120Phone: 516-328-3970www.technocnc.comCNC Articleswire to cut the foam, working from the specifi cations on the SolidWorks CAD drawing. This was a time-consuming process.There was an additional drawback to producing samples by hand. Some of the shapes that customers needed were not possible to produce this way. For example, a jet ski manufacturer asked Foam Fabricators to make a bow fl otation unit, a piece of foam that fi ts in the bow of a four-man jet ski to provide buoyancy. “This part had a lot of complex geometry and it was impossible to shape it by hand,” says Musgrove. “We weren’t able to make the sample, so we were unable to take on the job.” A third drawback was that the handmade models were not highly accurate since the process of cutting them required some interpolation between surfaces. This was acceptable to some customers, but others wanted greater accuracy. One of Foam Fabricators’ larger customers asked the company to consider using a CNC machine to cut the foam samples. As the company looked into this, they discovered two options: heavy and expensive machining centers primarily designed for metalworking, and inexpensive routers that could not provide the accuracy Foam Fabricators needed. CNC Machine Drops Production Time for Foam Samples from Five Days to Twoas polyethylenes, polyurethanes, polypropylenes, and EPS, both molded and extruded. Samples for testingEach of the company’s regional design and test facilities is staffed with degreed packaging professionals and fully equipped with the latest in fabricating, drop testing, computerized data acquisition, and CAD systems. When a customer comes to Foam Fabricators with a new product that needs to be packaged, the fi rst step is to work with one of the company’s engineers to determine the appropriate material. The Foam Fabricators engineer specifi es the material, size, and performance characteristics for the product and uses the SolidWorks CAD system to create a 3D model of the initial concept.Previously, samples were produced by hand. An engineering assistant used a band saw, drill press, or hot The CNC machine allows Foam Fabricators to produce the typical order of 20 sample models in two days compared to the fi ve days needed to cut the foam pieces by hand. Shown are foam packaging materials in various stages of completion.A CNC machine allows Foam Fabricators to produce the typical order of 20 sample models in two days compared to the five days needed to cut the foam pieces by hand. With the exception of one person who loads the foam stock and removes finished pieces, the machine can run unattended around the clock if necessary to turn out a large order. Another benefit of automating the sample production process is that it enables the company to take on jobs it would have lost in the past. “When the shape of the customer’s part was too complex to cut by hand, we had to turn away the work,” says Nathan Musgrove, an applications engineer at Foam Fabricators’ Jefferson, Georgia regional design and test center. “That hasn’t happened since we installed the CNC machine. It can accurately cut even the most complex 3D shapes.”Foam Fabricators, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a coast-to-coast network of 14 facilities providing shape-molded foam products, packaging, and components. Its foam products are used in the packaging of items such as electronics equipment and appliances, but they can also be found in other applications such as inside bicycle helmets. Foam Fabricators also fabricates fl exible materials such
