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Excellence in Core Solutions
- Composition of the foam base material
- Addition of a blowing agent and additives to the base ingredients, that allow the foaming of the polymer
- Mixing and stirring of the mixture, until the compound is in a homogeneous condition
- The compound is filled into a multi-storey press
- Under high pressure and temperature, the blowing agent decomposes. The gas arisen is dissolved in the polymer
- When cooling down under pressure the raw bloc turns into a rigid state
- In an expansion oven the raw blocs are heated up under pressure
- Under a sophisticated time-temperature-pressure regime the dissolved gas forms cells in the polymer and the raw bloc expands
- In a controlled process the foam bloc is expanded until the required density has been achieved. At the same time, the crosslinking reaction is starting
- In a time intensive heat treatment the residual solvents are evaporated and internal stresses reduced to a minimum
- Simultaneously, the crosslinking reaction is completed
- The expanded and heat treated foam blocs appear with a skin, rounded edges and an uneven surface
- In order to make the foam bloc ready for conversion, the edges are trimmed and the skins cut away
- Now the small foam cells have become visible on the surface
- The foam is now ready to be sliced into the required dimensions
- According to customer requirements foam sheets are cut, grooved, scrimmed, contoured, perforated or sanded
- In addition to its own conversion centres, 3A Composites Core Materials co-operates with local partners world-wide with the ability to offer customised foam conversion and kit production
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