SELECTIVELY APPLIED ADHESIVE PARTICULATE ON NONMETALLIC SUBSTRATES

摘要

The manufacturing of articles relies on the bonding of two or more components to form some forms of the articles, such as a shoe sole bonded with a shoe upper. The bonding may be achieved with an adhesive particulate that is applied to a surface of a substrate. The adhesive particulate is selectively fused to the substrate with a controlled energy source having multiple energy emitters individually controllable, such as a laser array. The selective application of laser energy allows for specific geometric structures of adhesive particulate to be formed on the substrate. The substrate having the fused adhesive particulate is mated with another component allowing the fused adhesive particulate to bond the first substrate and the second component.

主权项

1. A method of applying an adhesive particulate to a nonmetallic substrate, the method comprising:
applying an adhesive particulate to a portion of the substrate; selectively applying laser energy from a laser source having multiple independently controllable emitters of laser energy selectively activated, the selective application of laser energy is applied to the adhesive particulate and the substrate to fuse the adhesive particulate and the substrate selectively, forming a fused adhesive particulate portion; and after selectively applying the laser energy, removing an unfused portion of the applied adhesive particulate from the substrate.