FunciFoam: Steamless particle foam technology for new areas of application.

Research is an important pillar for Hofmann – Ihr Impulsgeber in order to always be able to offer its customers and partners the most innovative and best technologies. This has already been proven, among other things, by the award „Innovativ durch Forschung“ from the Stifterverband.

We are therefore all the more pleased to have successfully completed the “FunciFoam” research project with our research partners, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy:

Within the project, the variothermal processing for efficient as well as steamless particle foam welding was analyzed. The process was investigated for established (EPS, EPE and EPP) as well as new technical particle foams, which are difficult to foam by conventional steam welding. The aim was to develop an energy-efficient process using a newly developed variothermal tool that can be used to integrate in-situ functional elements such as metal inserts or electronic elements e.g. LED lightings modules.

Together with the project partners PARAT, FOX Velution, the UVEX Safety Group and Neuen Materialien Bayreuth as well as the supporting partners AUDI and RYGOL Dämmstoffe, the research project was successfully completed by realizing a functional demonstrator in the form of a tool case with in-situ foaming-in of metal inserts and an LED module.

FunciFoam Werkzeugkoffer Forschungsprojekt

The final case made of mPPE particle foam not only convinces with a weight saving of more than 30 % compared to a previous reference product, but also offers new application possibilities due to the foamed-in elements compared to regular steam-based products.