At Kreysler we use a variety of materials, although for most projects we are machining one of three types of foam:
- Urethane
- Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
- Dow Styrofoam construction billets
Each is manufactured in a range of densities and each has different strengths and weaknesses depending on the nature of the project and the budget.
Kreysler Digital Fabrication is part of Kreysler & Associates, a fiberglass and composites fabrication shop. We have a lot of experience with the machining of patterns and molds specifically for composites applications. See the Kreysler main site for more information about composites.
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EPS foam is easiest to describe as being nearly the same thing that foam coffee cups are made of. It is cellular - comprised of small steam-expanded beads. Generally this is the foam of choice for very large applications. It is not as receptive to resculpting as urethane, and it dissolves quickly with solvents or anything oil-based. However it has many advantages: it can be cut easily with a hot wire; it can be easily sanded smooth; it's strength to weight ratio is higher, and it is much less expensive than urethane - sometimes 1/10th the cost. [Examples: freeway horses, leonard molds, schfig]
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