A hot melt dispensing system is described. The hot melt dispensing system includes a melter that melts solid material into hot melt, a pump that pumps the hot melt from the melter to at least one applicator, and a pressure control system that controls a pressure of pressurized air for operating the pump. The pressure control system includes a regulator assembly that controls the pressure of the pressurized air, and a drive component that actuates the regulator assembly. The hot melt dispensing system also includes a controller that determines a pressure setting for the pressurized air. The drive component receives the pressure setting from the controller and actuates the regulator assembly to a position associated with the pressure setting.

An adaptive hot melt feed system includes a melt system, a feed system, a gas control device, a sensor, and a controller. The melt system includes a heated vessel. The feed system is configured to deliver a solid material to the vessel of the melt system for melting. The gas control device is configured to control a supply of gas provided to the feed system to drive the solid material from the feed system to the melt system. The sensor can be configured to detect an amount of material in the vessel of the melt system. The controller is in electronic communication with the gas control device and is programmed to signal the gas control device to vary the supply of gas to the feed system based on a fill metric determined by the controller.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a formed article that excels in shape retainability and appearance, using a sheet that contains a thermoplastic resin fiber and a continuous reinforcing fiber. The method for manufacturing a formed article comprises irradiating laser light onto a sheet having, arranged therein with a certain directionality, yarns that contain a thermoplastic resin fiber and a continuous reinforcing fiber, so as to allow at least a part of the thermoplastic resin fiber to be impregnated into the continuous reinforcing fiber; the laser light being irradiated so as to satisfy at least one of A or B below, over at least 70% or more of the laser irradiation area; A: irradiated in a direction 5 to 85 away from the direction of arrangement of yarns in the in-plane direction of the sheet; and B: irradiated in a direction 30 to 60 away from the direction perpendicular to the sheet plane.

A method of supplying adhesive particulates from a supply container to an adhesive melter includes fluidly coupling an adhesive transfer structure between the adhesive melter and the supply container, lowering an internal surface temperature of the adhesive transfer structure by directing cooling air through the adhesive transfer structure, and moving the adhesive particulates from the supply container into the adhesive melter for melting the adhesive particulates into a fluid adhesive after lowering the internal surface temperature of the adhesive transfer structure. A hot melt adhesive system includes a supply container for storing adhesive particulate, an adhesive melter, an adhesive transfer structure coupled to the supply container and the adhesive melter for transferring cooling air and adhesive particulate toward the adhesive melter, and a control configured to transfer the cooling air through the adhesive transfer structure before the adhesive particulate is transferred toward the adhesive melter.

A pelletized road marking composition includes a binder mixture, a filler mixture and bentonite clay. The binder mixture includes at least one alkyd ester, at least one wax, at least one ethylene copolymer, and at least one plasticizer. The filler mixture includes at least one coloring additive, reflective elements, and at least one inert inorganic filler. The components of the road marking composition are mixed and melted and processed into pellets. The bentonite clay added to the composition prevents the pellets from clumping when stored at elevated temperatures.

A method of forming an oral care implement, a method of forming a head plate for an oral care implement, and an oral care implement or head plate formed therefrom. The head plate may have micro-sized or fine features. The method may include providing an amount of a first solid material upstream of a first mold cavity; prior to the first solid material entering the first mold cavity, applying ultrasonic energy to the first solid material to melt the first solid material into a first molten material; flowing the first molten material into the first mold cavity; allowing the first molten material to harden within the first mold cavity to form a head plate comprising micro-sized features; forming a body from a second material, the body including a handle portion and a head portion; and coupling the head plate to the head portion of the body.

An arrangement for melting at least one solid precursor product for polymer production includes a housing for receiving the solid precursor product by way of an opening, and a melting device arranged in the housing. The melting device is disposed so that the solid precursor product can be fed thereto to be melted. A preferably switchable discharge device is connected to an opening of the housing and can be connected to an injection unit.

A hot melt delivery system includes a frame and a suspension device attached to the frame. The suspension device is configured to hang a hot melt storage container. The hot melt delivery system includes a vibratory feeder spaced below and from the suspension device. The vibratory feeder includes an inlet that is configured to receive hot melt material from the hot melt storage container. The vibratory feeder includes an outlet that is configured to deliver hot melt material to a melter. The vibratory feeder includes a vibration device that is configured to vibrate at least a portion of the vibratory feeder. A flow of hot melt material between the inlet and the outlet of the vibratory feeder is controllable.

A method of forming a thermoplastic polymer film includes melting and subjecting a polymer resin material to shear stresses in a range of 250 kPa to 400 kPa to form a refined resin material and forming the thermoplastic polymer film from the refined resin material. The film is substantially free of microgels having a largest dimension greater than 50 microns. The film has a thickness in a range of 15 micron to 80 microns. The film has a microgel count in a range of 0 to 0.2 per mm.sup.2 of microgels having the maximum dimension greater than 10 microns.

A melt system that includes a melt unit. The melt unit includes a reservoir and a melter. The melter is configured to expose solid adhesive to a temperature sufficient to form a molten adhesive, which is deposited into the reservoir. The melt unit includes a hopper disposed above the melter and for holding a supply of the solid adhesive. The hopper has an access door disposed on a wall of the hopper that is movable between a closed position where the hopper is closed and an open position where an internal chamber of the hopper is accessible to receive the solid adhesive. The hopper and the solid adhesive in the hopper are thermally isolated from the reservoir.