FAQs

To increase the thickness of the raw material, we heat-weld/laminate sheets together. We can offer such competitive prices as we maximise yield. Laminating allows us to achieve this. If you do not want a faint but visible join in your material, you must specify this when requesting a quote, but this may cost more. To produce most grades of Plastazote® and Evazote® over 30mm thick, we must laminate. There are greater tolerances on the length and breadth of laminated sheets.

For sheet material, we offer small swatches that can be dispatched in the post.  Anything larger would constitute an order or development sample, which would be chargeable.

We will always offer price breaks that allow bulk savings to be passed on. If you order less than you were quoted, your order may need to be re-priced.

If you want the best possible price, you must order in yield quantities to minimise waste. We do, however, reserve the right to complete the contract within +/- 10% of the ordered quantity to cover manufacturing anomalies. If you need exact quantities, this must be made clear at the time of ordering.

We either use our own transport or overnight third-party carriers. We do expect our customers to be able to offload pallets. Our standard packaging for sheets is black polyethylene/shrink wrap. To reduce waste, we may reuse packaging material. Specific packaging requirements (such as bubble wrap, pallet size, etc.) must be specified at the time of ordering and may incur additional costs.

Our minimum order charge for primary sheet material and cut pieces is £100 net, excluding carriage and VAT.

The dispatch date from Polyformes or the date it is ready for collection will be on our Order Acknowledgement. Subject to sufficient stock, this is generally 3-4 days from order confirmation. For non-account customers, all lead times are from receipt of payment. Most goods are shipped on an overnight service, so they would generally be with you the day after the dispatch date shown.

For new (non-repeat) orders, a first-off pre-production sample is dispatched, which we ask you to approve before production. At your discretion, we can dispense with this procedure, but, as we do not recommend it, we insist that you indemnify us. We are ISO 9001 accredited, and we can work from accurate engineering drawings or electronic drawings (preferably DXF files), but experience has shown that there is no substitute for a customer appraising a first-off sample, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the material’s performance and tolerances.

Any modification that requires a change in blank size will need to be re-quoted. If you are responsible for the modification, you will be charged.

We will always offer price breaks that allow bulk savings to be passed on. If you order less than you were quoted, your order may need to be re-priced.

If you want the best possible price, you must order in yield quantities to minimise waste.  We do, however, reserve the right to complete the contract within +/- 10% of the ordered quantity to cover manufacturing anomalies. If you need exact quantities, this must be made clear at the time of ordering.

We either use our own transport or overnight third-party carriers. We do expect our customers to be able to offload pallets. Our standard packaging is black polyethylene/shrink wrap/cartons. To reduce waste, we may reuse packaging material. Specific packaging requirements (such as bubble wrap, pallet size, etc.) must be specified at the time of ordering and may incur additional costs.

Our minimum order charge for all manufactured goods is £250 net, excluding tool/program costs, carriage and VAT.

Where manufactured goods require first-off approval, we quote a despatch date for the first-off on our Order Acknowledgement.  This is generally 5-7 days from the time of order confirmation. The balance of the order is generally 7-10 days from receipt of approval. This production run is subject to manufacturing capacity. The sooner you approve, the sooner we can complete the order. For non-account customers, all lead times are from receipt of payment. Most goods are shipped on an overnight service, so they would generally be with you the day after the dispatch date shown.

Our tolerances reflect the foam’s physical properties, not our ability to machine it. Whilst we have the engineering equipment to manufacture to tighter tolerances, polyethylene foam is a thermoplastic material and, as such, responds to changes in ambient conditions. Our tolerances allow for this expansion and contraction under non-¬extreme conditions.  Alternative tolerances can be agreed upon before quotation; for example, for an insert or a cut piece, you may wish to specify no maximum or no minimum tolerance.

All prices quoted are ex works, including scheduled, call-off and kanban orders. Timed deliveries may incur an extra charge. If you want carriage amortised into the unit price, you must request this at the time of quoting. Please note that most carriers “volumise” foam shipments. Each schedule/kanban/call-off is treated as a single order. Additional carriage charges apply for private addresses or if within the London Congestion Charge zone. Our standard terms and conditions of supply apply to all our orders. These FAQs are offered as clarification, not as a substitute.

Manufacturing the type of foam used for several different applications, including foam packaging, foam inserts and foam seals (usually polyurethane), is a complex process combining six key components, which include:

Polyols – A polyol is an organic molecule that helps produce foams with resistance to heat and chemicals.

Diisocyanates – Diisocyanate compounds are used at varying levels during the foam manufacturing process to help determine how rigid the foam will be, how water-resistant it is, and how quickly it degrades.

Blowing Agents – Blowing agents help create and determine the foam’s cellular structure. These agents could be chemical, such as boric acid or polycarboxylic acids, or physical, such as liquefied CO2 or methyl chloride hydrocarbons.

Surfactants – help the foam set and remain stable by controlling cell size.

Catalysts – help regulate the rate of gas generation, preventing foam shrinkage as it cures.

Cross-linkers and chain extenders – Cross-linkers and chain extenders are used to facilitate polyurethane curing.

The polyurethane manufacturing process then occurs in two steps. First, the components are combined through a mixing head – a process where the components begin to foam and rise via processes of polymerisation and gas generation.

This ‘foaming’ or ‘rising’ is then controlled using various foaming techniques and technologies, depending on the foam’s intended final use. Once all these processes are complete, the foam is cured and made ready for cutting to manufacture foam materials and foam products.

Polyethylene foam materials, such as Plastazote® or Evazote®, are commonly used in the manufacture of a range of mobility and healthcare products, including those used to treat chronic and temporary back pain. Due to their ability to be formed to a patient’s body shape, pads, supports, and headrests, etc., manufactured using Plastazote® or Evazote®, provide exceptional protection against impact, as well as the comfort and temperature control required for patients using the products for long periods.

Categorised as a class 4 material, polyethylene foam is 100% recyclable. This means that, as a thermoplastic, polyethylene foam can be melted down, cooled, and reused. This recyclable characteristic of polyethylene foam makes it an ideal material for foam packaging, specifically because other packaging materials can’t be remoulded and have limited or underfunded sustainable disposal facilities.

Polyethylene foam is an exceptionally heat-resistant foam material used in several products where heat insulation is vital, including commercial and industrial applications, as well as military equipment and packaging. Some crosslinked polyethylene foams can withstand temperatures up to 110°C and are also flame-retardant, helping products achieve high performance levels to meet the tough demands of industries such as plumbing, construction, and electrical.