Company At A Glance
Business Type
Building Products Manufacturer
SR&ED Category
Experimental Development
Team Size
18
Scope
Insulation Foam, Thermal Performance, Material Durability
Province
New Brunswick
The Challenge
The company was developing insulation foam products intended for different climates, building conditions, and installation uses. Existing foam formulations performed acceptably in standard applications, but when the company adjusted the material for colder climates, higher moisture exposure, different substrate conditions, and varied installation methods, the results were not consistent.
The challenge was that improving one performance requirement often created problems in another area. A formulation that improved insulation value could become too rigid, difficult to apply, or more prone to cracking. A version that handled moisture better could affect adhesion, curing behaviour, density, or long-term dimensional stability. The company had to determine whether different foam formulations and processing conditions could be adapted for specific climates and uses while maintaining thermal performance, durability, adhesion, and practical installation behaviour.
What We Documented
01
Uncertainty
Uncertainty
The uncertainty was whether the foam formulation could be adjusted for different climate and building applications without creating unacceptable issues with curing, adhesion, moisture resistance, cracking, density, or thermal performance.
02
Iterations
Iterations
The company tested different formulation adjustments, raw material ratios, curing conditions, application thicknesses, substrate types, temperature ranges, and moisture exposure conditions. Some versions improved thermal performance but created application or cracking issues. Other versions improved flexibility or adhesion but reduced insulation value or consistency.
03
Knowledge Gained
Knowledge Gained
The company gained practical knowledge about how foam chemistry, application conditions, curing behaviour, substrate interaction, and environmental exposure affected product performance across different building uses.
Results
Why This Qualified
- Required experimentation beyond standard foam formulation adjustments
- Different climate and installation conditions created unpredictable material behaviour
- Improvements in thermal performance affected curing, adhesion, cracking, and density
- Multiple formulation and application trials were needed to balance performance requirements
- New knowledge was gained about adapting insulation foam products for different climates and uses
