Footwear component manufacturing methods

A method of physical foaming a footwear component, the method comprising:

• temperature conditioning a mold to a temperature from 15 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius;
• selecting the mold based, at least in part, on the mold achieving a defined temperature within a temperature conditioning temperature range;
• engaging the mold with a robotically conveyed end effector adapted to reversible engage with the mold;
• conveying, with the end effector, the mold to a press;
• positioning, with the end effector, the mold on a press plate of the press;
• elevating the press plate supporting the mold within the press;
• engaging the mold with a universal runner plate;
• aligning a runner outlet of the universal runner plate with a runner of the mold;
• aligning a gas port of the universal runner plate with a gas port of the mold;
• applying a gas counter pressure to a cavity of the mold;
• injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold;
• releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold;
• and
• removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold.

A method of physical foaming a footwear component, the method comprising:

• temperature conditioning a mold to a temperature from 15 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius;
• engaging the mold with a robotically conveyed end effector adapted to reversible engage with the mold;
• conveying, with the end effector, the mold to a press;
• applying a gas counter pressure to a cavity of the mold;
• injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold;
• releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold;
• and
• removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold,
• wherein the gas counter pressure is maintained in the mold cavity following the injecting of the single-phase solution at a pressure effective to maintain the single-phase solution as a single-phase solution in the cavity of the mold for about 0.5 seconds to about 10.0 seconds.