in the UK and many other countries around the world have been tough over recent years, but it seems as though demand for manufactured goods may be set to rise and if you’re keen to make the most of opportunities as and when they present themselves, you may benefit from considering the potential of foam as a material.

There are many different foams to use and they can offer the perfect solutions in a range of scenarios. By collaborating with an effective and reliable foam producer, you might be able to reap significant rewards.

Business sentiment on the rise

According to research conducted by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), business sentiment among Britain’s small and medium-sized manufacturers rose during the last financial quarter.

A total of 356 firms responded to its survey and a balance of +22 per cent said they were more optimistic regarding the business situation in the three months to April. This figure represented the first rise in sentiment in a year.

Demand to increase

The organisations polled noted a rise in the volume of new orders of eight per cent during the three-month period and this is expected to rise to 27 per cent during the current quarter.

With this in mind, now could be the perfect time to investigate the potential of foam products. Harnessing this material could help you to capitalise on the potential increases in trading activity.

Feeling optimistic

Responding to the figures, the CBI’s Lucy Armstrong said: “Small and medium-sized manufacturers are feeling more optimistic for the first time in a year, an encouraging development given the important role that they play in our economy.

“Indeed, firms expect orders and output to rise strongly in the coming quarter and plan to invest more in the year ahead, pointing to growing momentum in manufacturing activity.”

How we can help

Here at Technical Foam Services we’re experts when it comes to foam and we may well be able to help you get the most from this material. Formed in 1990, we’ve plenty of experience in this field and our specialist team are adept at getting the very most from foams.

At our headquarters in Corby, Northamptonshire, we operate state-of-the-art conversion and manufacturing facilities and we supply products to a range of customers throughout the UK, Europe and elsewhere around the globe.

Putting our customers first

If you choose to come to us for help creating the ideal foam products, you can rest assured you’ll benefit from the very highest levels of customer service. We work with our clients at every stage of the process, from the original design and development right through to prototyping, testing and then manufacturing and production.

This collaborative approach helps to ensure our customers are always more than satisfied with the results. To find out more about how we work, just take a look around the rest of our website or get in touch with our friendly and helpfully team by phone or email.

There’s no denying the versatility of polyester foams and other such materials. They can be used in a whole range of situations and can help to make products that would otherwise be impossible into a reality.

For example, foams can come in particularly handy when it comes to audio products. The qualities of the material with its many trapped bubbles of air are ideal for blocking out unwanted sounds. This means they can be used for noise insulation solutions, headphones, microphones and much more.

Foam tips come in handy

One use of foam cut to size involves special foam tips that are designed to help block out the background noise when consumers are listening to their headphones. Commenting on the need for these items, Expert Reviews said: “A set of earphones might be capable of producing some stunning sound, but on the move the standard tips may mean your audio’s getting drowned out by ambient noise.

“Not only does this mean that you get a reduction in audio quality, but you could also be risking damage to your hearing by turning up the volume on your MP3 player or phone to compensate.”

It suggested that Hearing Components’ Comply Foam Tips represent a “good way” for people to get the most out of their earphones. It tested the T-400 foam tips. Commenting on the effect they had, the news source said: “The bass dominated the sound a little more, but the earphones seemed even louder, thanks to the absence of outside noise. This also meant that we could comfortably listen to music at lower volumes, even on crowded public transport.”

Sourcing acoustic foams from us

If you’re keen to get your hands on foam cut to size for the purposes of headphone accessories or for any other audio products, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Technical Foam Services we’re experts in the field and have over two decades of experience in the industry. We should therefore be perfectly placed to help you achieve your goals.

As a leading engineer-biased foam converter, we can offer the widest selection of acoustic foam grades and we’re able to manufacture and supply products to suit your precise requirements.

A broad selection

We produce acoustic foams from polyurethane and melamine as these open cell foams trap sound waves effectively, thus providing the highest level of noise reduction.

Meanwhile, we can offer acoustic foams in a wide range of grades, compositions and thicknesses to help ensure that the solutions reached are the very best given the specific circumstances in which the foams are used.

Find out more

So, if you want to find out more about what we have to offer, just take a look around the rest of our website or get in touch with our friendly and professional team by phone or email. We’ll be on hand to provide any information and guidance you require.

When it comes to audio foam, we’re number one and it’s well worth checking out what we have to offer.

Companies and individuals use a range of materials when they’re looking to make items. From natural products like timber and stone to engineered substances like metals and plastics, there’s no shortage of choice.

However, there is one material that’s particularly impressive in terms of its versatility and range of qualities and that’s foam.

Increasing demand for engineered foam

It’s no surprise that demand for this substance is so high. It permits manufacturers considerable freedom when they’re designing items and can be formulated in different ways so that it exhibits varying qualities. Also, it can be shaped in virtually any way and it can easily be transformed into different colours.

One way in which this material is harnessed is in the construction of certain buildings. Indeed, a new roof-mounted photovoltaic system in London features foam. BRE has completed the commissioning of a new system designed and installed by solar specialists South Facing. The system is intended to reduce the firm’s carbon footprint.

Foam comes into its own

Commenting on the use of foam in the office building, which is located in Garston near Watford, South Facing’s Clive Collison said: “It was clear that the installation would require some special ballasting which would not compromise the integrity of the roof membrane and which would not deliver a point or cumulative load to detract from the structural integrity of any area of the building roof.

“Because of the roof design, we opted for concrete slabs mounted on expanded foam in order to satisfy all structural considerations and to meet BRE’s requirements for frost resistance and a 30+ year lifecycle.”

Pleased with the results

BRE is pleased with the outcome of the project and ventures innovation director at the firm Andrew Williams said: “We now have a system that not only reduces carbon emissions and generates income but the installation has provided a clear demonstration of some of the practical challenges facing accredited PV installers.

“As a result, the BRE Trust has agreed to fund a case study which will consider the lessons learnt from the installation and their implications on UK building stock.”

Coming here for the perfect foam solutions

If you’re firm is keen to make the most of shaped foams, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Technical Foam Services, we’re experts when it comes to this material and our expert team are perfectly placed to help you achieve your goals.

When it comes to uses of engineered foam, the sky’s the limit. You can really explore the depths of your imagination and make your ideas a reality. This material can be used to solve a variety of practical problems.

Bespoke solutions

Our expert team of in-house engineers go that extra mile to make sure all your requirements are satisfied. Using our state-of-the-art conversion and manufacturing facilities based in Corby, Northamptonshire, they can design and produce tooling and custom machinery to produce bespoke foam and rubber products to meet event the most exacting criteria.

To discover more, just take a look around the rest of our website or get in touch.

We’re up to our ears in foam every day here in the Technical Foam Services lab! Rigid foams, neoprene, memory foam, open cell foams, polyether foams; how much do you know about your daily interactions with engineered foams and rubbers?

Cleaning
Using engineered foam for cleaning equipment is perhaps one of the most widespread applications for our products. Wipes, cloths, mops and sponges are habitually made from engineered foam because it’s cheap, effective and easy to sanitise.

Cosmetics
Although your skin is far more sensitive than the kitchen window, the science is similar – you need gentle but effective cleansing and application that doesn’t cause any damage and smoothes the surface. Our cosmetic applicators come in a massive range of designs, densities and finishes, all 100% latex-free.

Filters
Fish tanks and human water supplies have similar requirements – they both need non-toxic, effective filtration. We carry a great range of non-toxic foams for ponds and indoor fish tanks, including large-scale aquariums and vivariums.

Sports
Football shin pads = foam, bungee harness comfort = foam, cycling helmet interior = foam, yoga mat = foam, Zumba shoes = foam inserts. The world of sport is jam-packed with foam products to keep you safe and boost comfortable during exercise.

Audio Foams
More common in new build houses, audio foams minimise the annoyance of noise between rooms. (Something you’re sure to be grateful of when the kids are into drumming!)
Engineered foam crops up all over the place. Our job is to make sure you have the best access to top quality.

Each season we like to remind neoprene fans of the best ways to maximise the life of their neoprene foam products. We supply neoprene tailored products around the world, but perhaps its most well-known seasonal use is in the manufacture of wetsuits. For those heading out into the waters this summer, here are a few of our expert foam rubber manufacturer tips for keeping your suit in top working order.

Weather Protection
Neoprene rubber and the elements don’t actually get along very well. There are two contributing factors – the sea and the sun. The salt in the sea degrades neoprene over time. You need to remove the sea water from your suit as soon as you exit the water, otherwise it will STINK very quickly and the structural integrity of the suit will weaken. Think of your wetsuit as being like your teeth; you need to keep them clean and minimise their contact with harmful substances in order to maximise lifespan and minimise smells! It’s going to be cold, but jump in the beach shower as soon as you leave the sea.
The good old sun causes your neoprene to dry out and crack, but less so if you wash all the salt water off it. It’s best to dry wetsuits inside out and indoors over a bathtub, although outside in the shade is fine too.

Storage
Never store your wetsuit crumpled into a plastic bag or wardrobe corner. Keep it on a hanger as much as possible.

There are examples throughout nature where a synthetic is no match for the real thing. As premier global foam suppliers and exporters, we know when we’re beaten! Natural sponges can’t be replicated in a lab, so instead of trying to beat them, we joined them!

Qualities
Natural sponge foam is soft, gentle and suitable for very sensitive surfaces like babies’ skin. They’ve been used for cleansing for thousands of years and are incredibly durable, more so than engineered foam sponge. It’s important to safeguard these amazing natural resources, which is why our retail sales director, David Hart, is onboard as one of the U.K’s most eminent authorities on natural sponges and environmental management.

Where Our Sponge Garden Grows
All our sponges are harvested from the deepest parts of the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. We use a network of local divers with generations of experience and superb local knowhow to make sure we only take a responsible amount of sponges from each area. When they say they’ve taken enough, we’re happy. It’s pretty tough to take the sponge and leave the roots intact for re-growth. Disreputable companies tug at the entire growth and the sponge dies. We ALWAYS leave the root healthy and ready to grow again.
We understand that natural sea sponges are irreplaceable in terms of resources and quality, which is why we do our best to maintain our rank as one of the biggest, most environmentally responsible importers in the U.K.

Recovering from an operation or injury requires time and patience. Every person and operation is different, which means it can be tricky to put procedures in place at home that really help your personality. One person’s bathing aid is another person’s annoying contraption! Hospital staff will always provide the best, most specific information for a patient getting over an operation at home, but we’ve gathered a few simple tips from past clients who’ve visited us for specialist equipment.

Comfort
Being comfortable at home after a hospital stay is crucial. It might be a while until you can resume normal daily activities, but adjusting your lifestyle to promote as much normality as possible is a great way to minimise the downsides of the recovery process. We’ve had clients visit us in the past for bespoke foam cut to size to aid comfort around the home. For example, leg supports, back supports, specialist memory foam cushions etc.

Safety
Feeling safe in your home is obviously a huge part of your lifestyle. This can cover everything from fitting soft supports around the home in case of a fall to keeping your smartphone in your pocket in case of an emergency (or to call for pizza!)

Sleeping
This is probably where we’ve had the most experience with clients needing bespoke solutions. You need two things – a restful night’s sleep and a safe night’s sleep. Things like tailored visco memory foam supports can minimise the risk of injury and boost a good nap!

The recession may be over, but the U.K is still not in superb financial spirit. According to the clever economist folks over at The Financial Times, small business and entrepreneurs are playing a huge part in the slow recovery of the economy. We love to support new ideas and provide bespoke foam solutions to entrepreneurs.
But why are small businesses so important? Some of the world’s most prolific companies began during times of economic depression. Hewlett-Packard was founded during the Great Depression, as was United Technologies. During times of recession a few giants are bound to fall, clearing the way for smaller competitors. These smaller competitors fill the void, leaving their own market level wanting for more even smaller companies. The trend trickles down and provides scope for small businesses to enter the market.
Another great side to small businesses and entrepreneurs during times of hardship is that some of the most clever, creative ideas of the modern world have been born from economic adversity. Larger companies (like ours) have the facilities to help inventors realise their inventions. With our help, great foam products like the Swimfin foam rubber swimming aid and Padprop iPad stand have been developed and released onto the market.
We believe that small businesses will play a huge part in the recovery of the economy, turning dreams into business. If you’ve got a crazy idea or a simple solution that could require some foam manufacturer knowledge, get in touch today!