CNC Cutting
Merryweather Foam specializes in manufacturing custom foam solutions using advanced CNC foam cutting techniques, including water jet cutting, contour cutting and digital knife cutting.
Benefits of CNC Cutting
CNC foam cutting uses computer-controlled machines to shape and cut foam materials into your desired shapes and products. At Merryweather Foam, our skilled team uses advanced CNC cutting machines to achieve efficient and high-precision foam cutting, delivering customized and cost-effective solutions.
See a comparison of the advantages and ideal applications of our different CNC cutting techniques for custom foam solutions:
| Feature | Water Jet Cutting | Contour Cutting | Digital Knife Cutting |
| Best For: | Thick materials and angle cuts | Vertical and horizontal contour cutting for smooth, straight-sided foam shapes; 3D shapes | Complex shapes cut from sheet material; smooth edges and sharp corners |
| Material Variety: | High variety of foam materials (up to 6″ thick, depending on foam type); Bed Size: 60″ x 132″ | High variety of foam shapes and sizes including large foam blocks | Suitable for cutting sheet foam materials; Bed Size: 60″ x 120″ |
| Precision: | High precision for fine cuts with minimal kerf | High precision for smooth sides with minimal waste and dust | Very high precision for accurate and repeatable cuts with smooth edges |
| Speed: | Fast process with multi-head and multiple sheet cutting capabilities | Moderate speed; efficient for both small and large orders; multi-sheet cutting | Fast with efficient digital control and no extended lead times; multi-layer cut capable |
| Cost: | Depending on material thickness and complexity, can be a more costly option | Economical option with no tooling costs and efficient material utilization | Cost-effective with no up-front costs for tooling |
Water Jet Cutting
Purpose of Water Jet Cutting
Water jet cutting is a fast way of cutting out large, complicated shapes. This process allows you to pierce straight through without needing to cut in from the outside, which is essential for creating contiguous shapes with hollow centers (as you’d need for a pocket).
Other useful characteristics of water jet cutting include:
- Clean process with no chemicals or hazardous wastes.
- Cuts very square, even on materials like thick reticulated polyurethane foam (PU), and leaves smooth edges needing little to no finishing.
- Very narrow cut width or “kerf” thanks to the thin beam. This allows cutting of very intricate shapes and lets us nest shapes to use a sheet efficiently.
- No sideways forces, so there’s no material distortion. This also lets us cut very thin wall sections.
- No heat, unlike laser cutting, so there’s no unsightly edge melting or heat affected zone.
- There’s no tooling or fixturing. All that’s needed is a program for the waterjet’s computer, and that comes from the CAD of the shape needed.
Contour Cutting
Purpose of Contour Cutting
A vertical contour cutting machine is the best way of producing smooth, straight-sided shapes in soft materials like foam. Merryweather’s machine handles large blocks of material quickly and efficiently with minimal waste. Merryweather also offers horizontal contour cutting, ideal for complex custom shapes. As no tooling is needed, these processes are ideal for both small and large quantity orders.
- Straight, smooth sides produced on thick foam blocks.
- Cuts complex 2D shapes.
- Programmed directly from CAD files.
- “Nesting” function in software maximizes material utilization.
- No tooling, so no tooling costs or delays for tool manufacture.
- Ideal for small quantity orders.
- Small “kerf” (cut width) means minimal waste and dust.
Digital Knife Cutting
Purpose of Digital Knife Cutting
Flatbed die cutting is widely known as the method to produce complex shapes from sheet material. It’s a very fast and repeatable method, but needs a crucial piece of tooling; the steel rule die. Making these dies adds a step between designing the part or shape and having it come off the digital knife machine. It also means a little set up time on the machine.
- Cut complex shapes from sheet material.
- Tight radii, smooth radii, and even sharp corners are possible.
- Smooth edges with no steps or jagged edges in curved surfaces.
- Good accuracy and repeatability (little piece-to-piece variation).
- No tooling, so no up-front costs or extended lead times.
Get a Quote for Your
Custom Foam Project
Connect with Merryweather Foam to discuss your custom foam fabrication or contract manufacturing needs. We’ll help identify the right materials and processes.
