The invention of polyurethane foam has triggered a revolution in the way commerce and industry professionals think about packaging materials. Increasingly, some kind of custom packaging solution is necessary for particularly bulky and highly sensitive items. The choice has traditionally been between cardboard and paper packing and some kind of plastic packaging.

Despite best efforts on the part of the packaging industry, no solution seemed to protect items in transit effectively. Damage to valuable merchandise in transit has been a common and very costly problem to industries of all kinds, until the advent of polyurethane foam, that is.

Absorbing the Shocks

Spray in place packing foam has dramatically reduced the likelihood of damage in transit. It is one of the most effective insulating and shock absorbing materials there is. In addition, it is perfect for packaging because it is cheap to buy, very quick to prepare as custom packaging, and has an infinitely versatile range of applications.

The main drawback of this type of packaging is the expense of the machinery needed. With spray in place foam packaging, the gun used to deliver the foam is an expensive item. With foam in a bag packaging, the machine used to manufacture the bags and fill them with foam is also expensive. However, when offset against the annual losses from goods damaged or destroyed in transit, many companies find that the machinery pays for itself.