Apparatus and method for forming a design on an expanded bead foam article

A method of molding a design into a foam article comprising the steps of:

• Step 1:
• Providing a steam molding apparatus comprising two half-cylindrical opposing dies with one open end, the opposing dies defining an axis A, and a circular end die plate oriented orthogonally to the axis A, the two half-cylindrical dies and the end die plate defining a cavity, the end die plate being reciprocally moveable in an axial direction from an outward position to an inward position independently of the half-cylindrical dies, the end die plate having a design contour as part of or mounted on its cavity facing side;
• Step 2:
• Filling the cavity with expanded foamed beads while the end die plate is in the outward position;
• Step 3:
• Bonding the expanded foam beads together under pressure by introducing pressurized steam into the steam molding apparatus;
• Step 4:
• Forming a design into an endwall of the molded article by moving the end die plate inward (toward the foam beads) to increase the axial pressure on the expanded foam beads at the end endwall;
• Step 5:
• Cooling the expanded foam beads in the cavity, thereby producing a molded article having a design formed in an endwall;
• Step 6:
• Retracting the end die plate outward (away from the molded article);
• and
• Step 7:
• Ejecting the molded article from the steam molding apparatus.