Foam Engineers was commissioned to supply a moped and motorbike to be built around metal sub-frames (customer issued) which allow for a radar signal reading. The bikes would allow the customer to ‘crash test’ cars continuously without incurring the cost of replacing the bike (or the car!). A foam bike could fall over and be remounted and repositioned very easily (the wheels were expected to move but Foam Engineers also had to make provision for the bike to be mounted (by the customer) onto a specially made stand). The bikes form part of a ‘foam village’ used in the testing of onboard computer systems and automatic braking.

The Zotefoams materials chosen were more suitable for sculpting and 3D cutting, enabling Foam Engineers to create the detailed and complex geometry compared to other closed-cell materials. They also allowed the introduction of colour in very simple but effective ways: for example, grey was used on the brake discs and red for the rear brake light and stop/start button.

The Zotefoams components also responded well to a heat-treating operation required to clean and deburr the edges and surfaces, and to a gluing stage. Zotefoams materials grades are easier to bond and more consistent than other materials.