The SmartShield Guide to Polyethylene Foam Packaging

When it comes to protecting precision-engineered products, few materials perform like polyethylene foam (PE foam). It’s lightweight, durable, highly customizable - and one of the go-to solutions across the industries we work with.

We design solutions from it for medical devices and aerospace components to tools, electronics, and automotive parts.

Here’s what makes PE foam such a reliable choice for us, and how to make it work hard for your business.

1. What Is Polyethylene Foam?

Polyethylene foam is a closed-cell material, made up of millions of tiny air pockets that absorb shock, resist moisture, and provide insulation. This structure makes it strong and flexible, so it can cushion even delicate or awkwardly shaped items. It also has great rebound. Meaning, if it’s compressed under weight, it springs back to its original shape once the pressure’s gone.

It’s also available in a range of densities and can be supplied with added properties like antistatic protection or recycled content, depending on what the project needs.

2. What are Polyethylene Foam’s Key Properties?

• Lightweight but extremely durable
• Non-abrasive and lint-free — safe for sensitive surfaces
• Resistant to moisture, oils, and chemicals
• Excellent insulation and vibration damping
• Fully recyclable at specialist locations 

Because of these characteristics, PE foam is one of the most versatile options in protective packaging, making it adaptable to almost any industry or product type.

3. What are the Most Common Forms of PE Foam Packaging?

Depending on your product type, SmartShield engineers PE foam in several formats:

Foam Inserts and Trays: There are custom-cut to cradle components securely inside boxes, cases or crates. Perfect for medical devices, aerospace parts, and tools.

Foam Rolls: Offers flexible cushioning for wrapping, layering, or lining surfaces. Ideal for electronics, glass, or coated components.

Foam Laminates: PE foam can be laminated with substrates like kraft paper, film, or foil for additional surface protection, insulation, or cohesion.

Foam Pouches:  These offer lightweight, cost-effective protection for smaller or delicate items in e-commerce, electronics, or healthcare shipments.

4. Polyethylene Foam Rolls for Protective Packaging

Polyethylene foam rolls are a durable, lightweight packaging material designed to protect products during shipping and storage. They’re ideal for wrapping, layering, or interleaving between components, offering flexibility and cushioning that help reduce damage and lower shipping costs.

Our rolls are available in a single density but come in a variety of widths and thicknesses (ranging from 1/32” to ¼”), with roll heights of 48”, 60”, and 72”. They can also be tailored to your packaging needs with options for custom slits and perforations, making them easy to work with across different applications.

For projects that need more structure or impact protection, we also offer polyethylene foam sheets. These are commonly used for shock and vibration protection and are available in a range of densities (typically 1.7lb to 4lb) and thicknesses from ½” up to 4”. While these foam sheets can be cut with a utility knife, they are most often used for customized applications.

5. What are the benefits of PE Foam Inserts in industrial packaging?

PE foam packaging doesn’t just protect; it optimizes performance across operations.

Performance advantages:

• Protection where it matters: Absorbs impact and vibration to prevent transit damage.
• Precision fit: Can be custom cut, waterjet cut, CNC routered or knife cut - as well as die cut - to ensure exact fit to product profiles.
• Reusability: Ideal for returnable or long-life packaging systems, reducing waste and total cost of ownership.
• Clean handling: Non-dusting and non-abrasive, perfect for cleanroom and medical environments.
• Sustainability: Many of our foam sets are made using material that contains a high percentage of recycled content. Beyond that, foam packaging plays an important role in reducing waste. By protecting products from damage, it helps prevent the need for replacements and repeat shipments. In many cases, the foam can also be repurposed after use.

Consistency is just as important. Our packaging can be certified to ensure reliable, repeatable performance, giving you confidence that your products will arrive safely, every time.

6. How We Customize Your Polyethylene Foam Packaging

SmartShield’s polyethylene foam solutions are fully customizable to suit your product’s dimensions and protection requirements.

• Tailored sizes, shapes, and densities
• Perforated rolls for quick tear-off and convenience
• Branded foam - with logos or product information engraved or cut into foam inserts (though doesn’t apply to rolls of foam, or foam pouches)
• Specialty additives such as anti-static, UV-resistant, or flame-retardant finishes

Whether you need foam inserts for medical equipment or protective rolls for electronics, our custom foam packaging ensures a precise, professional fit.

7. What are the Main Applications Across Industries?

PE foam packaging is used across countless industrial and medical settings.

Typical applications include:

• Medical devices and instruments
• Aerospace and automotive components
• Electronics and injection-moulded parts
• Defence and robotics assemblies
• Lighting, decorative tiles, and furniture components

Beyond packaging, PE foam is also found in construction, sporting goods, and insulation, proving just how versatile it is.

8. Is Polyethylene Foam Sustainable? Our Approach to Sustainability

At SmartShield, we’re committed to sustainable packaging practices that make a real difference. This looks like:

• Wherever possible, we design foam sets to be returnable and reusable, rather than single-use.
• Our lightweight construction helps reduce shipping space and emissions.
• We offer recycled-content and biodegradable foam options, supporting circular material use.
• Polyethylene foam can often be repurposed after its first use, to keep parts organised, act as void fill, or provide separation in manufacturing plants.
• By preventing product damage during transit, our packaging also helps reduce waste by avoiding the need for replacements or reshipments.
• All our solutions are developed in line with industry sustainability standards.

9. Why Work with SmartShield for Foam Packaging?

Every product is different, and so is every packaging challenge. That’s why SmartShield’s foam specialists take a consultative approach to every project.

We combine CAD-based design, precision foam cutting, and material expertise to create solutions that protect, perform, and present your products at their best.
Whether you need a reusable medical crate, precision-cut foam inserts, or a sustainable alternative to traditional packaging, SmartShield delivers packaging that performs across the supply chain.

Ready to Build Smarter Foam Packaging?

At SmartShield, we believe packaging should work as hard as the product it protects.
Let’s design a polyethylene foam packaging solution that reduces costs, improves efficiency, and upholds the quality your brand stands for.

Get in touch to discuss your next foam packaging project.