Applications and Sustainability of Foam Materials

Foam materials are widely used across multiple industries due to their lightweight, thermal insulation, and shock-absorbing properties.
They offer exceptional expandability, mechanical strength, and durability, making them ideal for high-efficiency applications that help reduce both production costs and CO₂ emissions.

These materials also support waste-free manufacturing, as all production scraps can be easily recycled and reintroduced into the process.

🔄 One of the greatest advantages of foam materials lies in their adaptability.
Using the same extrusion line, it's possible to produce foam with completely different characteristics, simply by changing the "ingredients" in the production recipe. This allows the material to be precisely tuned for completely different application fields - ranging from protective food packaging to thermal insulation or automotive interior components - all from a single technology platform.

✅ Main Applications of Foam Materials

Construction:
Used for premium thermal insulation, civil engineering, building renovation, and metal roof insulation. Foam replaces heavier materials in thermal and structural insulation for enhanced energy efficiency.
Packaging:
Ideal for engineered packaging solutions, protecting household appliances, fragile goods, dishes, and glassware with excellent cushioning performance.
Automotive:
Applied in sound insulation for interior components and protective layers to prevent scratches and chips during transport.
Light Industry & Special Projects:
Used in hot water pipe insulation, and as thermal break elements in aluminum profiles for windows and doors.
Food Sector:
Safe and efficient for protective food packaging, thanks to its hygienic and insulating properties.

♻️ 100% Recyclable, Circular-Economy Foam

All foam materials produced with FAP’s advanced extrusion technology—whether low or high density—are fully recyclable.
With FAP systems, PIR (post-industrial recycled) granules can be reintroduced into the production cycle up to 100%, enabling zero-waste manufacturing and fostering a genuine circular economy in foam production.

✅ Main Properties of Non Cross-Linked EPE and EPP Foam Materials

Non cross-linked expanded polyethylene (EPE) and expanded polypropylene (EPP) foams are known for their unique balance of physical, mechanical, and environmental properties. These materials are ideal for sustainable industrial applications across multiple sectors.

♻️ Environmental and Health Benefits

100% recyclable and reusable
Waste-free production process
Free from CFCs, adhesives, toxins, and harmful emissions
Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
Odourless, dust-free, and chemically inert

🌡️ Thermal and Chemical Performance

Excellent thermal insulation (comparable to air)
Resistant to mould, moisture, oils, gasoline, and other aggressive agents
Air- and watertight, ideal for sealing applications
Highly durable and long-lasting in harsh environments

⚙️ Mechanical Properties

Strong resistance to compression, tearing, and mechanical stress
Elastic yet strong: regains its shape after deformation
Shock-absorbing and anti-scratch, perfect for protective packaging and technical parts
Very easy to install, flexible to shape and use

Insulation

Foam Production with FAP Extrusion Technology

Our extrusion and converting machines are specifically designed to produce and process polyethylene foam (EPE) and polypropylene foam (EPP), offering maximum flexibility, precision and quality for industrial applications.

These foam materials are ideal thermal and acoustic insulators, widely used in the construction industry to meet demanding technical requirements such as:

Heat and sound insulation (indoor and outdoor)
Waterproofing for internal surfaces
Energy-saving barrier layers

Technical Range of Materials

🔹 Polyethylene Foam (EPE)

Thickness: 0.5 to 100 mm
Density: 15 to 300 kg/m³

✅ Typical Applications:

Substrates for floor leveling before installing laminate or other coverings
Internal wall insulation
Insulation for HVAC systems and ventilation ducts
Sound and vibration dampening in concrete screeds
Insulation for hangars, cold storage units, and industrial containers

🔹 Polypropylene Foam (EPP)

Thickness: 1 to 10 mm
Density: 25 to 200 kg/m³

✅ Typical Applications:

Reflective insulation in high-temperature environments
Underfloor heating systems (as a thermal barrier)
Sound and vibration insulation for construction slabs

Tailored Production, Versatile Output

FAP machines allow you to switch between different foam densities and formulations with ease, enabling production tailored to various end-use sectors—all on the same line.
Whether you're targeting construction, automotive, HVAC, or packaging, our technology delivers consistent performance and high-quality output with minimal waste.

Foam Packaging Solutions with FAP Technology

FAP designs and builds complete PE foam production lines dedicated to the packaging industry.
Our machines produce non cross-linked polyethylene foam in a wide range of thicknesses and densities, tailored to your specific protection and cushioning needs.

Why PE Foam for Packaging?

Non cross-linked PE foam is one of the most versatile and widely used protective packaging materials across industries such as: Electronics Appliances Furniture Automotive components Glass and ceramics

Thanks to its lightweight, elastic structure and shock-absorbing performance, it ensures safe transport, reduces the risk of damage, and minimizes return costs.

Available Foam Forms for Packaging:

Foam sheets and rolls
High-thickness foam planks (for heavy-duty cushioning)
Pre-cut formats and foam inserts
Protective bags and pouches
Interleaving and separators for fragile items

All these forms are produced using the same flexible extrusion line, simply by adjusting the recipe and post-processing configuration—maximizing your investment and simplifying your production workflow.

PE and PP Foam for Automotive Applications

With FAP’s advanced twin-screw extrusion lines, it is possible to produce non cross-linked polyethylene (PE) and expanded polypropylene (EPP) foams in both very low and high densities, specifically for the automotive industry.

These lightweight, recyclable foams meet the strict requirements of automotive manufacturers in terms of impact resistance, acoustic performance, and design flexibility.

✅ Typical Automotive Applications:

PE foam (EPE):
- Protective packaging during vehicle transportation
- Custom-shaped profiles and pads to avoid surface scratches or damage
- Shock-absorbing separators and spacers
PP foam (EPP):
- Sound and thermal insulation for specific car components
- Interior panels and trim elements (doors, roof, trunk)
- Thermoformed parts for structural support with low weight
- Energy-absorbing components (bumpers, headrests, crash pads)

FAP foam extrusion technology allows you to produce automotive-grade foam materials with high dimensional stability, durability, and zero-waste potential.

Special projects

Thanks to our Italian Foam Centre, we support companies to find innovative solutions in the production of expanded films (foams).

With this project we present an absolutely new way to support foam producers in challenging innovative production targets. Finally FAP's long and rich international experience is at the complete disposal of the entire "Foam World".