Frequently Asked Questions
What Foam Systems Do You Mould?
Rojac Urethane Ltd mould a wide variety of foam systems to suit most applications, PU foam mouldings can be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible, we can vary hardness and density to suit your requirements, we offer one-off, prototype and full production moulding of all foam systems.
Primarily used for seating applications in the automotive industry. All formulations are based on MDI chemistry, the resulting moulded foams comply with the requirements of JLR standard STJLR.51.5142. Dual Hardness foam components may be produced as required. Typical examples include front and rear cushion and seat backs, headrests and armrest.
Used for seating applications in high quality domestic and office furniture, in addition to public transport vehicle seating. All formulations based on M.D.I chemistry; the resulting foams comply with the flammability requirements of the ‘Crib 5’ test.
A relatively firm flexible foam primarily used for interior trim applications in the automotive, transport and furniture industries. Typical examples include console pads etc. Components in a range of hardness’s and densities may be produced to suit the application.
Self-finished moulded foam primarily used for trim applications in transport, appliance, equipment and furnishings industries where a hard-wearing and impervious sealed surface condition is required. Typical examples include armrests for office furniture, automotive head restraints, component handles.
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Primarily used for seating applications where a high flame redundancy is required for example, rail and aircraft seating, graphite filled foam can meet the flammability requirements of the ‘Crib 7’ test as a part of a composite with a fire blocker and covering materials.
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A solid polyurethane foam used in a diversity of applications where light weight solids with good thermal insulation and impact energy absorption properties are required. These can be produced in a wide range of material densities. Typical examples include thermal insulation panels for freezers, pipeline insulation and support systems, automotive filler pads, buoyancy fillings and equipment cases etc.
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Can You Mould Polyurethane Foam In Production?
Rojac specialise in full volume specialist PU foam moulding programmes.
We can mould any number of parts from a just few prototypes to thousands of foams, we mould in volume production for a number of prestigious clients with weekly deliveries working to demanding delivery schedules.
With several production moulding lines including 6 axis robotic pouring an automotive seat foam production carousel and several smaller part turntables, Rojac support higher volume moulding of polyurethane parts for many prestigious clients.
- 3 shifts - 24-hour production
- High-pressure foam machines
- Low-pressure foam machines
- Production carousel with Kuka Robot 6 axis
- Production turntables
- Freestanding mould carriers
- Moulded in inserts, wires, clips, hook & loop systems, frames
- Dual hardness moulded foams
- Advanced product quality planning (APQP)
Do You Offer Rapid Prototyping PU Foam Parts?
Rojac offer a number of solutions for rapid prototyping and development of foam parts.
CNC Machined foams
For rapid development of foam parts Rojac utilise a 7 axis Robotic milling cell to CNC machine foam straight from the CAD utilising Autodesk PowerMill and PowerShape.
Complex 3D parts can be milled directly from soft to rigid foam materials including flexible and rigid foams, EPP, tooling boards and polystyrene, we also have the in-house ability to mould PU foam blocks to your required density and hardness to match production PU systems and mill these for your 3D parts.
This method is widely used for seat foam development where seat foam parts can be machined from soft flexible foams for concept cars, early vehicle development and prototypes.
We have the ability to add a synthetic skin to milled foam parts replicating prototype or production moulded foams.
No tooling investment is required for milled foams as we go straight from CAD to machined parts, full seat foam sets can be milled in days.
If you don’t have CAD data we can scan sample parts and reverse engineer back to CAD data
- From CAD to Milled PU foams in day not weeks.
- CNC foam cutting 7 axis robotic milling of soft and rigid foams, EPP, tooling boards and polystyrene.
- Parts milled to required hardness/density from pre-moulded blocks.
- Dual hardness parts if required.
- Prototype machined foams.
- Inserts, wires, clips, hook & loop systems included in milled foams.
- Synthetic skin can be added to machined PU foams
- No tooling investment
- Complex 3D parts.
- Complete car sets machined, including front seat cushion, squab, headrest, rear seat 40% and 60% squabs, full rear seat cushion, armrests, bolsters and inserts.
Rapid Prototype foam moulding
The ideal solution for prototype and development of polyurethane foam mouldings.
This process is often used to follow milled foam parts for development and prototypes where a number of prototype parts are required.
This process has been successfully utilised for many automotive vehicle seating projects allowing our customers to rapidly develop seat designs, foam hardness and comfort trials in a fraction of the time traditionally taken to develop seating for new vehicles.
- From CAD to moulded PU foam mouldings in 7-10 day.
- Mould multiple foams from the same tool
- Parts moulded to required hardness/density
- Dual hardness parts if required
- Production intent moulded foams
- Inserts, wires, clips, hook & loop systems moulded into foam
- Tools can be easily modified (material on or off tool)
- Production intent parts early in development stages of the project
- Complete car sets moulded, including front seat cushion, squab, headrest, rear seat 40% and 60% squabs, full rear seat cushion, headrests, bolsters and inserts
Rojac Urethane Limted offer a number of solutions for rapid prototyping and development of foam parts including CNC Machined foams and Rapid Prototype foam moulding. Contact us for further information.
What Is Hardness And Density In Relation To Foam Moulding?
Hardness and density are two separate characteristics in foam.
Hardness is the load-bearing (firmness) of the foam.
Density is the weight per unit volume measured in KgM3.
Both hardness and density can be varied independently in foam mouldings and we very often mould a range of parts with a variable selection of hardness and density for the customer to approve at the beginning of each project.
The hardness of different foam systems is measured and reported in different ways, flexible foams for example tend to measure and reported in kPa’s (kilopascals) whereas integral skin foams are measured using Shore A.
Flexible foams are measured using our Testometric M500CT Universal testing machines running Integral PC system running winTest™ Analysis universal testing software.
Integral skin foams are measured using a durometer, shore Hardness is a measure of the hardness of a given material or how resistant it will be to indentation. It is measured by the depth of indentation that is created on the material with a specified force.
What Inserts Can Be Moulded Into PU Foam Systems?
PU foam has excellent bonding properties so is ideal for over-moulding inserts.
We can mould in or over-mould inserts into most polyurethane foam systems including integral skin, flexible and rigid foams, this can include trim wires, wire frames, clips, hook & loop systems, plastic clips, plastic components and frames, metal plates, plywood, fleece, Milliken, Recon foam.
Our foam tooling is designed to hold the inserts in the correct location in the foam parts, this is achieved with pegs, magnets or pins etc..
Inserts can be free issued by the customer or manufactured by Rojac.
We have many years of experience moulding inserts into foam so please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss the best options for your foam moulded parts.
Inserts typically moulded into foam;
- Hook & loop systems
- Trim wires
- Wire frames
- Plastic clips
- Plastic components
- Metal plates
- Plywood
- Fleece
- Milliken
- Recon foams
PU Foam Moulders Help & Technical Advice
Rojac Urethane Ltd are one of the top PU Moulders in the UK serving a wide variety of market sectors.
Please feel free to contact us for any help or technical advice, whether your looking to develop new foam components and need help with design or you are not sure on hardness and density, which inserts can be used, the best PU foam for your parts or prices and delivery on tools and PU mouldings, we are here to help you.
Just give us a call on +44(0)121 502 6549 or email us at info@rojac.com. we are happy to offer free technical advice.
If you have CAD data of your part send it to us, you can either email this or if its large send it via our WeTransfer account on our contact page.
We offer a vast range of PU foam mouldings with full control over both hardness and density.
Foam systems can be flexible, rigid or semi-rigid and include rigid PU foam, Integral skin PU foam (sometimes known as self skinning foam) and flexible foams. Polyurethane foams can be flame retardant if required and we can even formulate new special bespoke foam systems.
PU foam mouldings often include inserts these can be moulded into the foam and can include wires and frames, metal, stainless steel and aluminium brackets and plates, hook & loop systems, clips, fleece, Miliken and other materials.
Rojac offer a full PU foam moulding service from prototype to full volume production, this includes foam CNC machining using our 7 axis robotic milling cell where we mould foam blocks to the required hardness and density that can be milled to 3D CAD data to develop prototype and low volume first off foam parts. Rapid tooling and foam moulding of PU foam parts going from CAD to moulded polyurethane parts in days. Rojac also offer full volume production PU moulding with robotic pouring, production carosels and turntables utilising both high and low pressure PU moulding machines.
Please email us or give us a call!
What CAD Formats Can You Read For PU Foam Moulding?
We can read most CAD formats including CATIA, IGES, STEP, STL, DXF etc..
STEP format is always our preference.
Send us your CAD files directly
If you need help with design or maybe have existing samples you need to copy or reverse engineer that’s not an issue, we have the ability to scan and reverse engineer existing parts, this can be contact or non-contact scanning so even soft foams can be reverse-engineered back to CAD.
Once scanned the file produced is reverse engineered back to a CAD model which can be altered if required.
We then send the CAD models back to you for approval, if you don’t have CAD systems that’s not an issue as we can convert the CAD to a shareable 3D model and send you a link for a free online CAD viewer.
Basically, we can work from any CAD data format, samples, drawings, sketches or even just your ideas!
What’s Your Capacity?
Operating from our 24,000 sq ft factory unit in Wednesbury, West Midlands, UK Rojac Urethane Ltd employ approx. 30 production employees working two or three shifts moulding prototype and production foam components for a wide variety of market sectors including Automotive, Rail, Aerospace, Defence and Marine.
Our foam moulding facility is split into four main sections;
Prototype foam moulding
Our prototype foam moulding facility includes free standing mould carriers and several high-pressure PU foam moulding machines utilised for prototype PU foam moulding projects.
Prototype foam milling
7 Axis CNC Robotic milling of foam prototypes for first off, concept, part development, comfort and low volume. The prototype foam milling department also includes band knives, band saws and foam fabrication and modification area.
Production flexible foam moulding
Several high specification high-pressure PU foam moulding machines, carousels and turntables, Kuka 6 axis robotic pouring, high volume PU flexible foam moulding including automotive seating, headrests, arrests and insulation foams plus CMHR and graphite foams for production.
Integral skin foam moulding
Numerous high and low-pressure polyurethane foam machines moulding integral skin (self-skinning PU) and rigid PU foams.
Our facility includes a large factory area, offices and meeting rooms with room for growth and storage with a large outside yard.
ISO:9001 Accredited by BSI Quality Assurance - Certificate Number FM 591249
Working towards ISO/TS 19649
Quality approved directly by a number of prestigious clients
We have the capacity to increase our workforce, machinery and turntables.
How Long Does It Take For Polyurethane Tooling And Parts?
Timing for your project will depend on the complexity of the parts, the data we work from the type of tooling we manufacture and the PU foam system required.
We can work from 3D CAD data supplied, design your parts for you from scratch or reverse engineer back to CAD data from samples making changes if required.
If we work from CAD data then typically;
Rapid prototype tooling and parts
7-10 days from CAD to moulded foams
Low volume or complex prototypes
3-4 weeks from CAD to tooling and moulded foams
Production parts from aluminium tools
4-5 weeks from CAD to tooling moulded foams
These are only guidelines; contact us for a quotation and we will provide a more accurate delivery which is subject to capacity at the time of order.
Do You Design And Manufacture PU Foam Tooling?
Foam tooling is designed to suit the volumes required along with the PU foam materials being used.
All foam mould tooling is designed in house and manufactured utilising our approved UK local toolmakers, Rojac have developed a number of quality toolmakers over the years and work closely with them to ensure a reliable, competitive and quality service, tooling is manufactured directly from CAD data supplied or reverse engineered from samples, we also offer a complete design service designing both components and tooling.
A number of options are available for tooling to suit your budget and the volumes required.
Metal tooling for integral skin PU foams can also include texture/graining.
Tooling is designed to fit our PU foam moulding presses or to be hand clamped to fit various turntables.
Tooling type & Typical Lead-times from CAD
Rapid Prototype Tooling* = 7-10 working days
Aluminium Billet Tooling = 4-5 weeks
GRP Resin Tooling = 5-6 weeks
Cast Aluminium Tooling = To be advised
*Rapid prototype tooling guaranteed for a maximum of 100 parts
Tool Modifications
Rapid tools can be modified material on or off.
Aluminium tools can be modified material on or off subject to extent of modifications required.
Inserts
Tooling can be designed to carry inserts these can include trim wires, clips, wire frames, hook & loop systems, fleeces, plywood, metal frames and plastics, inserts can be held in the tool by magnets, clips etc..