Expanded Polyethylene (EPE) Foam Planks
ARPAK expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam planks are a highly resilient, durable, and low-density beaded foam ideal for a variety of packaging and product protection applications. EPE closed-cell polyethylene foam is tough, very flexible, and resilient when twisting and bending. This makes it extremely easy to fabricate, allowing for vast customization options with tight tolerances.
At ARPLANK Direct, our molded EPE foam planks begin with a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin. These high-quality raw materials make ARPAK planks highly resilient and able to withstand multiple impacts without product damage, all while using less of the product. This decreases shipping and manufacturing costs while maintaining the same level of protection as traditional PE and XPLE foam products.
ARPAK EPE is available in a variety of densities including 1.3, 1.5, 1.9, 2.3, 2.8, and 4.6 pcf, 6″ thickness.
The ARPAK Difference
Resilience, Impact, and Energy Management—Air in Our Beads Solve Your Packaging Needs.
ARPAK EPE foam planks withstand repeated dynamic impact, resulting in very little change to the material’s original shape. The foam absorbs energy and handles significant static loads before returning to nearly 100% of its original shape. Since the foam is isotropic, it can withstand hundreds of impacts from all angles while protecting the product it is cushioning.
Lightweight and Cost-Efficient
The repetitive cushioning capability of ARPAK EPE foam planks originates from its LLDPE resin base and spherical bead shape that is ideal for managing shock, impact, and vibration. Molded EPE beads are thermally fused to make planks and foam parts that provide a high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing less of the material to be used in design, packaging, and shipping. Using ARPAK EPE in packaging and product protection results in lower cube size shipping costs, which saves on energy and fuel consumption while also maximizing storage space.
Thermal Insulation
ARPAK EPE foam planks maintain their properties over a wide range of temperatures. They provide durable and re-usable thermal insulation without losing R-value over time and can be used to ship cold-chain and temperature-sensitive products worldwide. EPE materials also offer excellent cold weather impact performance. ARPAK EPE’s service temperature range is from -76°F (-60°C) to 160°F (70°C).
Chemical Resistance
As a chemically inert substance, ARPAK EPE foam planks are virtually unaffected when exposed to most chemicals, oil and grease, petroleum, water and moisture. The material is also anti-microbial and will not harbor mold and bacterial growth.
Environmentally Friendly
ARPAK EPE foam planks are 100% recyclable and have up to 15% recycled content. They are “Ozone Safe,” meet RoHS requirements, and are NAFTA compliant. EPE products are melt re-processable and also and be made into other industrial products. EPE foams have a much lower carbon footprint when compared to other foams such as crosslink PE which cannot be recycled.
See the Difference
ARPAK EPE Foam vs. Extruded PE Foam
ARPAK EPE Foam Plank Applications
- Highly Durable Protective Packaging
- Class “A” Automotive Dunnage
- Crating for Impact and Shock Attenuation and Pallet Deck Cushion Bases
- Military (Meets Mil-spec CID-A-A-59136) Types: I, III, IV and V. Class 1 and 2, Grades A, B, and C
- Coast Guard (Meets spec CDG-77-145-Fuel B)
- Returnable Temperature Control Containers
- Case and Tote Inserts
- Electronic Products Requiring ESD Protection
- Expendable and Returnable Packaging
- Marine Flotation and Insulation
- Construction: Metal Roof Enclosure Gaskets, Concrete Expansion Joints
- Window and Glass Manufacturing
- Obstacle Course Shapes/Blocks, Crash Pads, Jump Pit Edging, Exercise Jump Blocks
Why Arplank?
See What Makes Our EPE and EPP Foam a Step Above the Rest
| Item | EPP | EPE | PE | XPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Examples | ARPRO EPP | ARPAK EPE | Extruded PE | Chemical Crosslink |
| Compression Strength | Excellent | Average | Average | Average |
| Durability | Good | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Elasticity | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Flexibility | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Tensile Strength | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| Chemical Resistance | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Heat Resistance | Excellent | Average | Average | Poor |
| Thermal Insulation | Good | Good | Average | Average |
| Dimensional Stability | Excellent | Average | Average | Poor |
| Dynamic Cushion 1st Drop | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Repetitive Dynamic Cushion | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Contains HCFCs or VOCs | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Amount of VOCs | N/A | N/A | Varies | Varies |
