摘要 |
Forming method of producing thin-walled finished articles such as cups of expanded resin including steps of: heating beads of expandable thermoplastic resin in a mold cavity of a preforming mold, causing the beads to be expanded and fused together to produce a preformed article; transferring the preformed article as pressurized in an atmosphere under pressure to a finish-forming mold; and compressively forming the preformed article with the finish-forming mold. Also, disclosed in apparatus to be used for embodying the method of forming expanded resin cups, including: a pressure chamber held as pressurized, a preforming mold in which beads of expandable thermoplastic resin introduced in the mold cavity are heated, causing the beads to be expanded and fused together to produce a preformed article; male member transferring means for transferring the male member of the preforming mold together with the preformed article, to a position opposite to the female member of a finishforming mold; and a finish-forming mold for heating, compressively forming, and cooling the preformed article to produce a thin-walled finished article, with the preforming mold and the finish-forming mold being both disposed in the pressurized chamber. |