Engineering foam made from high-performance plastics

  For lightweight applications in aerospace, electronics, medical & industry  

Conventional foam products, such as EPP and EPS foams, often struggle to meet increasing performance demands. High temperatures, mechanical endurance or chemical resistance are difficult to achieve cost-effectively with traditional materials.

Ensinger now offers a future-oriented solution in the form of our engineering foam, which is based on high-performance plastics such as PEEK, PESU and PC. It is the ideal choice for demanding applications and complex functionality. The combination of engineering polymers and unique foam properties results in high performance foams that are lightweight yet robust, and resistant to impact, heat and chemicals.
In addition, our innovative, energy-efficient production process enables us to create finer cell structures and customisable densities. This allows us to create an engineering foam that can be precisely adapted to meet specific customer requirements.

Take advantage of the next generation of industrial foam: become an Ensinger project partner and improve your application!


Your Advantages with Ensinger Engineering Foam

New material variety

PEEK, PESU, PC and more: Ensinger offers a wide range of technical polymers not previously available as industrial foam products.

Tailored density

Our engineering foams can be adjusted to meet customer-specific needs – from ultra-lightweight to structurally robust variants.

Optimised performance

Material advantages such as high mechanical strength, inherent flame resistance and thermal insulation are combined with the lightweight properties of industrial foam products.

Material Profiles – PEEK, PESU and PC for Industrial Foam Applications

Property

PEEK

PESU

PC

Temperature resistance

  • Continuous use:
    up to 260 °C
  • Short-term: up to 300 °C
  • Continuous use:
    180–200 °C
  • Short-term: 220–230 °C
  • Continuous use:
    up to 120 °C
  • Short-term: up to 140 °C

Flame resistance

  • Inherently flame-retardant
  • Self-extinguishing (UL94 V-0)
  • Good flame retardancy due to chemical structure
  • Standard PC is flammable;
  • Our FR grades are equipped with specialised flame-retardant additives

Chemical resistance

  • Excellent chemical resistance against many technical media
  • Hydrolysis-resistant, no tendency to stress cracking
  • General chemical resistance: Good
  • Good hydrolysis resistance (suitable for steam sterilization)
  • General chemical resistance: Limited
  • Not suitable for prolonged exposure to hot water or steam

Special characteristics

  • High resistance to gamma & X-ray radiation
  • Low outgassing behavior
  • Low water absorption
  • Good creep resistance at higher temperatures due to high glass transition temperature of 225 °C
  • Very high impact strength
  • Retains impact strength even in cold temperatures
  • One of the toughest amorphous plastics

Typical applications

  • Aerospace
  • Oil & gas industry
  • Medical technology
  • Railway interiors
  • Electronics housings
  • Flame-retardant enclosures
  • E-mobility crash components
  • Electronics housings
  • Equipment like protective glazing, helmets, machine covers

Formats & Delivery Options for Foam Products

Our industrial foam products are currently in the pilot phase – enabling high flexibility and close collaboration to meet your technical needs.

Currently available:

  • Beads for development and trials in various densities
  • Foam sheets in sample sizes
  • Custom parts, developed together with you as a project partner

Your benefits:

  • Adaptability in density, cell structure and material characteristics
  • Joint prototyping with our development team
  • Strong development support in the early application phase

Become a Project Partner for High Performance Foam Solutions

Take advantage of the next generation of engineering foam. Let’s reimagine your application together – with foam products that go beyond the capabilities of traditional materials.

Contact our development team today.

Frequently Asked Questions about Engineering Foam & Industrial Foam Products

  • We develop engineering foam made from PEEK, PESU, PC and other polymers, with and without fillers. These materials have not previously been available as industrial foam products.
  • Our engineering foams are adaptable – from ultra-lightweight to higher strength, structural types. Targets are defined per project.
  • Depending on the polymer base, our engineering foams offer thermal resistance up to 300 °C (PEEK) and very high resistance to chemicals such as oils, greases, cleaning agents or solvents.
  • We currently offer beads; sheet material and formed parts are under development.
  • Our engineering foam is in the pilot phase – meaning a high degree of flexibility and collaboration for individualised solutions.
  • Main application fields are aerospace, electronics, medical technology, mechanical engineering and mobility. We are also happy to assess other sectors with you.