Structural foam can replace wood, concrete, fiberglass, metal, rotational molding and blow molding products in a variety of applications, with significant reduction in cost and increases in productivity. Parts may weigh up to several hundred pounds and be the size of a car.

Structural foam is a low pressure injection molding process where the plastic melt is foamed with nitrogen gas or a chemical blowing agent. A combination of the lower viscosity of this mixture and the thicker cross section of the molded part, results in less injection and clamping pressures required and less stresses created while injecting the plastic into the mold. The lower pressures and forces involved allow more economical molding equipment and tooling to be utilized. This leads to enormous parts being mass produced or multiple parts being simultaneously molded on the same machine cycle.

As the foamed plastic flows through the mold, the surface cells burst, a solid skin is formed against the walls of the mold, while the core of the part remains foamed, the resulting part weight may be reduced as much as 20%. Structural foam molding yields parts that are thicker and sturdier than injection molding. One piece molded car ramps and indestructible pallets are typical structural foam products, 100% recycled materials are common feedstocks.  

Another advantage of the process is the hot runner systems commonly utilized, the systems are component built, reaching anywhere, in any configuration on the giant machine platens. One machine may have dozens of injection points on a single part or multiple parts. The injection points can be independently adjusted for flow amounts, enabling filling of dissimilar part sizes or geometries. The hot runner systems can quickly be dissembled and reconstructed to meet varying tooling and part requirements.