Patent ID: 8092727

Claim:
A method to form a shaped foam article comprising, (a) extruding a styrenic polymer with a blowing agent to form a styrenic polymer foam plank, the plank having a top and bottom surface in which said surfaces lie in the plane defined by the direction of extrusion and width of the plank said plank having a vertical compressive balance equal to or greater than 0.4, (b) creating a pressing surface by (i) removing a layer of foam from (A) the top surface, (B) the bottom surface, or (C) both the top and bottom surface or (ii) cutting the foam plank between the top and bottom surface creating two pressing surfaces opposite the top and bottom surface, (c) contacting the pressing surface of the foam plank with a die face, and (d) pressing the foam plank such that the styrenic polymer foam is formed into a shaped foam article without heating the foam.