Method for producing a molded part

Abstract

A method for producing a molded part from a foamed plastic in a mold cavity which is delimited by walls of an at least two-part, open- and closable molding tool including the steps: closing of the molding tool to prepare the mold cavity; pouring a particulate granulate of the plastic into the mold cavity; heating the granulate through the introduction of steam into the filled mold cavity at such a temperature and steam pressure that the granulate expands and is melted to form a molded part; cooling the molded part in the mold cavity; opening the molding tool and removal of the molded part, wherein the steam that is introduced into the mold cavity is conveyed through steam chambers which are positioned on the side of the walls of the molding tool opposite from the mold cavity and communicate with the mold cavity by openings that pass through the walls, and wherein before and/or during the closing of the molding tool, a temperature control medium inside the walls of the molding tool is guided in a cavity which does not communicate with the steam chambers and mold cavity, in order to preheat the walls, and the walls of the molding tool are preheated to a temperature that is suitable for the melting of the granulate to form the molded part.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.