Welcome to iFoam Ltd
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iFoam Ltd
Unit A Tyson Courtyard
Weldon South Industrial Estate
Corby
Northamptonshire
NN18 8AZ
Applications
iFoam manufactures melamine foam for automotive seating and interior trim. Our customers range from large automotive Tier 1 suppliers to smaller independent producers.
We work with the customer’s specifications, whether that is producing moulded foam using their tooling or developing products from scratch. Our processes enable us to develop moulded products to fit many different requirements.
iFoam is a producer of graphite foam for the aviation industry. Products are manufactured from moulded tools or are fabricated from block foam.
We use graphite foam for our aviation customers who require Crib 7 fire safety levels for their products. It is highly flame retardant in comparison with other solutions and will not catch alight even if exposed to a naked flame. Our foam meets both the FAA vertical burns test and the Kerosene test.
iFoam is a manufacturer of melamine foam for the bus and coach market. We produce cushions, backrests and headrests for a variety of styles of seats, many with moulded-in armatures.
We can work to the customer’s specifications, whether that is producing moulded foam using their tooling or developing products from scratch.
iFoam manufactures foam for domestic and contract furniture.
Domestic furniture tends to be in melamine (Crib 5) foam whereas contract furniture such as that used by the prison service is usually graphite (Crib 7) foam.
We can accommodate the moulding of one-off components through to large contract quantities with component weights from less than 100 grams to over 6 kg.
iFoam fabricates insulation panels from block foam and woven fabric. Foam is cut into sheets on a computer-controlled band saw and laminated together to form a panel that can be bonded directly onto the internal face of an external wall, the hull of a boat or perhaps a caravan wall.
The advantages besides the obvious heat retention are flexibility, it can be applied to curved surfaces, energy saving and noise insulation with minimum disruption.
iFoam is a manufacturer of graphite foam for the rail industry. We mould foam for a variety of international customers and our product is used on rail seating throughout Europe.
Depending on the method of construction and materials used, compliance with Category 2 , Category 1b or even Category 1a may be obtained using our graphite foam.
Our Products
Melamine Foam
This foam offers a lightweight, cost-effective alternative to graphite foam, making it suitable for a range of flexible foam applications.
Graphite Foam
Graphite foam is a versatile material, perfect for applications needing flexible foam. With higher density and superior fire-retardant properties compared to melamine foam, it’s ideal for industries with strict safety standards.
Integral Skin Foam
Its soft core ensures comfort and its tough outer skin that naturally forms during the moulding process, offering excellent resistance to daily use
Rigid Foam
A rigid, durable, and lightweight foam is primarily used as a core material, often wrapped in composites such as carbon fibre.
Testing and Certification
Our foam has been extensively tested for suitability in all our markets. Testing is generally carried out by our customers on their assembled components but we carry out indicative tests on our materials to assist our customers to achieve their required specifications.
Our foam products have passed the following tests:
- BS476 Part 7 – Surface Spread of Flame
- BS5852 Ignition source Crib 7
- BS6853 Annex B.2 – Toxic fume
- BS853 D8.5 – Smoke density (3-metre cube test)
- ISO 5660 Cone Calorimeter
- CS-25.853 App F Part 1a 1(ii) – Vertical burns test for aircraft
- BS EN ISO 3385 – Constant load pounding test but to 240,000 cycles which is the London Underground requirement (extremely severe rating)
- EN 45545 HL3 – Fire Risk Evaluation
FAQs
Why choose iFoam?
It’s nothing to do with the Apple corporation! The “i” stands for the intumescent quality of our original product – suspended graphite foam.
Intumescent means it swells when exposed to heat; in this case, the swelling will be 2 -300 times its original volume once the temperature reaches approximately 230 degrees Celsius. This swelling results in a char of burnt material which hinders further combustion giving excellent FST (Fire, Smoke & Toxicity) properties.
Today, we don’t just produce graphite foam which is classed as Crib 7 foam, we also produce Crib 5 (melamine) for the transport, automotive and furniture industries.
Is it the same as the blocks of foam I can buy?
It is similar, but not exactly the same. Block foam, as the name suggests, is made in large blocks perhaps 2 metres x 1.5 metres x 30 metres or even larger. These are then cut into smaller blocks that are then sold to “convertors” to make into the shapes their customers want.
Our foam is moulded foam. A simple analogy is baking a sponge cake. You pour a mix of ingredients into a shaped tin and, after baking, the cake comes out – hopefully light and fluffy and in the same shape as the tin. This is very similar to how we make our moulded foams.
The primary differences between block and moulded foam is that the density of the moulded foam may be higher than that of block foam. This is especially so with graphite foam; complex shapes can be moulded, these moulded parts have a “skin” of thicker material on the surface (not to be confused with skinned PU components!) and there is no waste from the moulding process.
Why is graphite (Crib 7) foam more expensive than melamine (Crib 5) foam?
This is partly because you are getting more foam for your money. A piece of moulded foam measuring 500mm X 500mm X 100mm will weigh approximately 2.25 Kg whereas our Crib 5 foam will weigh approximately 1.375 Kg.
Also, the graphite foam is much more difficult to process, has a unique chemical formulation.
What is Crib 5 and Crib 7?
BS 5852 details various fire tests for furniture starting with a lit cigarette and going up to a Crib 7 test which is the most severe. The Cribs are actually small wooden, open sided, boxes that house material that has been soaked in flammable liquids. The higher the crib number, the more severe the test.
One of these cribs is placed on a complete seat and set fire to. It must behave in a certain way to meet the requirements of the standard BS5852. In effect, it must self extinguish within a certain time period and must stop generating smoke within a certain time.
Is the foam hard or soft?
We can produce the foam to meet the hardness of the customer’s specification. We can vary the hardness of foam simply by adjusting the chemistry or amount of foam we put in the tool. Generally with block foam you will get what you are offered unless you are ordering very large volumes.
As a guide, specifying a 200 Newton foam will give a very soft and squidgy foam whereas a 1000 Newton foam will have very little give in it when, say, sitting on it.
The thickness of the foam has a significant bearing on the perceived hardness of the product. Please speak to us about the degree of hardness required for your application, it will cost you nothing the have the conversation and may save you a lot of trouble later on!
If your question is not answered here, please give us a call or send us an email as we have technical staff on site who will be able to give you objective advice and guidance on your own product specification.
Contact Us for Advice on Your Next Project
Office Hours
Monday-Thursday – 06:30-16:20
Friday – Sunday – Closed
