The invention discloses a preparation method and a device of a metal foam material. The preparation method comprises the following steps: mixing 93-99 wt% of aluminium matrix, 0.5-5 wt% of additive and 0.5-2 wt% of foaming agent uniformly to form a shaped foamable precursor material, putting the foamable precursor material in a foaming furnace with infrared heating to foam the foamable precursor material fast under infrared radiation, then taking the foam material out from the foaming furnace and cooling, wherein, the aluminium matrix is pure aluminium, aluminium powder or aluminium alloy, the foaming agent is titanium hydride, zirconium hydride, or calcium carbonate, and the additive is calcium, carborundum powder, or alumina powder. The device is a foaming furnace with infrared heating,has the advantages of fast foaming the precursor material, eliminating the hole gradient, easily controlling the foaming and cooling process, making the product have reproducibility and maneuverability, and improving cellular uniformity. According to the invention, metal foam sandwich panels can be prepared directly, and the mechanical properties of the aluminium-based foam material are improved.