How a Brazilian Foam Factory Upgraded Foam Production in Limited Space

A Brazilian manufacturer specializing in mattresses, with additional sofa and flexible PU foam production operations, previously relied on a semi-automatic batch foaming machine. As its business continued to grow, the capacity and efficiency of batch production became insufficient to meet increasing demand, prompting the company to consider upgrading to a continuous foaming line.

When searching for equipment suppliers, the customer found that locally available machines in Brazil were relatively expensive and involved long delivery times. This led the company to explore suppliers in China. While seeking a good balance between equipment quality and price, the customer was also concerned about equipment suitability, supplier reliability, and the risks associated with international procurement.

In February 2026, the customer began discussing a continuous foaming solution with Sabtech. Beyond increasing production capacity, the project needed to address limited factory space, multiple foam product requirements, and equipment investment.

Developing a Production Layout Around Factory Space Constraints

The customer considered two production options: 30-meter long foam blocks and 5-meter foam blocks. Because the existing factory lacked sufficient straight-line space and most daily orders required 5-meter blocks, the customer ultimately selected a continuous foaming setup primarily designed for 5-meter block production.

To accommodate the available space, Sabtech designed a custom 90° rotating transfer platform at the discharge end of the foaming line.

During regular production, the continuous foam is cut into 5-meter blocks by the cutting unit. Each block then enters the rotating platform and is transferred sideways. After each transfer, the platform receives the next block, allowing the main line to continue foaming, cutting, and discharging.

Custom 90° Foam Transfer Conveyor

For occasional orders requiring an uncut long foam block, the customer can stop the cutting operation toward the end of the production run. The final continuous section remains on the available conveyor length before the line is shut down.

This discharge arrangement allows the customer to maintain continuous 5-meter block production within the existing factory while retaining the ability to produce occasional long blocks within the available space.

A 22-Component Configuration for Multiple Foam Products

The customer needed to produce conventional flexible PU foam, high-resilience (HR) foam, and viscoelastic memory foam for mattresses, sofas, and related applications.

Based on these requirements, Sabtech configured a 22-component continuous foaming line.

The configuration includes conventional PPG, POP, polyol premixed with filler, and dedicated polyols for HR and memory foam production. The isocyanate supply system includes TDI and MDI. Separate tanks are also provided for silicone surfactants used in different foam formulations, along with catalysts, water, cell-opening agents, flame-retardant additives, colorants, and other formulation components.

Small Chemical Tanks for 22-Component Foaming Line

For conventional, HR, and memory foam production, the customer can store and meter the relevant specialty polyols and selected additives separately, reducing manual premixing, material replacement, and cleaning associated with insufficient dedicated feed lines. Individual component flow rates can also be adjusted to provide greater formulation flexibility when controlling foam density, hardness, resilience, and cell structure.

PU Foam Raw Material Tanks and Pipelines

For factories that frequently change foam products, this arrangement can reduce material preparation work and some of the effects of residual materials during changeovers. Together with the recipe management system, it allows the customer to adjust formulation settings and component dosing according to the production schedule.

Compared with configurations offering fewer component feed lines, the 22-component system allows a wider selection of raw materials to remain connected to their dedicated supply units, making it suitable for the customer's multi-product production requirements.

During equipment selection, Sabtech also recommended removing certain nonessential paid options based on the customer's actual operating needs, helping control the initial investment.

The final initial equipment package included one 22-component continuous foaming line, one circular foam cutting machine, and one vertical foam cutting machine, covering foam production and subsequent cutting operations.

Third-Party Factory Inspection and Purchasing Decision

For this overseas equipment purchase, the supplier's actual manufacturing and project delivery capabilities were important considerations alongside equipment prices and technical specifications.

On March 12, 2026, the customer appointed a third party to visit Sabtech's factory for an on-site inspection and discussions, gaining a closer understanding of its manufacturing capabilities and proposed solution.

Before the inspection, Sabtech had already developed equipment configurations based on the customer's factory conditions and product requirements, while removing unnecessary paid options to control purchasing costs. The inspection gave the customer's representative a closer look at Sabtech's manufacturing facilities and technical capabilities.

After considering equipment quality relative to price, solution suitability, manufacturing quality, and technical support, the customer selected Sabtech.

On March 20, 2026, the customer formally confirmed the initial order and paid the deposit, allowing equipment manufacturing to begin.

On-Site Installation, Production Process Discussions, and Additional Orders

Manufacturing of the initial equipment package was completed in June 2026, followed by shipment arrangements.

On August 1, Sabtech's first team of technicians arrived in Brazil to begin assembling the equipment framework. On September 1, electrical and foaming specialists arrived at the customer's factory to carry out electrical connections, machine commissioning, and foaming process preparation.

Continuous Foaming Line Installation in Brazil

Sabtech provided on-site installation, commissioning, foam formulations, and operator training to help the customer's team transition from batch foaming to continuous foam production.

On-Site Foam Production Training

During installation, the customer also gave positive feedback on the progress made by Sabtech's engineers.

Customer Feedback on Installation

As the project progressed, Sabtech gained a better understanding of the customer's overall mattress manufacturing operations.

Because foam production was only one part of the customer's mattress manufacturing process, discussions gradually expanded to raw material placement, production workflow arrangements, and overall process optimization. Based on the actual factory conditions, Sabtech discussed possible improvements and provided recommendations on production arrangements.

As the cooperation expanded, the customer placed another confirmed order with Sabtech on September 20, 2026, purchasing a pocket spring machine, a rail-guided horizontal foam cutting machine, and mattress packaging film.

Production Start-Up and Measurable Improvements

On September 23, 2026, the 22-component continuous foaming line completed commissioning and successfully produced foam for the first time. By September 25, the customer's team was able to operate the equipment independently and carry out foam production.

According to actual project data, the previous semi-automatic batch foaming machine produced 10–20 m³ per hour, compared with 60–200 m³ per hour for the new 22-component continuous foaming line. The typical scrap rate decreased from 6%–12% to 1.5%–3%, while formulation changeover time was reduced from 30–50 minutes to 5–10 minutes.

For quality control, the reported density and hardness deviations improved from ±6%–10% to ±2%–3%. The new line also supports continuous production of conventional, HR, and memory foam. It can retain an uncut long foam block at the end of a production run, a capability unavailable with the customer's previous batch foaming equipment.

After the upgrade, the customer achieved measurable improvements in production capacity, formulation changeover efficiency, and foam quality control.

As of the latest project information, the line was in operation, and the customer's team was capable of independently managing continuous foam production. Cooperation had also expanded beyond the initial foaming and cutting equipment to other stages of mattress manufacturing.

Project Summary

The upgrade enabled the customer to establish continuous foam production within its existing factory, primarily producing 5-meter blocks while retaining the ability to handle occasional long-block requirements. The 22-component configuration supported the planned range of foam products, and the completed project delivered measurable improvements in production efficiency and quality.

If you are considering upgrading to a continuous foaming line or your existing factory space limits production expansion, share your production requirements and factory conditions with Sabtech. Our technical team can help you evaluate equipment configurations, production layouts, and project implementation plans.