How to Test Polyurethane Flexible Foam
Polyurethane flexible foam has been praised as one of the best and most applicable artificial foams in shipping and logistics. If you want to make sure the foam is living up to industry standards, there are a number of simple tests you can apply to the foam to check the flexibility of the polyurethane.
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Instructions
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Density Test
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1
Place the flexible foam on the ground below a stairs or a ladder. Make sure the foam is laid out and stretched as far as it can go. You want a large amount of floor space covered by the object.
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2
Walk up the stairs or ladder at a tall height. Make sure that no fragile objects or people are around during this part of the test.
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3
Take out a heavy object. The heavy object may be anything from a bowling ball to a rock.
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4
Drop the object from your height.
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5
Remove the object and investigate the foam. If the foam recovers its original shape, then the polyurethane foam meets industry standard in density. If the foam does not, the foam may still be adequate for shipping, but for lighter objects.
Firmness Test
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6
Hold out the polyurethane foam.
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7
Conform the foam around an object. You can utilize the same heavy object you used before.
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8
Notice how well the foam covers around or over an object. If the foam has a hard time conforming around or on the object, then it has high firmness and can protect shipping products. If the foam easily wraps around an object, then the foam should only be used on delicate products.
Air Flow Test
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9
Place a sheet of foam in front of a fan.
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10
Turn the fan on to its highest setting.
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11
Feel behind the polyurethane foam. If you feel some air going through the foam, then the polyurethane foam is best suited for lighter objects. Heavier objects will not be adequately protected due to the weak foam cell structure of foam with high air flow.
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References
- Photo Credit pink foam image by laurent dambies from Fotolia.com
