The development of new production processes and materials is revitalizing foam injection molding, yet its application in engineering design remains limited due to insufficient information on how foam morphology affects mechanical performance. This work aimed to create injection molded foams with systematic morphological variations and assess their mechanical performance under various loading modes. The study established correlations between mechanical properties and foam morphology, enabling the targeting of specific structural characteristics to enhance mechanical behavior. It was shown that foam morphology can be optimized to maximize performance while minimizing weight. Key morphological parameters examined included compact skin thickness, density distribution from skin to core, cell density, and cell geometry (size, orientation, aspect ratio). The modulus of elasticity is primarily influenced by density and skin thickness, while finer foam morphology enhances ductility under both quasi-static and impact loads. For tensile loads, the modulus of elasticity can improve by up to 20% with increased skin thickness and 10% with higher core density. The flexural modulus can increase by 35% with thicker skin and 10% with a smooth density gradient. Under multi-axial impact loading, significant improvements in mechanical properties can be achieved without increasing weight, with absorbed impact energy rising by up to 75% through skin
