A hot melt adhesive system includes an adhesive supply for receiving solid or semi-solid hot melt adhesive, and a heater associated with the adhesive supply for melting the solid or semi-solid hot melt adhesive into liquid hot melt adhesive. An adhesive tracking system monitors an output of the liquid hot melt adhesive, and includes a flow meter having a flow inlet and a flow outlet. The flow meter measures an amount of the adhesive flowing out of the flow outlet. A product detector may be used to sense a presence of a product to which the adhesive is applied. A controller then determines the total amount of the liquid adhesive dispensed and the average amount of liquid adhesive dispensed per product.

An applicator for dispensing adhesive and a method of diverting flow in an applicator are disclosed. The applicator includes a plurality of pump assemblies each having an inlet and an outlet, a plurality of dispensing modules each having an inlet, and a flow diverter plate in fluid communication with the plurality of pump assemblies. The flow diverter plate defines a body having a first surface in fluid communication with the plurality of pump assemblies, a second surface opposite the first surface in fluid communication with the plurality of dispensing modules, and a plurality of diverter passages extending from the first surface to the second surface. Each of the plurality of diverter passages has a first opening on the first surface and a second opening on the second surface, and the first opening is in fluid communication with the outlet of one of the plurality of pump assemblies, and the second opening is in fluid communication with the inlet of at least one of the plurality of dispensing modules.

The control unit, when a first condition in which a minimum value of a suppliable time that is a time it takes for an amount of liquid contained in each supply-side sub tank to reach an amount corresponding to a switching preparation time necessary for switching between the refill-side sub tank and the supply-side sub tank is less than or equal to a maximum value of a full refill refilling time that is a period from when refill processing for performing refilling of the liquid from the main tank is started in each of the plurality of refill-side sub tanks until a state is achieved in which the refill-side sub tank is fully re-filled with liquid and can supply the liquid is satisfied, the refill processing is performed on the plurality of refill-side sub tanks.

A sensor unit for measuring a mass flow rate of a liquid hot-melt adhesive is disclosed. The sensor unit includes a flow channel for the hot-melt adhesive, a first temperature measurement device positioned at a first position in the flow channel, a second temperature measurement device positioned at a second position in the flow channel and a heating device assigned to the second temperature measurement device, and a control unit for controlling the heating device and for measuring the mass flow rate. The controller is configured to adjust the temperature of the heating device assigned to the second temperature measurement device to a value, to determine the heating power for heating the heating device assigned to the second temperature measurement device, and to calculate the mass flow rate in the flow channel. The first and second temperature measurement devices are arranged substantially parallel to each other in the flow channel.

A system for dispensing hot melt adhesives, comprising an adhesive dispenser including a fluid passage leading to an outlet. The system further comprises a supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid passage and a feeding mechanism configured to feed an elongate, flexible element of solid adhesive into the supply conduit. The system further comprises a first heating element positioned along at least a portion of the supply conduit to melt a portion of the elongate, flexible element being fed into the supply conduit and thereby form a supply of liquid adhesive within the supply conduit.

An adhesive feeding device includes an adhesive dripping unit and a magnetic field control unit. The adhesive dripping unit is configured to accommodate an adhesive mixture having magnetic properties and comprises an adhesive outgoing end. The magnetic field control unit is provided above one end of the adhesive dripping unit opposite to the adhesive outgoing end, and is configured to control the adhesive mixture to flow out from the adhesive outgoing end without a firing pin.

The present invention relates to a slot die coating apparatus. A slot die coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a slot die configured to perform a coating process by applying ink to a substrate; an image capturing unit disposed adjacent to the slot die and configured to capture a state of the slot die and a state of ink applied to the substrate during the coating process; and a control unit configured to compare an image captured by the image capturing unit with a reference image and control an operation of the slot die and a transfer of the substrate.

In an embodiment a method for coating a base material by a slot-die with a slurry supplied through lines of a coating system includes generating, by a coating controller of the coating system, reference data for normal coating bead formation of the slot-die based on status data, detecting, by the coating controller, a process condition change event according to at least one property change of a viscosity of the slurry, a temperature of the slurry, or a slurry flow rate by analyzing the status data and controlling, by the coating controller, a flow rate adjustment valve installed in the lines to adjust the slurry flow rate based on reference data corresponding to a slurry property changed by the process condition change event.

The present invention relates to melter for processing substantially solid, free-flowing adhesive particulate and supplying liquid adhesive. The melter has a tank for receiving adhesive, a heating device coupled with said tank for heating and liquefying adhesive particles, at least one pump for conveying the liquid adhesive, and a filling device for filling the tank with the substantially solid, free-flowing adhesive particulate. The filling device is arranged such that adhesive particulate can be fed into the tank through an inlet opening of said tank. The invention also relates to a filling device for filling a tank of an adhesive melter with substantially solid, free-flowing adhesive particles.

A system for dispensing hot melt adhesives, comprising an adhesive dispenser including a fluid passage leading to an outlet. The system further comprises a supply conduit fluidly connected to the fluid passage and a feeding mechanism configured to feed an elongate, flexible element of solid adhesive into the supply conduit. The system further comprises a first heating element positioned along at least a portion of the supply conduit to melt a portion of the elongate, flexible element being fed into the supply conduit and thereby form a supply of liquid adhesive within the supply conduit.