Abstract: Molding compound parts with uniform wall thickness are precisely and repeatedly produced by compression, though supporting rods and levelling devices used for supporting the platen of press equipment which tilt during compression. The press equipment of the present invention is provided with levelling devices for supporting the platen at the four corners on the bed. The supporting rods of the levelling devices are hollow, with position detecting means vertically mounted therein so that the height of the supporting rods can be precisely detected and the rods can be synchronously controlled so as to make the upper mold half parallel to the lower mold half of the mold without magnifying the error caused by the inclination of the supporting rods.

Abstract: Coated sheet molding compound (SMC) parts are produced by transferring mold devices between a main press and at least one auxiliary press and by completing the compressing and curing of the coated SMC parts during the transfer of the molds. In the main press the SMC sheet is compressed and cured to be formed into a desired shape, and the formed SMC part is coated in the mold, and in the auxiliary presses the other operation such as charging the SMC sheet, closing and opening the mold, removing the part, and the like are performed. Between the adjacent main press and auxiliary presses are means for transferring the molds between the respective presses. Levelling devices are provided associated with the molds for supporting the upper mold parallel to the lower mold, and during the transfer the coated SMC part is further compressed and cured in the mold by suitably controlling the levelling devices. This method can be sufficiently applied to mass production systems such as automobiles or the like.