Method for producing multilayer molded article

A heat-compression molding method for producing a multilayer molded article having a resin body and a skin material which is laminated on a surface of the resin body, comprising the steps:

• (1) facing a preheating panel on which a preheated skin material is placed towards one of upper and lower molds in which the preheating panel has a temperature profile, and the temperature of the skin material is varied on different portions thereof;
• (2) contacting said preheating panel with an outer periphery of said one of upper and lower molds through a peripheral part of the skin material to form an enclosed space between said skin material and a molding surface of said one of upper and lower molds;
• (3) evacuating said enclosed space through a hole provided in said one of upper and lower molds to suck said preheated skin material onto a surface of said one of upper and lower molds;
• (4) removing said preheating panel from said one of upper and lower molds;
• (5) closing said upper and lower molds to form a cavity with a distance between the molding surfaces of said upper and lower molds of between (C+0.1)mm and (C+100)mm, wherein C is a clearance between said molding surfaces at the completion of molding, and decreasing mold closing to a rate of 30 mm/sec or less;
• (6) supplying a molten thermoplastic resin to said cavity through a resin conduit provided in the other one of upper and lower molds;
• (7) mating a part of said outer periphery of one of upper and lower molds with a part of an inner wall surface of the other one of upper and lower molds before the molten thermoplastic resin reaches an edge of the molds;
• (8) closing the molds to the final position so as to compress and mold the molten thermoplastic resin, wherein the distance between the molding surfaces of said upper an lower molds is C;
• and
• (9) pressing and cooling the closed molds.

A method for producing a multilayer molded article having a resin body and a skin material which is laminated on a surface of the resin body, comprising the steps of:

• (A) providing an apparatus comprising a preheating panel and two molds, each of the molds having a mold surface, one of the molds having at least one hole which opens to its mold surface, an outer periphery, a frame which is slidably movable in a mold-closing direction, is attached around the outer periphery through expansion means and has an end which is not connected with the expansion means, and one of the molds which does not have the at least one hole having a resin conduit;
• (B) placing a skin material on the preheating panel;
• (C) preheating the skin material on the preheating panel in which the preheating panel has a temperature profile, and the temperature of the skin material is varied on different portions thereof;
• (D) moving the preheating panel to between the molds so that the skin material faces one of the molds which has the at least one hole;
• (E) conducting at least one operation selected from the group consisting of moving the preheating panel and moving the mold having the at least one hole, so that a periphery portion of the skin material contacts the end of the frame and the skin material, the frame and the mold surface of the mold having the at least one hole forming an enclosed space together;
• (F) evacuating the enclosed space through the at least one hole so that the skin material is sucked onto the mold surface of the mold which has the at least one hole;
• (G) removing the preheating panel from between the molds;
• (H) supplying a molten thermoplastic resin to between the skin material and the mold surface of the mold having the resin conduit through the resin conduit, during closing of the molds or while temporarily stopping mold closing;
• (I) closing the molds to a final position so that the molten thermoplastic resin is compressed, molded and laminated to the skin material;
• and
• (J) pressing and cooling the closed molds.