Protection and Dampening
Impact, shock and vibration defeat standard bumpers and stock foam. Custom-engineered polyurethane parts prevail.
— The Recurring Problems
Shock transfer
Rigid stops and hard interfaces transfer impact and shock straight into delicate components, causing misalignment, stress and frequent maintenance
Bumper set
Bumpers and pads must absorb repeated impact without taking a set, tearing or adding excessive rebound, and without costing cycle time
Mount drift
Vibration mounts must dampen vibration and hold their dimensional integrity over product life, where generic foam and elastomer take a set and drift
Cable protection
Cables, risers and umbilicals need bend protection and strain relief, and metal bend stiffeners corrode, are heavy and need costly coatings
Enclosure weight
Enclosures and covers must protect sensitive electronics from impact, corrosion and the environment while staying light and scalable
— The Differentiator
Where standard components fall short
Most engineers start with rubber bumpers, stock foam, rigid stops, or metal bend stiffeners and enclosures. Each one falls short:
- Rigid stops can pass shock straight into the component they were meant to protect
- Stock foam and rubber mounts can take a set, so dimensions and dampening drift away from the specifications
- Rubber bumpers can tear under repeated impact, and assembled parts can fail at the bonded interface
- Molded plastic strain reliefs can crack at the flex point
- Metal bend stiffeners and enclosures corrode, add weight, and need cathodic protection or coating
- None can be customized to the energy absorption, dampening and durometer the system requires, and stock suppliers offer no engineering support
— Solution Spotlights
The products that solve this problem
Protective components only work for as long as they hold their shape. For applications where impact, shock or vibration threatens equipment, MPC customizes energy absorption, dampening and durometer to meet the needs of your system, in materials whose compression set runs as low as 17%.
Bumpers, Pads & Cast Polyurethane Foam Components
Custom cast polyurethane foam components, bumpers and pads engineered to the right density and recovery to slow an impact through controlled compression, absorbing energy without excessive rebound or a cycle-time penalty. Far lower compression set than stock parts holding their protective properties and height over system life, and dual-durometer construction puts a soft energy-absorbing zone over a hard structural zone in one part.
Vibration & Motor Mounts
Vibration and motor mounts designed to dampen vibration and hold their shape over system life, where stock foam and elastomer take a set and drift. MPC customizes the durometer and geometry to the exact needs of your design.
Vertebrae Bend Restrictors & Cable Protection
Vertebrae bend restrictors, bend stiffeners and covers cast in urethane that resists seawater hydrolysis and abrasion. They are lightweight and non-metallic, so they need no cathodic protection like metal. MPC also makes a patented boltless VBR design that installs about 40% faster than the standard bolted version, saving install time and cost on top of the protection.
Talk it through with a polyurethane expert who’ll tell you what’s achievable and what is not.
— featured case study
Automation Manufacturer Reduces Robotic Impact Damage
An automated system was taking recurring damage from incidental impacts. Rigid stops transfer shock into robotic components, causing misalignment, component stress and frequent maintenance.
MPC engineered a custom cast polyurethane foam component that absorbed the impact energy through controlled compression.
THE RESULT
Reduced peak impact forces and damage
— Industry Applications
Where this problem shows up
The same protection problem shows up in any application where impact, shock or vibration threatens equipment. For common examples of protection and dampening solutions across different applications, check out the below industry pages:
Vertebrae bend restrictors and cast enclosures for subsea cables and electronics
— Technical Specifications
The specs that matter for protection & dampening
Property
Range for this solution
Hardness
ASTM D2240
- Shore 20A–70D — solid polyurethane
- Customized per part
Mechanical properties (Durethane® S)
- Tensile strength 250–7,800 PSI
- Tear strength, Die C 30–800 PLI
- Elongation 160–850%
- Compression set 5–40%
Foam polyurethane (Durethane® F)
- Shore 25A–50A
- Tensile strength 800–1,400 PSI
- Tear strength, Die C 100–160 PLI
- Elongation 330–700%
- Open or closed cell; integral skin available
Heat, aging, hydrolysis and chemical resistance (Durethane® XL)
- Shore 70A–90A
- Tensile strength 3,000–5,000 PSI
- Tear strength, Die C 225–375 PLI
- Elongation 425–575%
- Compression set 17–20%
Customizable properties
- Hardness, elongation, tensile, tear and compression set are formulated to the part
- Any shape component, or machined to precise specifications
- Cast onto machined metal cores and hubs; dual-durometer construction available
Relevant technical downloads
Document
What it gives the engineer
Solid polyurethane material specifications: hardness 20A–70D with tensile, elongation, tear and compression set.
Foam polyurethane material specifications, including open and closed cell and integral-skin options.
Polycarbonate polyurethane material specifications — formulated for heat, aging, hydrolysis and chemical resistance.
Bolted and boltless VBR tables: segment sizes, weights in air and seawater, flange and lock-out radius options, and bend moments per size.
— HOW IT WORKS
From concept to scaled production
Connect With Us
Share your application, performance needs, or a part you want to improve.
Collaborate on Design
Our engineers will help optimize materials and geometry for manufacturability.
Prototype & Refine
We produce samples using our proprietary polyurethane formulations for testing.
Move to Production
Once approved, we move to scalable molding with full quality assurance.
That’s exactly the conversation we like to have – get a polyurethane expert on a quick call to pressure-test your idea before you commit.
— PROOF
Case studies & white papers
Case Studies
Offshore Operator Cuts VBR Installation Time 40%
Bolted vertebrae bend restrictors need marine-grade hardware on every segment, burning expensive deck and vessel time. This case study shows how MPC’s patented boltless clip design installed about 40% faster with far fewer pieces to manage, without giving up bend protection.
White Papers
Designing Robotic Systems for Shock, Vibration, and Impact
As robots move faster, shock and vibration – not just static strength – drive many failures. This white paper shows engineers how to improve reliability by managing impact energy across the whole system rather than simply building parts stronger.
Engineering Polyurethane Components for Heavy-Duty Applications
Modern automation pushes mechanical parts past what standard materials can handle. This white paper covers the material, process, and design choices behind heavy-duty polyurethane components for robotics and precision systems, so they hold up under continuous duty.
— Design Guide
How to specify custom cast polyurethane bumpers, foam components, mounts and bend restrictors to solve protection and dampening problems
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What bumper or foam absorbs repeated impact without taking a compression set or tearing like rubber?
A custom cast polyurethane foam component or bumper with low compression set. MPC engineers the material to absorb repeated impact through controlled compression, so it holds its protective properties over life where rubber tears and takes a set.
What vibration mount holds its dampening and shape without the drift of stock foam or plastics?
A custom cast polyurethane mount customized to the needs of your application. Its low compression set holds its shape and dampening properties over life where stock parts drift, and MPC customizes the durometer and geometry to the vibration the mount actually sees.
Can you make a part with a soft energy-absorbing zone and a hard structural zone in one piece?
Yes, with dual-durometer construction. MPC can manufacture dual-durometer products including a soft energy-absorbing zone and a hard structural zone together as one part.
What protects subsea cables and electronics enclosures without the corrosion and weight of metal?
Custom cast polyurethane bend restrictors, covers and enclosures. They resist seawater hydrolysis and abrasion, weigh less than metal, and need no costly coatings, so they protect cables and electronics where machined metal corrodes and adds weight.
— Keep Exploring