Laminated foam (composite foam) is produced by bonding a surface material — aluminium foil, non-woven fabric, leather, flannelette or PE film — to a closed-cell foam base such as XPE, IXPE or IXPP. The result combines the insulation, cushioning and light weight of foam with the reflectivity, strength, breathability or aesthetics of the facing layer.
Bofeng Foam runs in-house lamination and manufactures four types of laminated foam products. Use this page to compare them and find the right composite for your application.
Our 4 Laminated Foam Products
1. Aluminium Foil Laminated Foam
Foam faced with reflective aluminium foil. It reflects radiant heat, blocks moisture and provides excellent thermal insulation for roofing, ducting, cold-storage and automotive applications.
2. Non-Woven Laminated Foam
Foam bonded to non-woven fabric for a soft, breathable, abrasion-resistant surface. Used in car interiors, carpet backing, bedding and medical supplies.
3. Leather Laminated Foam
Natural or synthetic leather laminated onto soft foam. It combines the comfort and insulation of foam with the durability and premium look of leather for automotive seats, furniture and sporting goods.
4. Flannelette Laminated Foam
Foam faced with fleece (flannelette) for a soft, warm, comfortable touch. Widely used in bedding, cushions, garment linings and gift-box packaging.
Lamination Methods We Offer
- Flame lamination — heat-fusing the foam skin to the facing layer, no adhesive needed.
- Hot-melt / glue lamination — for materials that need a bonding layer.
- Single- and double-sided lamination, plus back-adhesive options.
Reflective foil facing: what the foil actually does
Aluminium foil is the facing we laminate when the job is to control radiant heat. The foam on its own slows conduction and stops air moving; the foil adds a low-emissivity surface that faces an air space. In a roof build-up, a duct wrap or a cold-store panel, this combination is what the trade calls reflective insulation: the foam does the conduction work, the foil does the radiation work, and the closed-cell structure keeps moisture out of both.
Two practical points. The foil has to face an air space to do anything — bonded tight against a solid surface it becomes a vapour barrier and little more. And a foil facing changes the surface of the sheet, not the grade underneath: density, thickness and compression set are chosen exactly as they would be for the unfaced sheet. We laminate single- or double-sided onto XPE, IXPE or IXPP, using flame lamination or a hot-melt adhesive depending on the facing.
On drawings from North America the facing is usually written aluminum foil; aluminium and aluminum describe the same facing here. For wrap-and-stick installation we supply a self-adhesive version with a solvent-based adhesive under a release liner.
We do not publish a reflectivity, emissivity or assembly R-value for a laminated build, because those numbers belong to the finished assembly and its air spaces, not to the foam alone. If a specification needs them, they have to come from a test on the assembly.
Applications of Laminated Foam
- Construction: roof insulation, foil-faced underlayment, moisture barriers.
- Automotive: interior sound insulation, seat padding, door panels, engine-compartment insulation.
- Packaging: protective cushioning and heat-preserving packaging for fragile goods.
- Furniture & bedding: sofa cushions, mattress toppers, carpet backing.
- Medical: dressings, bedding and cushioning that must stay soft and hygienic.
Custom Foam Lamination Service
Tell us your surface material, base foam, thickness and dimensions and we will produce a laminated foam sheet to your specification. We support OEM / ODM orders from sample to mass production.
Request a laminated foam sample or quote →
Ordering information
| Item | What we supply |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | 1,000 m² for standard rolls and sheets; custom parts are quoted individually from the drawing |
| Lead time | 15–20 days from order confirmation |
| Samples | A4 sheet, free of charge, shipping included |
| Supply forms | foil, non-woven, PE film, leather or flannelette faced sheet, single or double sided |
Laminated foam FAQ
What is laminated foam used for?
Lamination lets one sheet do two jobs. Aluminium foil adds a radiant barrier and a vapour barrier to a thermal insulation layer, at the same time as the foam decouples and cushions. Non-woven fabric gives a bondable, low-friction surface for automotive and construction use. Leather and flannelette provide a finished appearance for consumer and interior products, and PE film closes the surface against moisture and dust. In each case the base foam is still chosen for the mechanical job it does.
Which facings can you laminate?
Aluminium foil, non-woven fabric, PE film, leather and flannelette are the facings we laminate, in single or double sided form, onto XPE, IXPE or IXPP base foam. Because the lamination happens in the same factory as the foaming, the facing, the adhesive and the foam grade are specified together rather than bought as three parts and bonded by a third party.
Does adding a facing reduce the insulation performance?
No — a metallic foil facing normally improves the thermal performance of the assembly, because it adds a radiant barrier to the conduction and convection control the foam already provides. The closed-cell foam still absorbs no more than 0.2% water at 3–10× and no more than 0.4% at 25–40× by the GB/T 1034 method 4 test, so the layer does not lose its insulation value in damp service, and the foil acts as a vapour barrier in the same thickness.
Can laminated foam be die-cut or CNC-routed after bonding?
Yes. Laminated stock is cut after bonding, so the facing and the foam are cut to the same profile in one operation. This matters for parts where the edge has to be clean and the facing has to stay bonded right to the perimeter, such as underlayment panels, automotive trim and packaging inserts.
How thick can a laminated composite be?
The base foam can be a single layer or a heat-bonded multi-layer block. XPE and IXPE bond up to 200 mm, IXPP up to 100 mm, and the facing is laminated to the finished thickness. If the part needs to be thick but light, a laminated build is usually thinner and lighter than the equivalent solid block.
Is reflective foam insulation the same as foil-faced foam?
In practice, yes: reflective insulation is the performance the assembly is bought for, foil-faced foam is the product that delivers it. The foil provides the reflective surface and a vapour barrier; the foam provides the conduction control, the cushioning and the closed-cell water resistance. A foil facing on its own, without an air space in front of it, reflects very little.
Related Reading
See also: Foam lamination: flame or adhesive, and the facings each method suits
Related Materials
See also: All foam materials · XPE foam · IXPE foam · IXPP foam