Tool box foam inserts have become increasingly popular across many industries due to their usefulness in organisation, safety and efficiency.

At Parotec Solutions, we can provide tool foam inserts perfect for your specific business needs. Whether you’re an independent mechanic or are a large aviation business, foam inserts are the perfect solution for the organisation of your toolbox.

What kind of foam is used in tool boxes?

Tool boxes typically use shadow foam inside their tool boxes. Sometimes referred to as impression foam for tools, shadow foam inlays are pre-cut to fit the shape of your tools.

What is shadow foam?

Shadow foam is a multi-layered foam that can be cut to any specific size and/or shape. The foam is common chemical and water resistant, meaning if anything is spilled, it can be wiped away with ease. It is often made from polyethylene, but there are other types of foam that can be used.

The two-toned foam consists of a top layer which is often black, with the layer underneath being another colour such as red or blue. With the foam colour showing through, you can easily see when a tool or item is missing from your set.

What is 5S foam?

5S tool box foam is a type of shadow foam that has two tone layers. This is a very effective storage feature, making it much easier to see which tool you have missing from your collection.

When 5S is used properly, your time spent searching for your tools will be drastically reduced.

5s foam can be instrumental in ensuring safety in a workplace – it reduces the risk of FOD (foreign object damage or debris), preventing tools being misplaced in dangerous areas, such as in an aircraft engine or vehicle interior.

How do you make foam inserts for tool boxes?

To make foam inserts for your tool boxes, we use precise manufacturing processes, such as Foam Engineering, to provide detailed custom foam cutting bespoke to your tool cases.

Our foam design system allows us to design your foam based on images of your tools and desired layout. During the cutting process, the desired shapes for your items are cut out of the foam. We separate the layers to reveal the different colours, ready for your tools to be put safely in place.

Types of tool box foam inserts

There are two main types of tool box foam inserts and both of them generally function in the same way:

Tool Control Foam

Tool control foam is a great asset to you in your tool box due to the fact it can be perfectly cut around any tool shape. This means your tools can be safely stored away when not in use, and easily found too when you need to use them.

You can easily spot what is in your inventory by just a quick glance, perfect for any tradesperson who needs quick access to their toolkit.

Shadow Foam

Shadow foam is extremely useful due to its two-tone colourways. The bright coloured layer in which your tools sit becomes covered when you have a tool in its place – this means you can easily spot when you tool is or isn’t there due to the exposure of colour.

Again, this allows for quick access when needed, meaning you spend less time hunting for specific tools in a messy toolbox, and more time on the important matters.

Perhaps the most important element of shadow foam is the safety features. When you can clearly see tools are missing, you reduce the risk of sending out items, equipment or vehicles being worked on with a potential misplaced tool left inside. This can be extremely dangerous, so using shadow foam to track tools is vital.

It also helps to reduce the costs of replacing missing tools if the existing ones can be easily accounted for!

Bespoke tool box and cabinet foam

There are a range of tool boxes and cabinets that are widely used amongst different industries. We can create custom foam inserts for almost any style of tool case or cabinet.

These could include:

• Tool box foam for Laser Cabinets
• Custom tool cabinet foam for Snap On Tool Chests
• Tool Connection custom foam
• Bespoke foam inserts for Kennedy Tools
• Foam inserts for Stahlwille Tool Trolleys

Where can you use tool control shadow foam?

Tool control shadow foam can be used in virtually any industry which requires some form of tool control. Common industries include plumbing, electrics, mechanics, aviation and even photography.

Not only does shadow help to organise your tools, it effectively keeps all your tools safe too which is why it is often a favourable choice in flight cases. No matter what you’re organising, from tools to cameras, shadow foam is a great means of storage.

Tool control foam allows you to create bespoke inserts that last, and are also fully customisable to efficiently use the full height of your storage cases.

The benefits of tool control foam

There are countless benefits of tool control foam. Some of the benefits include:

• Quick and easy tool location for instant use
• Increased safety due to tool management and awareness
• Prevention of tools moving around during transportation
• Reduced risk of theft of tools
• Easy to see if tools are missing
• Protection of expensive equipment
• Reduce costs of replacing missing equipment

FAQs about tool control foam inserts

Why do you need tool control foam inserts?

The main reason why you would need tool control foam inserts is to protect your equipment. Not only are you protecting them from potential loss, but also from any damage that could occur during the transportation of the tools.

Not only does it protect, it also makes it much easier to identify if any tools are missing from your kit so you’ll never leave any behind.

What material is tool control foam made from?

Tool control foam is made from a durable, multi-layered 100% polyethylene foam. This means the material can be cut cleanly, and can be easily peeled away to reveal the layers underneath.

Can I choose the colours used in tool control foam?

Yes, tool control foam comes in a variety of colours and can sometimes be colour matched to your company’s brand colours.

Popular colours include bright blues, reds and yellows due to the contrast against the black surface layer.