Automated manufacturing method and system and in-mold coated plastic article produced thereby

An automated method of manufacturing a coated plastic article, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a mold for making the article, the mold having upper and lower mold halves wherein one of the mold halves has a mold surface which at least partially defines an article-defining cavity;
• coating at least a portion of the mold surface with an in-mold coating composition;
• placing a heated blank of moldable plastic sheet material between the upper and lower mold halves, the blank having inner and outer surfaces wherein the plastic sheet material comprises a plastic resin;
• forcing an inner portion of the heated blank into the article-defining cavity so that the outer surface of the blank is in contact with at least a portion of the in-mold coating composition;
• causing the in-mold coating composition to cure to form a coating and causing plastic resin of the inner portion of the blank to form an adhesive layer which chemically bonds the blank to the coating;
• and
• molding a plastic compatible with the plastic resin of the sheet to form at least one component on the inner surface of the sheet and so as to form the coated plastic article and wherein the article is a laminated article molded as a unitary structure.