Some embodiments relate to a method for the direct soling of a multilayered shoe sole. The method can provide two distinct sets of mold frames for a first and a second shoe sole layer and a distinct order for the soling of the layers. In contrast to art traditional approaches, a first layer (e.g. a midsole) is first soled to an upper in a first mold frame and subsequently a second layer (e.g. an outer sole) is soled onto said first layer in a second mold frame. The method can allows for an increased design flexibility and the inclusion of additional functional or aesthetic features, such as air pockets, undercuts, toe caps or running sole tips previously not possible with direct soling processes. Some embodiments relate to an injection molding system equipped and configured for carrying out the method.

Provided is a method of molding, by using a mold, a component including a metal plate and a thermoplastic resin containing a thermoplastic resin arranged on a surface on one side of the metal plate, the mold including at least a movable mold and a fixed mold including a support portion. Specifically, the molding method includes: an arranging step of arranging a premolded metal plate within the mold; a fixing step of fixing the metal plate by pressing the metal plate against the movable mold with use of the support portion; and a molding step including forming a cavity between the fixed mold and the metal plate by closing the mold, bringing the thermoplastic resin into close contact with the metal plate, and forming an exposed portion by exposing the metal plate out of the softened thermoplastic resin with use of the support portion. With this, without leakage of the thermoplastic resin, a joint region to a metal surface of another component can be reliably secured.

A method of injection moulding an article, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an injection mould comprising a plurality of mould parts defining a mould cavity of the injection mould, the plurality of mould parts including first and second movable mould parts, the injection mould further comprising an injection inlet for injecting molten thermoplastic resin material into the mould cavity, wherein the injection inlet is located in the vicinity of the first movable mould part and the second movable mould part is remote from the injection inlet; (b) disposing the first and second movable mould parts in a first configuration so as to define a first intermediate moulding cavity, in which first configuration the first movable mould part is in a first rearward position and the second movable mould part is in a first forward position; (c) injecting molten thermoplastic resin material into the first intermediate moulding cavity through the injection inlet to fill the first intermediate moulding cavity with the molten material; (d) closing the injection inlet; (e) after commencement of the injecting step and at least partly after the closing step, moving the second movable mould part from the first forward position to a second rearward position; (f) moving the first movable mould part from the first rearward position to a second forward position; and (g) moving the second movable mould part from the second rearward position to a third forward position thereby to dispose the first and second movable mould parts in a final configuration so as to define a final moulding cavity of the injection mould filled with the molten material, the final moulding cavity defining a cavity outer surface which defines the outer shape of the article to be moulded.

A method of injection moulding an article, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an injection mould comprising a plurality of mould parts defining a mould cavity of the injection mould, the plurality of mould parts including first and second movable mould parts, the injection mould further comprising an injection inlet for injecting molten thermoplastic resin material into the mould cavity, wherein the injection inlet is located in the vicinity of the first movable mould part and the second movable mould part is remote from the injection inlet; (b) disposing the first and second movable mould parts in a first configuration so as to define a first intermediate moulding cavity, in which first configuration the first movable mould part is in a first rearward position and the second movable mould part is in a first forward position; (c) injecting molten thermoplastic resin material into the first intermediate moulding cavity through the injection inlet to fill the first intermediate moulding cavity with the molten material; (d) closing the injection inlet; (e) after commencement of the injecting step and at least partly after the closing step, moving the second movable mould part from the first forward position to a second rearward position; (f) moving the first movable mould part from the first rearward position to a second forward position; and (g) moving the second movable mould part from the second rearward position to a third forward position thereby to dispose the first and second movable mould parts in a final configuration so as to define a final moulding cavity of the injection mould filled with the molten material, the final moulding cavity defining a cavity outer surface which defines the outer shape of the article to be moulded.

Provided is a method of molding, by using a mold, a component including a metal plate and a thermoplastic resin containing a thermoplastic resin arranged on a surface on one side of the metal plate, the mold including at least a movable mold and a fixed mold including a support portion. Specifically, the molding method includes: an arranging step of arranging a premolded metal plate within the mold; a fixing step of fixing the metal plate by pressing the metal plate against the movable mold with use of the support portion; and a molding step including forming a cavity between the fixed mold and the metal plate by closing the mold, bringing the thermoplastic resin into close contact with the metal plate, and forming an exposed portion by exposing the metal plate out of the softened thermoplastic resin with use of the support portion. With this, without leakage of the thermoplastic resin, a joint region to a metal surface of another component can be reliably secured.