Automobile seating, sofa, and many other applications that require soft and flexible cushioning use flexible polyurethane foam. There are foam stock and sheets available for most of applications. Foam stocks are light and there are several different types available. If a foam stock can suffices your application, it may be easier to buy foam that is already made. You can cut the foam into your desired shapes. However, for some reasons you do not want to or cannot use foam stock, molding or casting foam will be viable alternative.

An important property of foam, when it is used in cushioning application is hardness. One could have many questions when you discuss foam properties. Same hardness can give different feelings depending on how fast it recovers. Do you want it to recover fast or slow? As you press down the foam, you can tell changes in recovering strength. Do you want it to get stronger or not? How dense the foam is also plays a role on how you feel when you press the cushion made of the foam. Also density plays a very important role on the material coast.

You do not need special equipment to make foam. However, if you are thinking of molding foam parts or products, you may need to consider investing in foam casting equipment. Although you need certain safety considerations, the materials are neither much flammable nor hazardous.

Like other polyurethane materials, foams can be mixed and poured at room temperature. One significant difference will be the timing. Foam generally needs to blow and cure in a shorter time. Whereas solid polyurethane elastomers possibly have the pot-life of 20 to 30 minutes, many foam materials loose its ability to flow as liquid within 2 minutes after the agitation of the mixture. For a foam material to fill the corners of the mold or frame, the mold or frame needs to be enclosed so that the expanding pressure of foam can push itself into the corners of mold.