Why use CNC foam inserts in a custom flight case?
Why Are Foam Inserts Used in Flight Cases?
A strong flight case provides protection from the outside, but what protects the equipment once it’s inside? That’s where a custom foam insert can make a significant difference.
Equipment can move around inside a case during transportation if there isn’t sufficient internal protection. Even where the external case is extremely robust, unnecessary movement can potentially result in damage, particularly with delicate or valuable equipment.
A CNC foam insert for a flight case can be designed around the exact shape of the equipment, creating a dedicated space for each component. The result is a more secure, organised and professional internal layout.
What Is a CNC Foam Insert?
CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. CNC cutting technology allows foam to be shaped accurately according to a digital design.
Rather than manually cutting a simple piece of foam to roughly accommodate an item, a CNC machine can create detailed cavities, compartments and profiles designed around the equipment. This makes CNC foam particularly useful for complex equipment or cases containing multiple components.
The insert can be designed with specific areas for individual items, helping keep everything securely positioned during transportation.
How Does CNC-Cut Foam Protect Equipment?
The primary purpose of a foam insert is to provide additional protection between equipment and the case. A properly designed insert can help reduce unnecessary movement, separate individual pieces of equipment and protect vulnerable components. It can also beneficial to create dedicated storage space, keep equipment organised and make packing and unpacking easier.
The design of the insert will depend on the equipment, the case and the intended application.
For some projects, a simple protective layout may be appropriate. For others, a multi-level foam configuration with individual cavities may be more suitable.
Why Choose CNC Foam Over Standard Foam?
Standard foam can be useful for basic protection, but it isn’t necessarily designed around the equipment. CNC cutting allows much greater precision. Individual cavities can be created to accommodate specific shapes, while multiple components can be arranged within the same insert. This can be particularly valuable where equipment has unusual dimensions or where space inside the case needs to be used efficiently.
For professional touring and production equipment, that precision can also make the case much easier to work with. When everything has a dedicated position, it becomes immediately obvious where each item belongs.
CNC Foam Inserts for Touring Equipment
Touring equipment is regularly packed, transported, unpacked and repacked. That means the internal layout of a flight case needs to work just as hard as the external case.
A well-designed CNC foam insert can help create a repeatable packing system. Equipment can be returned to its designated position after each show or production, helping crews keep cases organised and reducing the amount of time spent working out where individual components belong.
This can be particularly useful for audio equipment, lighting equipment, AV and video equipment, musical instruments and production technology including electronics along with tools and specialist equipment.
Can CNC Foam Be Designed for Existing Flight Cases?
Potentially, yes. CNC foam inserts can be designed according to the dimensions of an existing case, subject to the case’s construction and available internal space. This can provide an opportunity to improve the internal protection of an existing case without replacing the entire case.
However, where maximum protection and integration are required, designing the custom flight case and foam insert together can provide the most cohesive solution.
The case can be designed around the equipment while the foam is then configured to match the internal dimensions.
Custom Foam for Custom Equipment
Some equipment simply doesn’t have a suitable off-the-shelf protective solution. This is where bespoke foam inserts become particularly valuable. Instead of trying to find a generic piece of foam that is approximately the right size, the internal layout can be developed around the equipment itself.
The design can take into account individual components, connectors, handles, controls and other areas that need to be protected or accessed.
More Than Protection
A good foam insert isn’t just about cushioning. It can transform the way a flight case is organised. Dedicated cavities make it easier to see whether everything is present, while clearly defined spaces can speed up packing and unpacking. For touring crews and production teams, this can save valuable time.
A well-designed case effectively becomes a mobile storage and transportation system.
Cased Up CNC Foam Inserts
At Cased Up, we can develop custom CNC foam inserts for flight cases, designed around the equipment being transported. Whether you’re looking for a foam insert for an existing case or a complete custom flight case and internal protection system, we can help develop a solution around your requirements.
If you have valuable equipment that needs to travel safely, the protection inside the case deserves just as much consideration as the case itself.