Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.

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 molding method includes providing a molding device, wherein the molding device includes a first mold and a second mold corresponding to the first mold; moving the first mold towards the second mold to form a first mold cavity; supplying a gas to the first mold cavity; injecting a material into the first mold cavity; and moving the first mold away from the second mold to form a second mold cavity and discharge at least a portion of the gas out of the molding device, wherein a first volume of the first mold cavity is substantially less than a second volume of the second mold cavity.

An intra-mode moulding foam molding device of thermoplastic polymer particles and a molding method thereof. The device includes a supercritical fluid delivery system, a mould pressing foaming system, a preheating quantitative feeding system and a moving rail; the supercritical fluid delivery system communicates with the mould pressing foaming system. Through a one-step foam molding method of polymer particles, polymer particles can be directly added into a molding cavity without pre-foaming, water and anti-sticking separating agent are not needed; the molding process does not need high-pressure water vapor for warming and molding, and has great adhesion force and is also clean, therefore polymer materials are easy to hydrolyze. The processing needs few heat, the heating efficiency of the polymer particles is high, the temperature of the polymer particle is uniform, and a polymer particle microcellular foamed mould pressing molded product having fine pores, precise size and light weight is obtained.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.

The present invention is a manufacturing method for obtaining a molded article having foam layer inside for providing a foaming agent, a device, a mold, a molding machine, a means for increasing the foaming ratio and a means for increasing coating appropriateness used for manufacturing resin having foaming properties. When the resin having compatibility (miscibility) with the resin to be blended is used as a carrier resin used for manufacturing a masterbatch of the foaming agent, the molded article having an excellent outer appearance can be obtained. When the sodium bicarbonate which is an inorganic foaming agent is used for the foaming agent, a sodium carbonate, which is a foam residue remaining in the molded article after the foaming agent is decomposed to generate the foaming gas, reduces the adherability of the coating film. Thus, when the acid cleaning is preliminarily performed to remove the sodium carbonate, the coating appropriateness is satisfied. When performing the GCP, the thickness of the skin layer located at the surface varies depending on the surface temperature of the mold. In general, the means using the heated steam is generally used for increasing the temperature of the mold. In the present invention, the means for heating the magnetic fluid (liquid) by high frequency induction heating is used. Thus, the temperature of the mold can be safely increased at low cost with heating efficiency. When a mold-back or a core-back is performed for obtaining the molded article having high foaming ratio, the resin is separated from the fixed side. The present invention provides the means for solving the above described problem of the separation by using the gas.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

The disclosure provides an injection molding apparatus, including a mold unit, an injecting unit, and a counter pressure unit. The mold unit is adapted to provide a first cavity and a second cavity. The injecting unit is adapted to inject a first material into the first cavity to form a first molded object. The second cavity is adapted to accommodate the first molded object. The injecting unit is adapted to inject a second material into the second cavity to form a second molded object, such that the first molded object and the second molded object in the second cavity are combined. The second material is a foaming material. And the counter pressure unit is adapted to provide gas into the second cavity to increase the pressure in the second cavity.

A molding method includes providing a molding device, wherein the molding device includes a mold cavity, a feeding port in communication with the mold cavity, and a junction point in connection with the mold cavity; engaging an outlet of an injector to the feeding port; injecting a molding material including a blowing agent into the mold cavity from the feeding port by the injector; and injecting a gas into the mold cavity through the junction point to increase a pressure inside the mold cavity to a predetermined pressure for maintaining the blowing agent in a supercritical state.