Tooling and components of an injection-molding system may be used to mold a foam article. The tooling and components may include features that control parameters of the injection-molding and foaming process, such as temperature, pressure, shot size, shot placement, and the like.

Aspects hereof provide methods for molding a single-phase solution comprised of a polymer composition and a gas. The polymer composition and the gas are maintained under pressure during the molding operation to prevent a cellular structure from being formed by the dissolved gas in the polymer composition coming out of solution. The mold cavity in which the single-phase solution is introduced for molding purposes is pressurized to a mold pressure that is sufficient to maintain the single-phase solution as a single-phase solution as the mold cavity is filled. Subsequent to filling the mold cavity with the single-phase solution under pressure, the resulting article may be exposed to a reduction in pressure causing the entrapped gas to form a cellular structure.

A method for producing a foam-molded product by using a plasticizing cylinder, includes: plasticizing and melting the thermoplastic resin to provide the molten resin in a plasticization zone of the plasticizing cylinder; introducing a pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at a fixed pressure into a starvation zone of the plasticizing cylinder to retain the starvation zone at the fixed pressure; allowing the molten resin to be in the starved state in the starvation zone; bringing the molten resin in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at the fixed pressure, in the starvation zone in a state in which the starvation zone is retained at the fixed pressure; and molding the molten resin having been brought in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent into the foam-molded product.

A manufactured building panel having a building panel frame that defines a cavity and having an injection aperture in fluid communication with the cavity, and an expanded foam disposed within and filling the cavity. A fabric covers and is bonded to a front surface and a rear surface of the frame to enclose the cavity. The expanded foam is formed by injecting an expandable polymer through the injection aperture and into the cavity, which expands to fill the cavity and permeate the fabric, and to cure to form the expanded foam that bonds to the frame and the fabric.

A manufactured building panel having a building panel frame that defines a cavity and having an injection aperture in fluid communication with the cavity, and an expanded foam disposed within and filling the cavity. A fabric covers and is bonded to a front surface and a rear surface of the frame to enclose the cavity. The expanded foam is formed by injecting an expandable polymer through the injection aperture and into the cavity, which expands to fill the cavity and permeate the fabric, and to cure to form the expanded foam that bonds to the frame and the fabric.

A method and device for manufacturing a sandwich structure comprising at least one foam layer of a first thermoplastic comprising a chemical blowing agent and two cover layers. The decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent is higher than the melting point or range of the first thermoplastic. The method comprises a series of steps performed on an advancing starting structure including heating under pressure in order to cause decomposition of the blowing agent, intermediate cooling, foaming at a constant volume and further cooling.

A method and device for manufacturing a sandwich structure comprising at least one foam layer of a first thermoplastic comprising a chemical blowing agent and two cover layers. The decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent is higher than the melting point or range of the first thermoplastic. The method comprises a series of steps performed on an advancing starting structure including heating under pressure in order to cause decomposition of the blowing agent, intermediate cooling, foaming at a constant volume and further cooling.

A system including an injector, a press, and a robotic conveyance is used to form a physically foamed article of footwear component from a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid. The parameters and features of the system are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner with enhanced throughput by the system.

A system including an injector, a press, and a robotic conveyance is used to form a physically foamed article of footwear component from a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid. The parameters and features of the system are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner with enhanced throughput by the system.

Generation of a balloon-shaped air bubble is suppressed. A foam molded article according to a mode of the present disclosure is characterized in that in a situation of being divided into two equal parts in the thickness direction T of the foam molded article, the average cell diameter 1 in the thickness direction T on the inner surface side A of the foam molded article is 1.2 times ((1/1)=1.2) or greater of the average cell diameter 1 in the thickness direction T on the outer surface side B of the foam molded article and that the surface roughness Sm of the inner surface of the foam molded article is 1000 m or greater.