There’s no better way to keep your tools protected, organised, and inventoried than custom foam inserts. Tailormade to fit your tools like a glove, and with pick or push points for easy tool retrieval, custom foam inserts make accessing, storing, and transporting your tools, convenient, safe, and easy.
Here’s our step-by-step guide to how custom foam inserts for tool boxes are made:
Designing the Perfect Custom Foam Insert
The first thing we need when creating custom-cut foam inserts is information. We need to know what style of tool case we’re designing your foam inserts for, and the tools you want included. Once we have these details, we can begin designing your custom foam layouts. Remember, custom foam inserts are made-to-order, so in every case, we’re creating a new bespoke solution that best meets your tool handling and management needs.
To ensure each foam cut-out is a perfect match for the size and shape of your tools, we scan each tool using an electric pen and board to give us an accurate record of its proportions. We already have 1000s of tools scans saved in our digital library, so it’s possible we won’t need to see or handle your tools to do this. If, however, we do need to take a scan of your tools for any reason, you can either bring your tools to us or we’ll come out to you. Either way, you’ll be given the opportunity to approve the scan before it gets sent to the router for cutting.
Material Selection and Customisation Options
Next up is material selection and customisation. We offer a wide choice of foams for our tool case inserts, available in a core range of 13 colours (although we can source more on request). Our foams also come in a range of thicknesses and densities, ranging from durable closed-cell to impact-resistant polyethene.
Which foam is best suited to your design will depend on a few factors, including:
- The environment you work in
· The tools you want to include in your inserts
· The type of tool storage you’re designing your inserts for
· Your budget
As a general rule, thicker foams are needed for bulkier tools, such as power tools, which should sit at the bottom of your tool cabinet to avoid it becoming top heavy and tipping over. For higher drawers and lid inserts, we recommend smaller and lighter tools such as sockets. Of course, the beauty of custom foam inserts is that they’re fully adaptable, so while we’ll advise you to the best of our knowledge, if you prefer to group your tools together by family or even to arrange your tools according to the ones you use most, we’ll make this work.
Here’s our step-by-step guide to how custom foam inserts for tool boxes are made:
1. Two-toned shadow foaming
Two-toned shadow foaming is when multiple layers of foam (usually two different coloured foams) are glued together to form a contrasting layer below the top layer of the foam insert. As well as forming a more visually appealing appearance, the colour contrast between foams makes it easy to spot when a tool is missing.
2. Push points
Push points help you to quickly release your tools from their foam inserts with almost no effort. An activation pocket is created in the foam, allowing you to easily retrieve any tool in your insert just by applying gentle pressure to one side of it, causing the tool to instantly pop up.
Push points are a great space saver on your foam insert, as they don’t take up any additional room on the layout.
3. Pick points
Pick points are another way to retrieve your tools easily from your foam inserts. The process involves creating a small recess at one end of the cut-out, large enough to allow you to get your finger beneath the tool and gently hook it out.
Unlike push points, pick points do take up a little more space in your layout, so we generally recommend a combination of the two tool retrieval styles, depending on which method is better suited to the tool.
4. Foam etching
Foam etching helps with tool organisation and accountability. A tool code is etched beside the corresponding tool slot in your foam insert to help you identify if a tool is missing. If the tool can’t be located, you can simply use the code to reorder the tool. We also offer tool etching too, which can help you to identify a tool as yours when you’re working alongside other contractors.
Precision Cutting with CNC Technology
Once you’ve specified all of your customisations and approved the design of your inserts, it’s time to cut your foam to size. Although there are different methods of doing this, at Red Box Tools we specialise in CNC (Computer Numerical Control) cutting. This is a digital machining technique that uses a variety of differently tapered machine heads to ensure each tool cutout is precision-crafted for an exact fit.
CNC technology offers a wealth of advantages over other foam shaping methods. For one, it is highlight accurate, following the tool shape path generated in the scan to mirror the proportions of each tool to perfection. It can also handle all densities and thicknesses of foam, resulting in a smooth and precisely shaped cut that never fails to produce a high-quality finish. It’s suitable for creating all kinds of custom foam inserts, be it for packaging foam, flight case foam, or different types of industry-specific tool boxes, such as electronics, plumbing, or automotive, so it’s highly adaptable and ideal for achieving a professional looking insert.
Quality Assurance
The penultimate stage in the design and manufacturing of custom foam inserts is quality assurance. This is the final process, before your inserts get packaged and shipped. During the quality assurance stage, each custom foam insert undergoes rigorous checks to ensure it’s fit for purpose.
At Red Box Tools, this process involves three key areas:
- Each foam insert is visually inspected by a member of our team for defects
- The tool cutouts and the foam inserts undergo dimensional accuracy verification
- We fit- test the inserts with actual tools or prototypes
Undergoing these rigorous quality control checks ensures that every custom foam insert we produce at Red Box Tools meets the highest standards of quality and performance, while delivering our customers’ objectives.
Packaging and Delivery to the Customer
Finally, when your custom foam case inserts have passed all quality assurance tests, all that remains is to ship them to your chosen delivery address. At Red Box Tools we ship to the whole of the UK as standard and worldwide on request at point of order.
To protect their integrity in transit, each of our custom cut foam inserts is carefully packaged, ensuring your order arrives to you in the exact condition in which it left us. Once you receive your inserts, you’ll be able to put them to immediate use. Each layer will be clearly labelled to guide you as to where in your tool storage it sits, and if you’ve opted for foam etching and tool engraving, you’ll easily be able to match your tools to their intended cut-out in the insert too.
While we’re confident you won’t need any assistance from us on receipt of your tool box foam inserts, if you do have any questions, feel free to get in touch by phone or email and we’ll be happy to help.
Conclusion: The Benefits of Choosing Custom Foam Inserts for Your Tools
Quick and easy tool retrieval. The peace of mind of knowing your tools are safely protected from damage. A more efficient way of working that helps you to better manage and track your tools. Whatever industry you’re in, if working with tools is part of your day-to-day norm, investing in custom foam inserts offers you so many time-saving and practical benefits.
Not only will you prolong the lifespan of your tools by keeping them secure and protected from shocks in transit, you’ll also be able to easily find the tools you need on a job, and immediately spot if any are missing – saving you the hassle and extra expense of replacing lost tools.
There are literally so many upsides and zero downsides to using custom foam case inserts. So why resist something that can improve the quality of your work life for the better?
Get in touch with our Red Box Tools foam experts today and see how inexpensive, easy, and quick it is to get custom foam inserts for your tool cases.
How to Get Started with Custom Foam Tool Case Inserts
Getting a custom foam insert for your tools is easier than you might think. Just give us the brands of tools you’d like included, along with your tool box model and foam choice, and we’ll create a custom layout that meets all of your requirements. We’ll even send you your layout for sign-off before taking the design to manufacturing, to ensure you’re 100% happy. From here, it’s just a 7–10-day turnaround to receive your order.
FAQs about Foam Inserts for Tool Boxes
- How long do Red Box foam inserts typically last?
Our foam inserts are designed to last several years, however how you care for your foam and how often you use your tools, will determine its lifespan.
- Are Red Box’s foam inserts waterproof or oil-resistant?
Yes, all of our foam inserts are resistant to oil and water.
- Can I get custom foam inserts for any tool box?
Yes, our custom foam inserts can be cut to any size of tool box. We also offer foam inserts for other types of tool storage, such as chests, bags, and cabinets.
- How do I clean foam tool inserts?
Maintaining your foam tool inserts is easy. Simply use a soft brush to dust off debris or loose fibres and a moist cloth with mild soap to treat any stains.
- Is there a minimum order for custom CNC-cut foam inserts?
No, we don’t enforce a minimum order for our CNC-cut foam inserts. You can order one insert up to as many as you need.
- Can foam inserts be made for other items?
Yes, in addition to tools we also manufacture foam inserts for camera cases, gun cases, display cases, and to protect breakables in transit.
- Can I add logos or branding to my custom foam inserts?
Yes, we can add your logo or branding to any of our custom foam inserts on request. All we require is a PNG file.
Ready to get organised?
Find your perfect tool storage from our professional range
From tool bags and tool chests to tool boxes with wheels, tool belts, tool cases, and trade-specific tool storage, at Red Box Tools we offer high-quality solutions you can count on.
Or why not take your tool storage to the next level with our made-to-order tool box foam drawer inserts and custom shadow foaming?
