4. Flexion

In this type of application, foam is almost never used on its own, but in conjunction with a more rigid support. These are most often panels using bi-material sandwich structures, but other forms also exist, such as tubes.

These structures take advantage of the increased modulus of the element subjected to bending. As this modulus is proportional to the square of the sandwich thickness, high flexural strength can be achieved with low sheet thicknesses. This property is known and applied in many other fields, such as partition structures in the building industry.