Sekisui Alveo (Lucerne / Switzerland; www.sekisuialveo.com) has introduced “Alveobloc” laminated roll-foam to protect fragile products from mechanical and thermal damage. The material has a homogeneous, closed cellular structure, providing impact damping and insulation. It is suitable for all material cutting processes from milling and punching through to water jet cutting. The odourless foam block is constructed from physically cross-linked “Alveolen” roll foam that can be laminated up to a thickness of 120 mm using hot air. The company says that each layer in the block has evenly distributed density, providing uniform compression hardness, in contrast to foam moulded block foam that has uneven density distribution.

In addition to providing protective padding for high quality items, the material can be used for case inserts and returnable packaging. It is free from silicone and inorganic fillers such as talc or chalk and has a scratch-resistant skin with a smooth and even surface that can be used on both sides. “Alveobloc” is available in a standard 2.0 m x 1.2 m size in black in thicknesses of 50 mm and 100 mm.