Hi everyone, sorry if this is off-topic a little, however I think you guys probably have more experience with polyurethane than anyone else on the internet.
I would like to create custom car seats for my car, and while I already made my form for polyurethane - I don’t know how hard the foam I’m ordering should be.
From what I read, I need to find out the IFD (Indentation Force Deflection) of my original seats, however I cannot find any companies in Europe that provide such measuring service.
I found some foam IFD measuring machines online, however they are big, heavy and cost thousands of dollars. Are there any smaller portable tools I can use?
I found a few online (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Landtek-Portable-Durometer-Hardness-Measurement/dp/B00D8XCXZG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1440513761&sr=8-4&keywords=foam+hardness+tester) - however I’m not sure in what units those machines measure hardness.
Thanks!
Hi feromenge,
I would keep in mind that ILD is only one of several specs that can affect the firmness or softness of a foam material (see post # here) so I would be very cautious about using ILD/IFD alone to decide on whether a particular foam will be suitable for your car seat (see post #4 here).
You may also need different grades and firmness levels for the seating foam and the seat back because they will each be subject to different concentrations of weight and pressure.
I also wouldn’t take the time or go to the expense of buying a durometer which is a completely different method of measuring the “hardness” of a material than ILD/IFD testing and won’t be “translatable” into something that is particularly meaningful for you.
I would keep in mind that the only way to know for certain whether the seat cushions you choose will be a good match for your individual needs and preferences is based on your own personal experience and if I was in your shoes I would work with a foam supplier that has the knowledge and experience to understand all the many variables that can affect your choice of the “best” cushioning material relative to the application you are using it for and your own preferences and criteria and use their guidance to make your choices rather than using more complex specifications that you may not fully understand and that will be more likely to lead to information overload or “paralysis by analysis”. They will already have the experience and knowledge that could otherwise take you a long time and a great deal of trial and error to learn.
Phoenix