Patent ID: 8343396

Claim:
A continuous process for producing elongate phenolic foam insulating shaped sections, said process comprising the steps of: providing a moving first inner facing web; providing a moving second outer facing web; laying down liquid phenolic foam reactants between the moving webs; shaping the moving second outer facing web by using a mould, the mould including a number of interlinked moving mould sections; shaping the moving first inner facing web by using a stationary hollow mandrel, the stationary hollow mandrel having opposite closed ends and an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe connected to the stationary hollow mandrel for circulating a heat exchange fluid by the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe; heating the stationary hollow mandrel and thereby curing the foam surrounding an exterior of the stationary hollow mandrel at a rate of movement of the foam exceeding two meters per minute by circulating the heat exchange fluid contained entirely within the stationary hollow mandrel as the heat exchange fluid is passed through the inlet pipe and the heat exchange fluid is removed through the outlet pipe; simultaneously heating the first inner facing web by passing the heat exchange fluid through the mandrel at a first temperature from 45° C. to 85° C. and heating the second outer facing web by heating the mould sections to a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature; moving the mould sections to draw the second outer facing web along; and supporting the webs to maintain the foam in a desired elongated shape until the foam has cured to a shaped profile section.