What shadow board foam and 5S inserts are
A shadow board is a panel with silhouette cut-outs for each tool. When the tool is in place, the silhouette is covered; when it is taken, the shadow shows. A 5S foam insert does the same in a drawer or case: two-colour PE foam where an empty cavity shows up in contrast.
It supports the “Set in order” and “Standardise” steps of 5S: no checklists and no counting — the state of the workstation can be read from the aisle in a second. Used in manufacturing, aircraft and car maintenance, food production and military units.
What we make
- Shadow boards — a layer of PE foam with cut-outs for your panel; plywood / PVC / ABS backing with mounting made to order
- Two-colour shadow foam for cabinet and tool cart drawers — dark top, contrasting base
- Tray inserts for tools and fixtures moving between stations
- Numbering and labels for cavities to your list — tags or stickers
- Runs for all stations, to one standard
How we make it
- Tool list and outlines. Your tool list per station plus a top-down photo with a ruler, or measuring / 3D scanning at our workshop. For identical stations — once.
- Workstation standard. Layout, colours and numbering are agreed with your process engineer or 5S lead. We send a layout.
- Cutting and assembly. PE foam is cut on CNC with an oscillating knife (tolerance from 0.5 mm), board backings are milled from plywood or plastic, then bonded and fitted with mounts.
- Runs. We keep the files. A new station or a replacement for a worn layer needs no new design work.
Shadow board foam inserts start at UAH 499; the exact price follows your sketch.
Materials
| Element | Material | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| Two-colour drawer insert | Dark PE + contrasting PE | 30 + 10–20 mm |
| Shadow board, dry area | Plywood + PE | 10 + 30 mm |
| Shadow board, oil / moisture | ABS or PVC + PE | 5–10 + 30 mm |
| Heavy tools | Cross-linked PE (Ukraine) | 40–50 mm |
Cross-linked PE foam can be washed, does not absorb oil and does not crumble. See Materials.
What to send
- Tool list per station (or a top-down photo with a ruler)
- Where it lives: drawer (dimensions), wall (available area), rack
- Number of stations
- Colours and labelling requirements
For manufacturers and units
We organise tools to your company standard, from one pilot station to every shop. For the defence sector — trays with foam inserts for tools, spare parts and components, with batch labelling. See Defence packaging foam and Equipment foam inserts.
