In the future, Apter plans to design urethane inserts to fit other popular tablets and iOS devices, like an iPhone or Android.

ENGADGET: Padcaster SLR lens mount for iPad now available: priced at $149 or $189 for Lenscaster combo

The structures are then coated with paint and a urethane that keeps liquids and bacteria from penetrating them and allows for easy cleaning.

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Parade executives approached Donnelly a couple of years ago, and the 40-foot-long balloon, made from urethane-coated nylon, has been in process ever since.

WSJ: Up in the Air | Making It

Polyols are a key ingredient in urethane foams, mattresses and cushions.

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Perfect for professional and amateur videographers alike, the Padcaster is an aluminum frame with a urethane insert that snugly holds your iPad for a secure and solid feel.

ENGADGET: Padcaster SLR lens mount for iPad now available: priced at $149 or $189 for Lenscaster combo

While the models were first cast and the paint was first mixed in New Jersey, the actual balloon was manufactured in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with the help of a 3-D scanning program and a special machine that seals urethane panels.

WSJ: Up in the Air | Making It

From its urethane foam in the track, polymer fibres in the super-fast hockey pitches, materials in walls, floors and roofs of stadia and insulation technology in the broadcast and electricity wiring cables to technology in the signage in the controversial Games Lanes, the company's hands are all over London 2012.

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