Vibra®place tool inserts

Tool inserts and shadowboards made from PE foam are a highly effective tool for not only establishing logical order in the workplace but also maintaining it in the long term. In industrial assembly lines, workshop trolleys, manual pre-assembly operations, or logistics staging areas, this clear structure delivers ROI every single day: whoever picks up an item does so faster and more accurately. At the same time, putting items back is consistently made easier, as the perfect shape essentially dictates the action itself. 

The underlying material is fine-pored PE foam, supplied as raw sheets in substantial dimensions of up to approximately 2000 × 1000 mm and with freely definable thicknesses ranging from around 20 mm to over 100 mm. Compared to other foam systems, PE is particularly dimensionally stable yet sufficiently elastic to prevent edges from chipping and ensure silhouettes do not appear uneven. The material is largely closed-cell, feels pleasantly ‘smooth’ to the touch and reacts to mechanical stress in a predictable and stable manner. This is precisely why polyethylene is the industry standard for shadowboards.

The individual contours are milled from these raw sheets using CNC machining. In the process, the interior space is defined so precisely that each individual tool sits as if in a negative mould. This results in a very high recognition value and very low cognitive effort: the user no longer has to think to grasp the order – order is visible without having to think. And it is precisely this effect that is one of the most important aspects of modern workplace design: order is not achieved through reminders, but enforced by the design.

Instead of a single colour, two-tone structures are often chosen: a darker top layer with a lighter core underneath. As soon as a tool is missing, the lighter layer ‘glows’ visibly. As a result, empty spaces no longer become a vague ‘I think something’s missing’, but provide immediately clear visual information. 

The importance of reordering should not be underestimated either: once an insert has been designed, the digital setup file is saved. This means that identical shadowboards can be produced again in the future – with identical contours, identical tolerances and identical feel.