Process for molding of a foamed article

Claim 1

A process of making a foamed article having a smooth surface, a non-foamed outer shell and a foamed core portion, comprising: (1) plastifying, kneading, metering and accumulating a foamable resin at a pressure which is higher than its foaming pressure and sufficiently suppressing said foamable resin in an unfoamed state; (2) injection said foamable resin into a gas-pressurized mold cavity having plural gaps and set at a pressure which is lower than the foaming pressure and not lower than a surface smoothing pressure which is sufficient to form a smooth, swirl-mark free and sink-mark free surface on the non-foamed outer shell, the shell being successively formed at the surface where the resin contacts the mold cavity; (3) lowering the pressure within said mold cavity by simultaneously (a) discontinuing injection of said foamable resin, (b) discontinuing feeding of pressurized gas into said mold cavity and (c) releasing gas pressure in said mold cavity to an atmospheric pressure or lower; and (4) solidifying said foamed article by cooling and removing said foamed article after solidification wherein said mold cavity is controlled to a mold temperature which is between (a) the dew point of the steam in the air on the mold cavity surface and (b) a temperature 10° C. less than the heat distortion temperature of said resin.