There is disclosed a print construction comprising: (a) a printing substrate having an image-receiving surface; (b) a receptive layer, at least partially covering said image-receiving surface, and having a particle reception surface distally disposed to said image-receiving surface, said receptive layer optionally having a thickness of at least 1000 nanometer (nm); and (c) a plurality of individual particles adhered to said particle reception surface, and forming a monolayer thereon, the features of which are described herein.

According to one embodiment, a process for applying an adhesive material onto a barrier sheet substrate is provided. The process includes providing an adhesive material having viscosity of at least about 10,000 centipoise at 250° F. The adhesive material is applied to a multitude of cavities on a surface of a first tool with a coater unit in close proximity to the surface. The adhesive material is transferred from the surface of the first tool to the substrate supported on a surface of a second tool and pressed against the surface of the first tool.

There is disclosed a method of printing onto the surface of a substrate, which method comprises i) coating a donor surface (12) with a monolayer of particles, ii) treating the substrate surface (80) to render at least selected regions tacky, and iii) contacting the substrate surface with the donor surface to cause particles to transfer from the donor surface only to the tacky regions of the substrate surface. After printing on a substrate (20), the donor surface (12) returns to the coating station (14) where the continuity of the monolayer is restored by recovering with fresh particles the regions of the donor surface exposed by the transfer of particles to the substrate.

An apparatus for coating a donor surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of thermoplastic particles, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises an application device to apply to the donor surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounds the application device forming an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing prevents egress of particles from a sealing gap defined between the rim of the housing and the surface to be coated, and a suction source connected to the housing to extract from the plenum excess fluid and particles. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the donor surface, leaving substantially a single particle layer adhering to the donor surface upon exiting the apparatus.

An apparatus and method of applying a finish or paint coating in a prefinishing or finishing line to a fencing panel or picket that disguises the screen-back texture of the engineered wood substrate. After paint or similar coating is applied (such as by one or more spray nozzles) to a face to a fence picket or fencing product or component, the fence picket passes under a roller, brush, or roller brush or similar paint applicator while the paint is still wet. The roller/brush removes some of the paint and applies an angled pattern to the face, which disguises the screen-back texture of the substrate.

There is disclosed a method of printing onto the surface of a substrate, which method comprises i) coating a donor surface with a monolayer of particles, ii) treating the substrate surface to render at least selected regions tacky, and iii) contacting the substrate surface with the donor surface to cause particles to transfer from the donor surface only to the tacky regions of the substrate surface. After printing on a substrate, the donor surface returns to the coating station where the continuity of the monolayer is restored by recovering with fresh particles the regions of the donor surface exposed by the transfer of particles to the substrate.

A system for applying a product (3) by roller is disclosed. The system has an applicator roller (1) for applying a product (3) on a substrate (4) and a first dosing roller (2) for dosing said product (3) on the surface of the applicator roller (1), wherein the system comprises at least one second dosing roller (2) configured to fine-tune the dosing performed by the first dosing roller (2), thereby adjusting the amount of product (3) dosed on the surface of the applicator roller (1).

A system and method of scanning an environment and acquiring an image is provided. The system includes a mobile device having a camera and a first position indicator. A scanner having a light emitter and a light receiver is provided. The scanner determining coordinates of surfaces in an environment in response to emitting light with the light emitter and receiving light with the light receiver, the scanner having a second position indicator. One or more processors are provided that determine the position of the mobile computing device and transmits the data between the scanner in response to the first position indicator engaging the second position indicator.

An apparatus is disclosed for coating a surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of metallic particles or particles having a metal-like appearance and reflectivity, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises at least one spray head for directly or indirectly applying to the surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounding the spray head(s) and defining an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing having a rim adjacent the surface that is configured to prevent egress of particles from a sealing gap defined between the rim of the housing and the surface to be coated, and a suction source connected to the housing to extract from the plenum the sprayed fluid and particles suspended in the sprayed fluid. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the surface, so as to leave only a substantially single particle layer adhering to the surface on exiting the apparatus.

A fluid distribution device, for applying a fluid onto a transfer roller (2), comprises an elongated chamber (10), at least one inlet (31) for letting a fluid into the chamber (10), a longitudinal opening extending in the axial direction and adapted to face a transfer roller (2) so as to allow fluid to exit the chamber and contact the transfer roller, and at least one wiper blade (11) extending along at least a portion of the longitudinal opening. The chamber comprises, at each of the two axial ends of the chamber, a wall (15) separating the chamber (10) from a cavity (16), wherein the wall (15) has a wall surface (15A) arranged to face the transfer roller (2) when the device is in use, the wall (15) being dimensioned so that the wall surface (15A) will be distanced from the transfer roller when the device is in use, so as to allow fluid to be present in a gap (20) between the wall surface (15A) and the transfer roller.