Protective case foam provides the highest level of protection for your valuable, fragile or business-critical tools and equipment.
Case foam is an insert or lining, typically manufactured from Plastazote, that is added to protective cases such as flight cases or Peli cases. Case inserts are usually custom-cut to match the shape and contours of the equipment going into the case, holding it in place and absorbing forces such as impact and vibration. Case foam can also help improve efficiency, as tools are quicker to find, and also improves aesthetics for presentation applications.
At Polyformes, our design team, CAD software and extensive foam conversion equipment allow us to cost-effectively create foam inserts for cases that are precisely tailored to your requirements. Whether you need one or 100 inserts (or more), our approach, perfected over more than four decades, completely eliminates damage to your tools and equipment.
By using case foam to protect your items, you benefit from:

Polyethylene (PE) foams, such as Plastazote, are the best choice for equipment case foam. They are typically high-density, closed-cell foams that can accommodate heavy-duty equipment without losing shape while also providing excellent shock and impact cushioning. A foam expert can advise on the most suitable material grade or density (considering performance and cost) for a specific application.
The two-tone effect seen on many foam inserts in cases, with a dark top layer and a brighter, contrasting colour in the recesses, serves several purposes. Apart from improving the case’s aesthetics (and often reflecting company branding), the contrasting colour can also quickly highlight if a tool or piece of equipment is missing.
Virtually any protective case can have foam inserts added. Hard-shell protective cases (such as Explorer, Pelican, and Nanuk), flight cases, and lightweight plastic cases can all have foam added. Even sewn and padded bags can incorporate foam inserts. An expert foam converter can chamfer the bottom edges of the foam insert to ensure a perfect fit in the case.
Pick-and-pluck foam (also known as cubed or pre-scored foam) is an insert divided into small, removable cubes. Users lay their equipment on the grid, trace its outline, and pull out the unnecessary cubes by hand to achieve a semi-custom fit. Pick-and-pluck foam provides a basic level of protection, but is not typically suitable for business or higher-volume requirements.

We don’t just manufacture case foam – we gain a detailed understanding of our business and challenges before proposing a cost-effective solution that does exactly what you need.
Understanding
We discuss your requirements with you, gaining a full, detailed understanding of your project.
Develop
Using your products or CAD data, we develop a solution using appropriate materials.
Test
We provide pre-production samples for testing and assurance on fit and quality.
Manufacture
We manufacture your inserts in-house at our specialist foam conversion facility.
Support
We forge long term relationships, providing ongoing support and assistance.
Our expertise and experience in manufacturing foam case inserts, plus our status as an approved Zotefoams fabricator (using Plastazote in particular to create engineered case foam), enable us to provide you with a broad range of benefits.
UK manufacture
Short lead times
Foam experts
Single source
Vast experience
Sustainable at heart
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Send us a message
If you need high-performance foam inserts, packaging, products or materials, we can help. Please contact a member of our team for a free consultation and quote.
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Our experts
The information on this page was written and checked by our team of experts. You can contact them to discuss your requirements, or for any questions you may have, using the details here.
Sales Enquiries
[email protected]
01525 852 444 (option 1)
Accounts Enquiries
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01525 852 444 (option 2)




