Abstract: A method for molding composite items, constituted by beads of sintered expanded resin and by inserts, comprising the steps of: using a movable half-mold and first and second half-molds which can perform a translational motion at right angles to the direction of motion of the movable half-mold; performing the molding operation by means of one of the translatable half-molds mated with the movable half-mold, translating the translatable half-mold from a position for accessing the half-mold to a molding position, simultaneously accessing the other one of the translatable half-molds when the other one of the translatable half-molds is located at the region for access to the translatable half-mold.