Where do your manufacturing projects begin?
Whether you’re in the medical, athletic, electronic, industrial, or any other sector, the first step in the manufacturing process is material selection. Depending on the unique needs of your application, our team makes recommendations based on a wide range of factors.
Once the right foam is selected, our team brings your project to life – and it often starts by working with polyethylene foam sheets.
Here’s what you need to know:
Our Process
What is polyethylene foam?
Our team has access to a wide variety of materials depending on your needs. Polyethylene foam is popular for several types of projects, often chosen as an ideal packaging material (thanks to its high resistance to impact).
Polyethylene foam is both lightweight and durable. It’s a closed-cell foam noted for being long-lasting, resistant to chemicals and moisture damage, and able to shield vibrations.
Most often, foam comes to our facilities from our trusted circle of vendors in the form of a sheet. Typically the foam sheets are about an inch thick and need to be cut down to around ¾” before moving onto the next phase of the manufacturing process.
Sheets are cut to produce foam that can be used for:
Skiving Machines
Skiving is used as an alternative to rolling the material into shape. Your material is cut using one of our two skiving machines. These are used to guarantee precision when cutting or shaving foam or plastic into the necessary shape before moving on to the next step of the manufacturing process.
Foam Selection
Closed-cell polyethylene foam comes in a wide range of sizes, colors, thicknesses, and even forms – while we most commonly work with foam sheets, certain foam, such as zote, occasionally come to us in roll or bun form.
Our team starts by getting to know your project needs, including unique product requirements and specific industry regulations. Once we understand your project, we offer expert guidance in helping to design the product and select the right material. Our goal is to add value at every stage, helping you make informed decisions that will result in the best product possible.
Polyethylene Foam Advantages
While different polyethylene foams have unique advantages, most all types share these traits:
- Lightweight
- Shatterproof
- Buoyant
- Resistant to tears
- Chemically cross-linked
- Dampens impact in case a product is dropped
- Protects against mold, mildew, and bacteria
- Protects against grease and other chemicals
All of these traits make polyethylene ideal for packaging delicate products across several industries. Common projects include:
- Packaging for medical devices and trays
- Packaging for machinery
- Packaging for automotive parts
- Padding and shock absorption for electronics
Medical Manufacturing
When foams are being cut for medical projects, they’re stored and cut in a clean environment, separated from the rest of our manufacturing facilities. Subsequent steps in the process are conducted in one of our class 7 or 8 ISO-certified cleanrooms, depending on the specifics of your project requirements.
Why Janco?
For six decades, Janco has been a trusted name in contract manufacturing across several industries.
Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities span a variety of capabilities from die-cutting and thermoforming to RF sealing and laminating. But beyond our technology and expertise, our clients have become long-term partners because our team is dedicated to going above and beyond on every project.
We value the relationships we’ve built and work hard to find ways to add value to your project. That includes guidance when it comes to design and material selection, and consulting to help you understand your options when making a decision.
Need a team you can trust for your next contract manufacturing project?
Get in touch with Janco to learn how we can help add value to your next project.