Adhesive dispensing system and method using smart melt heater control

摘要

An adhesive dispensing system is configured to automatically reduce the temperature of adhesive material to reduce degradation of the adhesive caused by holding the adhesive at an application temperature during periods of low throughput. To this end, a controller of the system operates a heater unit to maintain a unit set point temperature to heat and melt adhesive until a set threshold time has elapsed since the most recent supply of adhesive to the system by a fill system. Once the time elapsed since the most recent supply of adhesive exceeds the set threshold time, the heater unit is reduced in temperature to reduce the temperature of adhesive. This reduction is temperature is large enough to minimize degradation and outgassing but small enough to enable rapid warm-up times after a new supply of adhesive occurs.

主权项

1. A method for dispensing adhesive with an adhesive dispensing system, the method comprising:
operating a heater unit to maintain a unit set point temperature that is sufficient to melt and heat the adhesive; determining that the adhesive dispensing system requires a supply of adhesive; actuating a fill system to supply adhesive to the adhesive dispensing system; determining whether a first set threshold time has elapsed following the most recent actuation of the fill system; and reducing the temperature of the heater unit below the unit set point temperature when the first set threshold time has elapsed, wherein determining that the adhesive dispensing system requires a supply of adhesive further includes sensing a level of adhesive in the adhesive dispensing system with a level sensor connected to a controller, and determining whether the first set threshold time has elapsed is performed by the controller, such that the steps of actuating the fill system and reducing the temperature of the heater unit to reduce degradation of the adhesive are performed automatically by the controller without needing any user inputs.