Technical Foams Formulated to Give You Comfort with Specialty Applications [7 Groups]

At Bergad, Technical Foams are the only kinds of products we manufacture. The millions of board feet of foam we produce each day on our multiple pour lines featuring CNC fabrication equipment is used for electronics, aviation and automotive ceilings, medical padding, spill control, and other applications that go beyond just comfort. Our strength is helping customers develop and manufacture foam types that include Antimicrobial, Biodegradable, Viscoelastic, Containment Berm, Military, Phase Change Materials, Polyurethane Gel, and Sponge.

Antimicrobial foam is just one example of the technical foams available from Bergad.

Typical applications for technical foams can be divided into seven categories.

• Sound Insulation consists of foams engineered to absorb sound waves, commonly referred to as noise levels. These foams are commonly used in automotive interiors, home theaters, and industrial environments.
• Shock Absorption is a group of foams designed to absorb impact energy in protective equipment and sports gear, to cushion delicate items from impact and breakage after they have been packaged and while they are being transported. These can sometimes be combined with sound insulation properties to meet NVH foam requirements (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness)
• Thermal Insulation foams help to maintain temperature control in buildings, refrigeration systems, and industrial equipment operations.
• Sealing and Gasketing is another common use for our specialized foams. These foams are engineered to provide tight seals against air, water, dust, or chemicals. They are used commonly in automotive, HVAC, and electronic enclosure applications.
• Medical foams are manufactured to be hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, or biocompatible for use in medical devices, wound care products, orthopedic supports, and prosthetics.
• Transportation foams are engineered for properties like light weight and water resistance for life jackets and flotation devices or fire resistance for vehicle interiors.
• High-Performance Filtration foams are designed with pore sizes and structures for efficient filtering of air, liquids, or particulate matter. Products in which High-Performance Filtration foams are used include air filters, water purification systems, and medical filtration devices.

Many of our foams are available in a Biodegradable foam formulation.

The physical properties of our foams include a density of 2-10 PCF; firmness (IFD) of 5-150+ lbf, air flow of ND-3+ standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM), colors from the Pantone Color Matching System, resilience ranging from slow recovery to high, sound dampening, gel, and phase-change materials.

Our foams stand out from other options because our Quality Assurance Program serves as a framework to ensure we meet our customers’ requirements by using efficient and effective processes. This commitment to quality is illustrated by our ISO 9001:2015 certification. What’s more, we source only the highest quality raw materials and test all our lots before they go into production. To validate the quality of those lots, we can provide a Certificate of Analysis upon request.

The Bergad Difference

With more than 35 years of experience meeting the requirements of customers across a range of industries, customization of technical foams is the rule rather than the exception for us. To provide customers with maximum value for their experience working with us, we encourage them to partner with us in the R&D stage to make certain we understand the application thoroughly and, if necessary, can modify the formulation in ways that accelerate production cycles.

We also work closely with customers in the testing phase to make certain the formulation meets applicable standards, codes, regulations, and laws. It is common for us to give transportation foams the 12-second vertical burn test with customers in our facilities so they can make certain their custom technical foam meets 14 CFR 25.853(a) at Amendment 25-116; Appendix F, Part I(a)(1)(ii) requirements related to fires not spreading from their original points of origin.

In a similar vein, while most foam manufacturers work through “middlemen” or other intermediaries, we allow our customers’ engineers to speak directly with our technical team. This level of customer involvement in the most technical aspects of product formulation is highly unusual, if not unique. These collaborations are mutually beneficial and result in shorter development and production cycles, and better-performing products, than traditional “arm’s length” relationships allow.

For details about our technical foams, and the R&D and manufacturing capabilities that make those foams possible, or to set up a meeting…