METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTICLES FROM EXPANDIBLE THERMO-PLASTIC MATERIALS

摘要

A method of manufacturing an article by providing a micro-wave transparent openable mould with a cavity the shape of the article to be formed, loading the mould cavity with a predetermined quantity of pellets of plastics material which is micro-wave transparent and will expand when heated to fill the mould cavity and will bond together, surface coating the pellets with a substance to generate gas when heated, exposing the mould to micro-wave radiation sufficient to gasify the pellet coating to create heat and pressure in the mould cavity to expand the pellets to fill the cavity and bond the pellets together, followed by cooling the article and removing it from the mould cavity.