Method for producing adhesive rolls provided with adhesive elements, and device for the method

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing adhesive rolls provided with adhesive elements (10), comprising the following method steps: a) producing or providing a dispenser material strip (12) in a dispenser arrangement (14), the dispenser arrangement (14) comprising a first drive unit and being designed to separate the adhesive elements (10) from the first separating material (16) in a dispensing region (18) and to dispense them from the dispenser arrangement (14), b) producing or providing a receiving arrangement (20), comprising: iv) a web-shaped second separating material (28) which is partially wound onto a feed roll (22) and is fastened at one end to a receiving roll (24) and is guided in a guide arrangement (26) through a receiving region (30), v) a second drive unit for driving the receiving roll (24), and vi) an electronic detector arrangement (32), and e) detecting the radius of the feed roll (22) wrapped with the second separating material (28) and / or of the receiving roll (24) wrapped with the second separating material (28) by means of the electronic detector arrangement (32). The second drive unit is subjected to open-loop and / or closed-loop control in dependence on the detected radius of the feed roll (22) wrapped with the second separating material (28) and / or in dependence on the detected radius of the receiving roll (24) wrapped with the second separating material (28).

Description

[0001] Method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements and device for the method

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, particularly for refilling cassette units, as well as a loading device for use in such a method. Also disclosed is the use of a corresponding loading device for refilling emptied adhesive rolls with adhesive elements, particularly for refilling cassette units.

[0004] The use of adhesive elements is an important component of many modern manufacturing processes. These adhesive elements are not only used to attach components to a substrate, but are also used, in particular, to close openings in a substrate. Such openings are usually due to manufacturing processes and represent potential weak points in the final product through which moisture or contaminants can penetrate. The use of suitable, usually single-sided adhesive elements to close corresponding openings in substrates represents a simple, time- and cost-effective solution for closing such openings and preventing the unwanted penetration of contaminants. In the state of the art, such adhesive elements, which are also referred to as die-cuts due to their manufacturing process, are already regularly used for this purpose.

[0005] In principle, it would be conceivable to manually place the corresponding adhesive elements on a substrate. However, with increasing automation and in light of the ongoing interest in process control that is as error-free and efficient as possible, automated application devices have been developed for applying adhesive elements to a substrate to be bonded. These application devices must meet diverse requirements. In particular, such application devices must enable reliable and reproducible application of adhesive elements to the substrates, ideally while achieving a high throughput.

[0006] To optimize handling efficiency and avoid complex feed systems, application devices with an integrated dispenser arrangement for adhesive elements have been designed. In these devices, the provision of the adhesive element and the application device can be implemented together, for example, as part of an end effector of a robot head. For an efficient supply of adhesive elements, corresponding application devices with an integrated dispenser device often rely on a refill system. In this system, adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are inserted into the dispenser arrangement. After the adhesive elements contained on the adhesive roll have been applied, the adhesive rolls can be removed and replaced. Many modern application devices rely on concepts with so-called refill cassettes, in which the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are usually arranged in a housing.In many cases, corresponding refill cassettes also include an integrated guide arrangement, for example, consisting of guide rollers and deflection elements, which optimally guide the material tape contained in the refill cassettes and enable the material tape to be unwound in the refill cassette using an external drive unit. The use of corresponding refill cassettes generally allows for a particularly fast, reliable, and error-free supply of the application device with the adhesive elements required for the application. The refill cassettes are also particularly advantageous during storage and transport.

[0007] Despite the advantages associated with the use of replaceable adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, and especially the use of refill cassettes, their use is sometimes perceived as disadvantageous from other perspectives. In particular, the adhesive rolls stripped of adhesive elements—usually the emptied carrier roll and the remaining unwound liner—often end up as waste after use, which is very difficult to recycle, especially in older systems. Therefore, handling emptied refill cassettes is often perceived as more advantageous due to the integrated guide arrangement and the usually included reel for winding up the unwound liner.However, even with refill cassettes, recycling or refilling is often complex. This is often caused by the casing of the refill cassette, which is often difficult to open from the outside, for example, when removing an empty roll of adhesive tape and replacing it with a new one. In many cases, the new tape must be threaded into the guide assembly of the refill cassette and connected to the take-up reel. For these reasons, refilling refill cassettes is often not time- and / or cost-efficient and, in many cases, difficult to automate.

[0008] In addition to the problems described above, the time- and cost-efficient production of fresh adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, which can be used directly in application devices or in a refill cassette, for example, is often perceived as challenging. Application devices, which are usually used as end effectors, are usually limited in terms of their maximum weight, so the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements can usually only have a limited width. In many cases, such application devices are designed for adhesive tape rolls that only have a row of adhesive elements on the release liner.

[0009] To address the problems described above, methods and devices have been developed for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements. These methods, put simply, are based on transferring adhesive elements from a dispenser roll in a dispenser assembly to a receiving assembly, in which a web-like release material is guided between a feed roll and a take-up roll, onto which the transferred adhesive elements can be arranged. These systems advantageously make it possible to supply a plurality of single-track receiving assemblies with adhesive elements, even from wide parent rolls with a plurality of rows of adhesive elements. These methods are particularly suitable for refilling cassette units, which can be used in suitable end effectors for applying the adhesive elements to substrates.When used as intended, the web-like release material provided in the cassette units is successively unwound, freed of the release elements, and wound onto another roll. Such empty cassette units can then be refilled in appropriate devices by simply reversing the running direction of the web-like release material. The adhesive elements are transferred from the dispenser unit to the web-like release material, which is then wound onto the first roll together with the received adhesive elements until the cassette unit is returned to its original, ready-to-use state. The above-described loading of adhesive rolls with adhesive elements, particularly in the design of refillable cassette units, requires that the web-like release material running between the two rolls is rewound from one roll to the other during the refilling process.Even though the developed devices generally achieve excellent results, the inventors of the present invention have identified potential for improvement in some areas. In practice, it has been shown that correctly guiding the web-shaped release material when rewinding the release material from one roll to another is not trivial. To ensure precise positioning of the transferred adhesive elements in the intended loaded adhesive roll, it is essential to precisely control the web speed of the web-shaped release material during the loading process and, in most cases, to keep this web speed as constant as possible to achieve equidistant positioning of the adhesive elements on the release material.

[0010] In practice, however, this proves to be very challenging. Rewinding the web-like release material from one roll to another causes the radius of the rolls to change dynamically, which is made particularly difficult by the fact that the adhesive elements, with their own thickness, also contribute to an additional increase in the radius of the receiving roll. With continuous rotation of the rolls, the web speed of the web-like release element guided between the rolls changes depending on the radius, making precise process control significantly more difficult and necessitating precise adjustment of the transmission ratio of the drive units used.

[0011] In addition to the problems associated with controlling or regulating the web speed, it has also been found that the tensile force experienced by the web-shaped separating element changes with the radius. If the process is not adequately controlled, this can result in increasing tensile force leading to mechanical failure of the web-shaped separating elements. Particularly with frequent refilling, as is fundamentally desired for cassette units, for example, this can lead to an excessively high risk of failure over time. This detrimentally reduces the economic and ecological advantages that are fundamentally associated with the use of such cassette units. In the course of development, the inventors recognized that the need for precise positioning of the adhesive elements on the release material of the adhesive roll is often unnecessary in mass applications, for example in the case ofWhen numerous adhesive rolls are fed from a single, multi-row master roll, this is less of a problem than with adhesive rolls for special applications, particularly for test and / or pilot series, as well as when processing complexly shaped adhesive elements. In such cases, feeding will often only take place from a single-track master roll, whereby more complex spacings on the release liner to be accommodated must also be adjusted, for example, if the spacing between the adhesive elements cannot be chosen equidistantly to accommodate a downstream optimized process control, but rather must be precisely adjusted.

[0012] The primary object of the present invention was to eliminate or at least reduce the above-described disadvantages of the prior art.

[0013] In particular, it was the object of the present invention to provide an advantageous method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, which can be used in particular for refilling cassette units.

[0014] It was an important object of the present invention that the method to be specified should allow the positioning of the adhesive elements on the receiving release material, in particular the relative spacing of the adhesive elements, to be precisely controlled in order to enable, for example, optimal equidistant positioning or a targeted preset spacing of the adhesive elements reliably and with a high level of process reliability.

[0015] Furthermore, it was an object of the invention that the method to be specified should ensure reliable control of the tensile forces acting on the web-shaped release material in order to avoid overloading of the release material even after a large number of refilling processes, so that the durability of the web-shaped release materials can be increased, in particular in the application case of refilling cassette units.

[0016] In this respect, it was an object of the present invention to enable the time- and cost-efficient production of adhesive rolls or refill cassettes loaded with adhesive elements using the specified method. A further object of the present invention was to enable the production of adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements using the specified method, which are suitable for use in application devices designed as end effectors. This production should ideally also be possible starting from parent rolls with narrow production widths.

[0017] It was an additional object of the present invention to provide an advantageous loading device for use in the method to be specified and to specify the use of a corresponding loading device in the refilling of cassette units.

[0018] The inventors of the present invention have now found that the objects described above can be achieved if, in addition to the feed roller, the take-up roller, the guide arrangement and the web-shaped second release material as well as the drive unit for driving the take-up roller, an electronic detector arrangement is used in the take-up arrangement, which is designed to detect the radius of one or both of the rollers wound with the release material when the drive unit of the take-up arrangement is controlled or regulated as a function of the detected radius, as defined in the claims.

[0019] By detecting the radius of one or both of the rollers involved in rewinding the separating material, the change in radius and the influence on the web speed or the acting tensile forces can be advantageously taken into account, so that the drive unit can be operated depending on this information in order to compensate for the changes that occur.

[0020] The above-mentioned objects are thus achieved by the subject matter of the invention as defined in the claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims and the following statements.

[0021] Such embodiments, which are designated as preferred below, are combined in particularly preferred embodiments with features of other embodiments designated as preferred. Combinations of two or more of the embodiments designated as particularly preferred below are thus very particularly preferred. Likewise preferred are embodiments in which a feature of one embodiment designated as preferred to any extent is combined with one or more further features of other embodiments designated as preferred to any extent. Features of preferred charging devices and uses emerge from the features of preferred methods.

[0022] Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the exemplary embodiments. Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention accordingly comprise two or more, preferably three or more, and most preferably four or more, of the preferred features of the invention disclosed below, which are also implemented in the exemplary embodiments.

[0023] The invention particularly relates to a method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements, in particular for refilling cassette units, comprising the method steps: a) producing or providing a dispenser material strip in a dispenser arrangement, wherein the dispenser material strip comprises a plurality of adhesive elements arranged on a web-shaped first release material, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises a first drive unit for driving the first release material in the dispenser arrangement, wherein the dispenser arrangement is configured to separate the adhesive elements from the first release material in a dispensing area and to dispense them from the dispenser arrangement, b) producing or providing a receiving arrangement comprising: i) a feed roll, ii) a receiving roll, iii) a guide arrangement, iv) a web-shaped second release material,which is partially wound on the feed roll and fastened at one end to the take-up roll, wherein the second release material is arranged between the feed roll and the take-up roll in the guide arrangement and is guided through a take-up area of ​​the take-up arrangement, v) a second drive unit for driving the take-up roll, and vi) an electronic detector arrangement, wherein the take-up arrangement is configured to detect the radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or the take-up roll wound with the second release material by means of the electronic detector arrangement, c) guiding the first release material in the dispenser arrangement, wherein the first release material is guided through the dispensing area at a dispensing speed vs, wherein adhesive elements are separated from the first release material and dispensed in the dispensing area, d) rolling the second release material onto the take-up roll,wherein the second release material is guided through the receiving area at a take-up speed VA, wherein the adhesive elements dispensed by the dispenser arrangement are arranged on the second release material in the receiving area, and e) detecting the radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and / or the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material by means of the electronic detector arrangement, wherein the second drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material.

[0024] The method according to the invention is used to produce adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements. Such loaded adhesive rolls can, for example, be used directly in application devices or for the production or refilling of cassette units. Furthermore, the method according to the invention advantageously enables direct refilling of cassette units, i.e., the previously emptied cassette units can be refilled using the method according to the invention, so that the adhesive roll loaded with adhesive elements is produced directly in the cassette unit.

[0025] In process step a), a so-called dispenser material strip is first presented, which comprises the adhesive elements which are to be transferred to the downstream receiving arrangement in order to produce the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements.

[0026] The donor material strip is preferably provided in wound form, which is also referred to by those skilled in the art as a so-called master roll. Such master rolls are usually manufactured with large production widths, which makes it possible to provide a large number of adhesive elements per master roll. However, in the opinion of the inventors, the method according to the invention is particularly suitable for high-precision applications in which, in practice, narrower master rolls are usually used. Thus, a method according to the invention is preferred in which the donor material strip is provided, preferably on a master roll, with the master roll particularly preferably being rotatably mounted on a first roll holder. A method according to the invention is particularly preferred in which the master roll has a width of 100 mm or less, preferably 80 mm or less.In addition or alternatively, a method according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the adhesive elements are arranged on the dispenser material strip in exactly one row.

[0027] The method according to the invention is advantageously suitable for a wide range of possible adhesive elements. However, given the industrial relevance of such adhesive elements, the method according to the invention is particularly suitable for processing so-called die-cuts, with particular relevance to the processing of pressure-sensitive adhesive elements. Therefore, a method according to the invention in which the adhesive elements are die-cuts is relevant for essentially all embodiments.

[0028] For most cases, a method according to the invention is also expedient, wherein the adhesive elements have a closed geometric shape, wherein the adhesive elements are, for example, oval, triangular, rectangular or circular, preferably circular, adhesive elements, wherein the adhesive elements can in particular also have rounded corners.

[0029] Relevant for substantially all embodiments is a method according to the invention, wherein the adhesive elements comprise a carrier layer and an adhesive layer connected thereto, wherein the adhesive elements are arranged with the adhesive layer on the first release material.

[0030] In practice, moreover, a method according to the invention is common, wherein the adhesive elements are pressure-sensitive adhesive elements, and / or wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive, wherein the adhesive layer preferably consists of a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0031] For the adhesive layer of the adhesive elements, the skilled person can use adhesive compositions commonly used in the field of adhesive technology, for example, poly(meth)acrylate and / or rubber-based systems. The corresponding adhesive layer is arranged on a carrier layer, which is usually made of a plastic, in the manner customary in the industry. Although it is theoretically possible to process double-sided adhesive elements using the method according to the invention, in practice the method according to the invention will primarily be used for single-sided adhesive elements.An example of a method according to the invention is one in which the carrier layer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, cyclic olefin copolymers, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, ethylene-vinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethersulfone, and polyimide, preferably selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the carrier layer preferably consists of these materials. For the vast majority of cases, a method according to the invention is preferred in which the side of the adhesive elements facing away from the adhesive layer is formed by the carrier layer.

[0032] The adhesive elements are arranged on the dispenser material strip on a release material. Corresponding web-shaped release materials, which are regularly also referred to as liners, are widely familiar to those skilled in the field of adhesive technology and are referred to herein as release materials because the adhesive elements arranged thereon can be easily separated from them due to reduced adhesion to the surface. The functionality of the release materials can be achieved by conventional release layers known to those skilled in the art, which are applied to the surface of the release materials, where they cover, for example, the base layer made of plastic or paper. In other words, this usually involves a method according to the invention, wherein the web-shaped first release material and / or the web-shaped second release material, preferably all web-shaped release materials, are liners.A typical method according to the invention is one in which the web-shaped first release material and / or the web-shaped second release material, preferably all web-shaped release materials, are coated on the side facing the adhesive elements with a release layer, preferably with a silicone release layer, wherein the silicone release layer can preferably be produced by crosslinking a crosslinkable silicone system comprising one or more polysiloxanes.

[0033] The dispenser material strip is produced or provided in a so-called dispenser assembly. This dispenser assembly is configured to separate the adhesive elements from the web-like first release material by suitable means and to dispense them from the dispenser assembly. The region of the dispenser assembly in which the adhesive elements separated from the release material are dispensed is referred to in the context of the present invention as the dispensing region. In practice, the dispenser assembly will comprise, in addition to the parent roll containing the dispenser material strip, a guide device for guiding the dispenser material strip in the dispenser assembly, and a pull-off unit, for example a take-up roll for the web-like first release material.The dispensing material strip extends, stretched by the guide elements of the guide device, which can be guide rollers, for example, from the parent roll to the peel-off unit and passes through the dispensing area. Those skilled in the art will understand that with this design, only the first release material, usually completely stripped of adhesive elements, remains in the web direction behind the dispensing area.

[0034] Within the scope of the present invention, the passage of the dispensing material strip through the dispensing arrangement is effected or conveyed by a first drive unit, which may, for example, be an electric motor. The drive unit is particularly preferably a component of the stripping unit and drives, for example, a roller arrangement. The first drive unit can be used to influence the web speed of the first release material in the dispensing arrangement, which within the scope of the present invention is referred to as the dispensing speed vs. The first drive unit in the stripping unit can optionally be combined with another drive unit that drives the master roll.

[0035] Relevant for most applications is a method according to the invention, wherein the dispenser assembly comprises a guide system configured to guide the drawn-off donor material strip through the dispensing area, preferably from the parent roll to the draw-off unit. An example of a method according to the invention is one in which the guide system comprises one or more guide elements, preferably guide rollers.

[0036] A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser assembly comprises a pull-off unit comprising the first drive unit for pulling off the donor material strip, preferably for pulling the donor material strip from the parent roll. Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the first drive unit is an electric motor.

[0037] An example of a method according to the invention is one in which the peeling unit comprises a rotatably mounted take-up roll for winding up the first release material freed of adhesive elements. A preferred method according to the invention is one in which the peeling unit is configured to peel off the first release material at the dispensing speed vs, preferably at a constant dispensing speed vs.

[0038] The inventors propose that the desired functionality in the dispensing area can be realized particularly efficiently by means of a dispensing edge. In addition to a movable dispensing edge known to those skilled in the art, in particular a pendulum dispensing edge, a stationary dispensing edge can also be used. The term "dispensing edge" is clear to those skilled in the art, and the concept of a dispensing edge is well known to those skilled in the field of adhesive technology. The material strip with the web-like first release material and the adhesive elements arranged thereon is fed to the dispensing edge, with the web-like first release material being guided sharply around this dispensing edge at the end of the dispensing edge.Due to the inherent stiffness of the adhesive element, which is greater than the adhesion to the web-shaped release material, the adhesive element cannot follow this movement of the release material and is instead successively detached from the release material the further the material web is guided over the dispensing edge.

[0039] A corresponding dispensing edge ensures advantageous tensioning of the web-shaped first release material in the dispensing area and allows the adhesive elements guided over the edge of the dispensing edge to be separated from the release material without the use of transfer elements, thereby enabling in particular the combination of a circulating conveyor element disclosed below but also direct transfer. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispenser arrangement comprises a dispensing edge in the dispensing area, preferably a stationary dispensing edge, in particular a knife edge, wherein the dispenser arrangement is configured such that the dispensing material strip guided in the dispenser arrangement can be guided over the stationary dispensing edge in such a way that the adhesive elements in the dispensing area are separated from the web-shaped first release material and the adhesive elements are conveyed beyond the stationary dispensing edge.

[0040] Even if it is possible in principle, for example by using a stationary dispensing edge, to dispense the adhesive elements directly from the dispensing area, the inventors believe that it is also conceivable that the adhesive elements, after being detached from the web-shaped first release material, are first transferred to a circulating conveyor element, for example a conveyor belt, which then passes the adhesive elements on, for example again at a dispensing edge.In this case, it is a method according to the invention, wherein the dispenser arrangement in the dispensing area comprises a rotating conveyor element with an adhesion-reduced surface, wherein the dispenser arrangement is designed such that an adhesive element conveyed beyond the dispensing edge is transferred with the adhesive layer onto the adhesion-reduced surface of the conveyor element, wherein the rotating conveyor element preferably comprises a rotating conveyor belt or a conveyor belt, particularly preferably a conveyor belt.

[0041] The above-defined design of the surface of the circulating conveyor element as an adhesion-reduced surface is readily implemented by a person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention, since they are familiar with the concept of adhesion-reduced surfaces from many other areas of adhesive technology, where it is regularly used, for example, in connection with typical liners. The person skilled in the art will adapt the degree of adhesion reduction to the properties of the adhesives used and the structural nature of the dispensing edge of the conveyor element in order to allow efficient transfer. An example in this regard is a method according to the invention, wherein the adhesion-reduced surface is coated with a release layer, preferably with a silicone release layer, wherein the silicone release layer is preferably producible by crosslinking a crosslinkable silicone system comprising one or more polysiloxanes.

[0042] In process step b), a receiving arrangement is produced or provided in which the production of adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements will take place. This receiving arrangement comprises a feed roll containing a wound web-like second release material, which is guided from the feed roll through the guide arrangement, which in turn may comprise guide rollers or other guide elements, to the receiving roll. This makes it possible to guide the web-like second release material through the receiving arrangement by winding it onto the receiving roll and correspondingly unwinding it from the feed roll. According to the invention, the web-like second release material passes through a so-called receiving area of ​​the receiving arrangement.In the context of the present invention, this refers to the part of the receiving arrangement in which the adhesive elements dispensed by the dispenser arrangement are transferred to the receiving arrangement and accordingly received by it. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in the context of the method according to the invention, the web-shaped second release material, which does not yet comprise any adhesive elements, is guided through the receiving area, equipped with adhesive elements there, and subsequently wound onto the take-up roll. A method according to the invention is preferred in which the guide arrangement comprises one or more guide elements, preferably guide rollers.

[0043] The production of the receiving arrangement will be particularly relevant for those methods according to the invention in which adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are produced, which are subsequently to be further processed as adhesive rolls, for example by insertion into an application device or for filling a cassette unit in a downstream filling process. In these cases, the receiving arrangement is produced, for example, by inserting a feed roll with fresh web-shaped second release material and a roll suitable for receiving the adhesive roll into a device provided for this purpose, which comprises, for example, the guide arrangement and the corresponding drive for the respective rolls. The web-shaped second release material can then be threaded into the guide arrangement and is connected to the receiving roll in such a way that it can be rolled up thereon.In the production of corresponding adhesive rolls, the web-shaped second release material is advantageously provided from a large roll of material, with which several adhesive rolls can be produced successively. Once a sufficiently filled adhesive tape roll has been reached, the liner can be severed and the produced adhesive roll can be removed. The free end of the web-shaped second release material can then be connected to a new take-up roll to restart the process. In this embodiment, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the produced adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements are produced as separate adhesive rolls.A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the method additionally comprises the following method step: f) severing the web-shaped second release materials of the receiving arrangements when predetermined filling levels of the receiving rolls are reached and removing the respective receiving roll from the receiving arrangements to obtain the adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements.

[0044] The preferred inventive method characterized above, which produces separate adhesive rolls, can be efficiently implemented with a loading device in which the dispenser assembly to be used according to the invention is combined with certain components of the receiving assembly. The corresponding components of the receiving assembly, which are comprised by the loading device, are parts that generally do not need to be replaced regularly in practice, for example, the corresponding roll holders for inserting the feed roll or the receiving roll, as well as the necessary guide assembly.Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the method is carried out with a feeding device, wherein the feeding device comprises: u) the dispenser arrangement, and v) two or more roll receiving arrangements, comprising: i) a roll receiving means for rotatably receiving the feed roll, ii) a roll receiving means for rotatably receiving the take-up roll, ill) the guide arrangement, v) the second drive unit for driving the take-up roll, and vi) the electronic detector arrangement.

[0045] As an alternative to the above-described production of separate adhesive rolls, the direct production of adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements inside cassette units can be considered, particularly when refilling recycled cassette units. In these cases, the receiving arrangements are formed by cassette units comprising the feed roll, the take-up roll, the guide arrangement, and the web-shaped second release material. After refilling, corresponding cassette units can be inserted into a suitable cassette-based application device.

[0046] Filled cassette units, which can be used in an application device, comprise the web-shaped second release material loaded with adhesive elements and are successively emptied during use in the application device, wherein the web-shaped second release material is wound up on the feed roll, which, during emptying, fulfills the opposite function to that during refilling. After the cassette unit has been completely emptied, the web-shaped second release material is thus wound up on the feed roll, but is still connected to the take-up roll. Advantageously, the emptied cassette unit is thus in exactly the state that predestines it for use as a take-up arrangement in the method according to the invention, wherein the running direction of the rolls is inverted between use in the application device and use in the refilling process.A method according to the invention is therefore also particularly preferred, wherein the receiving arrangement is a cassette receiving arrangement with a cassette unit arranged therein, comprising: bi) a receiving position, b.ii) a cassette unit arranged in the receiving position so as to be reversibly and non-destructively replaceable, comprising:.

[0047] - the feed roller,

[0048] - the recording roll,

[0049] - the management arrangement, and

[0050] - the web-shaped second release material, which is partially wound on the feed roll and fastened at one end to the take-up roll, wherein the second release material is arranged between the feed roll and the take-up roll in the guide arrangement and is guided through a cassette receiving area of ​​the cassette unit, b.iii) the second drive unit, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is configured such that the take-up roll of the cassette unit arranged in the receiving position can be driven by the second drive unit, b.iv) the electronic detector arrangement, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is configured to detect the radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or the take-up roll wound with the second release material using a detection method, preferably an optical detection method, by means of the electronic detector arrangement for the cassette unit arranged in the receiving position.

[0051] The cassette receiving arrangement is configured so that the rollers of the cassette unit arranged therein can be driven by the drive units of the cassette receiving arrangement. Due to the above structure, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the feed roller and the take-up roller in the cassette unit are designed as non-driven rollers.

[0052] For secure positioning of the cassette unit in the cassette receiving arrangement, the inventors propose that the cassette receiving arrangement be provided with positioning aids and / or a mechanism for temporarily securing the cassette units. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement comprises one or more positioning elements, wherein the positioning elements are configured to stabilize a cassette unit in a predetermined position in the cassette receiving arrangement. The positioning elements are preferably configured to reversibly and non-destructively releasably secure a cassette unit arranged in the cassette receiving arrangement.

[0053] To improve handling properties, corresponding cassette units are regularly provided with a housing designed to protect the internal components from direct access from the outside and from environmental influences. Those skilled in the art will understand that the second web-shaped release material must be accessible in the receiving area so that adhesive elements provided by the dispenser assembly can be transferred to the second web-shaped release material at this location. In this respect, the inventors have succeeded in identifying a particularly advantageous embodiment of the cassette unit. This utilizes a so-called cassette dispensing edge as part of the guide assembly in the receiving area. This is a part of the guide assembly that ensures that the second web-shaped release material is guided around an edge in the receiving area, with a deflection of 90° or more usually being desired.A suitable cassette dispensing edge allows for a favorable web tension in the receiving area for refilling, allowing the adhesive elements to be transferred particularly well. When the direction of travel is reversed during use in the application device, the cassette dispensing edge also causes or promotes the release of the adhesive elements from the release liner, thus allowing for efficient dispensing of the adhesive elements from the cassette unit.This dispensing occurs with the adhesive layer facing downwards, so that when used in the application device, the adhesive elements can be dispensed from the cassette unit with the adhesive layer facing downwards, through which the adhesive elements can be transferred, for example, to the adhesion-reduced surface of a rotating conveyor element, for example a suction belt, from which the adhesive elements can be picked up particularly efficiently by an application element and placed on the substrate to be bonded. Therefore, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the cassette units comprise a housing, wherein the housing is preferably designed such that the web-shaped second release material can be fed with adhesive elements from the outside essentially exclusively in the receiving area.Additionally preferred is a method according to the invention, wherein the cassette units comprise a stationary cassette dispensing edge as part of the guide arrangement, wherein the cassette units are configured such that a material strip provided on the take-up roll, which comprises a plurality of adhesive elements arranged with the adhesive layer on the web-shaped second release material, can be guided over the cassette dispensing edge to the feed roll in such a way that the adhesive elements can be separated from the release material in the take-up area and dispensed from the cassette unit.

[0054] To drive the take-up roll, the take-up assembly comprises a second drive unit that can rotate the take-up roll, allowing the web-like second release material to be pulled off the feed roll. A method according to the invention, analogous to the first drive unit, is preferred, wherein the second drive unit is an electric motor.

[0055] Furthermore, a further drive unit can be provided in the receiving arrangement, which drives the feed roller and thus enables adjustment of the resistance the feed roller offers to unwinding. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, additionally comprising, as part of the receiving arrangement: vii) a third drive unit for driving the feed roller.

[0056] A method according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the third drive unit is an electric motor.

[0057] In the method according to the invention, the adhesive elements are transferred from the manufactured or provided dispensing and receiving assemblies, wherein this comprises method steps c) and d). On the dispensing assembly side, the dispensing material strip is guided through the dispensing area in order to separate the first release material from the adhesive elements there. In the receiving assembly, however, the web-shaped second release material is unwound from the feed roll and guided through the receiving area in order to receive the adhesive elements there and then be wound onto the receiving roll. As the dispensing material strip is guided through the dispensing area, adhesive elements are dispensed from the dispensing assembly, wherein the dispensed adhesive elements are transferred into the receiving area of ​​the receiving assembly and placed there on the web-shaped second release material.The person skilled in the art will understand that process steps c), d), and also step e) described further below are usually carried out at least partially simultaneously, whereby, in particular, almost or even completely simultaneous and thus continuous operation is also possible. Thus, a process according to the invention is preferred, wherein process steps c) and / or d) and / or e), preferably process steps c) and d) and e), are carried out at least partially simultaneously, particularly preferably essentially completely simultaneously.

[0058] In order to ensure that even in the case of adhesive elements that adhere only weakly to the web-shaped second release material, these do not detach from the release material in an undesired manner after transfer, and in order to stabilize the transfer step, the inventors propose that pressing elements, for example pressure rollers, can also be provided, which press the transferred adhesive elements onto the web-shaped second release material in order to ensure sufficient adhesion. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the receiving arrangement comprises one or more pressing elements, preferably pressure rollers, in the region of the receiving area, wherein the adhesive elements dispensed by the dispenser arrangement are pressed onto the second release material in the receiving area by means of the one or more pressing elements when arranged on the second release material.Particularly preferred is a method according to the invention, wherein the pressing elements are designed to be reversibly and non-destructively adjustable, so that the pressing pressure exerted by the pressing elements can be adjusted, preferably with an electronic data processing device, wherein the pressing pressure is particularly preferably adjusted as a function of the thickness of the adhesive elements.

[0059] An essential aspect of the present invention is that the receiving arrangement comprises an electronic detector arrangement, by means of which it can detect the radius of the supply roll wound with the second release material or the take-up roll wound with the second release material, wherein the radius correlates with the fill level of the respective roll. In principle, it is sufficient to determine the radius of one of the rolls, since, with sufficient information about the length and thickness of the release material used in combination with information about the thickness of the adhesive elements used, the radius of the other roll can also be calculated in case of doubt.In this case, due to the lower demands on the measuring technology, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the recording arrangement is designed to detect only one of the radii of the feed roll or the take-up roll by means of the electronic detector arrangement and to calculate the radius of the other roll, preferably with an electronic data processing device.

[0060] However, with a view to reducing computational effort and ensuring particularly high process reliability, it is particularly preferred to directly determine the radius and thus the fill level of both rolls. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the receiving arrangement is configured to detect the radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material using the detection method, preferably the optical detection method, by means of the electronic detector arrangement.

[0061] For the specified purpose, the detector arrangement comprises at least one detector unit. For implementing the radius determination on both rollers, it is explicitly preferred to use at least two detector units, each assigned to one of the rollers. Therefore, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the electronic detector arrangement comprises one or more, preferably two or more, detector units, preferably optical detector units.

[0062] While it would be conceivable to determine the radius using a mechanical method, for example, using a spring-loaded measuring sensor that contacts the respective roll in the circumferential direction, from whose position the radius of the roll could be deduced, the inventors consider it preferable to use non-contact, in particular optical, methods for the most efficient process control possible, as well as to obtain precise data and increase the durability of the device for essentially all embodiments. Thus, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the electronic detector arrangement is configured to detect the radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or the take-up roll wound with the second release material using a non-contact, preferably optical, method.Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the receiving arrangement is designed to detect the radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or the take-up roll wound with the second release material using an optical detection method by means of the electronic detector arrangement.

[0063] The inventors have identified two particularly advantageous designs for the optical detector units. Firstly, the radius of the wound rolls can be determined using modern image analysis software using a camera positioned axially relative to the roll. This determination can be further facilitated by using a size reference installed near the respective roll. However, in the inventors' opinion, an even more advantageous design can alternatively be achieved using optical distance sensors. If such optical distance sensors are permanently installed in the loading device so that they can determine the distance to the peripheral surface of the roll along the radial direction of the roll, the radius and thus the fill level of the roll can be reliably determined from the known distance between the roll and the detector unit.Corresponding optical distance sensors are generally known to those skilled in the art and are commercially available from various manufacturers. According to the inventors, the use of laser-based and ultrasound-based distance sensors is particularly preferred. From an occupational safety perspective, the inventors particularly favor ultrasound-based distance sensors. Thus, a method according to the invention is initially preferred, wherein the one or more optical detector units are selected from the group consisting of cameras and distance detectors, preferably selected from the group consisting of cameras, laser-based distance sensors, and ultrasound-based distance sensors, particularly preferably ultrasound-based distance sensors.Particularly preferred as a first variant is a method according to the invention, wherein the one or more optical detector units are selected from the group consisting of distance detectors, wherein the one or more optical detector units are spaced apart in the radial direction from the feed roll or the take-up roll, so that the one or more optical detector units can determine the distance to the roll wound with the second release material along the radial direction. Particularly preferred additionally or alternatively as a second variant is a method according to the invention, wherein the one or more optical detector units are selected from the group consisting of cameras, wherein the one or more optical detector units are spaced apart in the axial direction from the feed roll or the take-up roll.the take-up roll are objected to, so that the one or more optical detector units can record an image of the axially facing side of the corresponding roll, wherein the determination of the radius is preferably carried out relative to a size scale.

[0064] If the inherently preferred optical detector units are combined with the particularly preferred embodiment of using cassette units, reliable detection of the radius of the rollers can be made more difficult by the housing of the cassette units. Even if it would theoretically be possible to use optical detection methods which can penetrate a typical cassette housing with the radiation used, e.g. X-ray-based methods, this is not practical in view of numerous factors, in particular with regard to the costs involved and the resulting problems with occupational safety. To solve this problem, the inventors propose that the housing of the cassette unit can be provided with an additional recess through which the radius can be determined using optical methods. In the case of a camera, this could be, for example,It can be an elongated recess which runs in the radial direction in the housing, whereas an optical distance measurement benefits from a recess which is arranged in the radial direction largely parallel to the outer surface of the roll. Preference is therefore given to a method according to the invention, wherein the housing comprises one or more detection recesses which detect the radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or of the take-up roll wound with the second release material using an optical detection method by means of the electronic detector arrangement. A method according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the one or more detection recesses run at least partially parallel to the radial direction or orthogonal to the radial direction, preferably orthogonal to the radial direction, of the respective roll.

[0065] An essential aspect of the present invention is that at least the second drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of one or both of the detected radii, so that the deviations resulting from the change in the radius can be compensated in the desired manner, wherein it is particularly preferred in each case not only to control but also to regulate as a function of both input parameters.A method according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the second drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material, and / or wherein the second drive unit is controlled and regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material. A method according to the invention is therefore particularly preferred, wherein the second drive unit is controlled and regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material.

[0066] Analogously, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the third drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material, and / or wherein the third drive unit is controlled and regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the third drive unit is controlled and regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wrapped with the second release material and as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wrapped with the second release material.

[0067] The control or regulation can, for example, be carried out in such a way that a predetermined take-up speed is reliably maintained despite the change in radius. Accordingly, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the second drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wound with the second release material in order to maintain a predetermined take-up speed VA. Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the take-up speed VA is in the range from 0.1 to 3.5 m / s, preferably in the range from 0.5 to 2.0 m / s, particularly preferably in the range from 0.7 to 1.5 m / s.

[0068] The control of the tensile load experienced by the second release material also plays an important role here. This can be advantageously adjusted, in particular, if the feed roller is also provided with a drive or at least comprises a brake. A method according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the second drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roller wound with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roller wound with the second release material, in order to control the tensile load experienced by the second release material, preferably in order to keep the tensile load experienced by the second release material below a predetermined limit value, particularly preferably in order to keep the tensile load experienced by the second release material substantially constant.Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the third drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wound with the second release material, preferably in order to control the tensile load experienced by the second release material, preferably in order to keep the tensile load experienced by the second release material below a predetermined limit value, particularly preferably in order to keep the tensile load experienced by the second release material substantially constant.

[0069] Even if it would theoretically be possible to specify the dispensing speed vs of the dispenser arrangement and align the take-up speed VA with this, the inventors consider it preferable if the dispenser arrangement or its first drive unit is operated with respect to the dispensing speed vs in such a way that the take-up speed VA is used as the initial value to specify the dispensing speed vs in order to maintain the desired synchronization. In this case, it is advantageously possible to set a speed difference between the dispensing speed vs and the take-up speed VA, whereby the spacing of the adhesive elements on the second release material can be changed compared to the spacing on the parent roll in order to advantageously adapt this to the respective requirements of the downstream application process.A method according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the second drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wound with the second release material in order to set a predetermined relative speed VR = VA - vs. Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the dispensing speed vs is in the range from 0.1 to 3.5 m / s, preferably in the range from 0.5 to 2.0 m / s, particularly preferably in the range from 0.7 to 1.5 m / s. In turn, additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the quotient of the take-up speed v. A divided by the dispensing speed vs in the range 1 to 2, preferably in the range of 1.02 to 1.5, particularly preferably in the range of 1.04 to 1.2.

[0070] It can be seen as an advantage of the method according to the invention that it is particularly easy and efficient to automate. Those skilled in the art will understand that an electronic data processing device will usually be used for this purpose in order to condition or promote the control of the method. In preferred embodiments, this electronic data processing device is part of the loading device. A method according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the loading device comprises an electronic data processing device for controlling the method. Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the control and / or regulation of the second drive unit and / or the third drive unit, preferably all drive units, is carried out by an electronic data processing device.

[0071] In light of the above, the invention also relates to a feeding device for use in a method according to the invention, comprising:

[0072] A) a donor arrangement comprising:

[0073] Ai) a first roll holder for rotatably receiving a master roll comprising a dispensing material strip, wherein the dispensing material strip comprises a plurality of adhesive elements arranged on a web-shaped first release material,

[0074] A.ii) a peeling unit for peeling the donor material tape from the parent roll, comprising the first drive unit,

[0075] A.iii) a guide system designed to guide the unwound donor material tape from the parent roll through the dispensing area, and

[0076] B) a cassette receiving arrangement comprising:

[0077] Bi) a receiving position for the reversibly and non-destructively replaceable reception of a cassette unit, which comprises: the feed roller, the take-up roller, the guide arrangement, and the web-shaped second release material, which is partially wound on the feed roller and fastened at one end to the take-up roller, wherein the second release material is arranged between the feed roller and the take-up roller in the guide arrangement and is guided through a cassette receiving area of ​​the cassette unit,

[0078] B.ii) the second drive unit, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is configured so that the take-up roller of a cassette unit arranged in the receiving position can be driven by the second drive unit, and

[0079] B.iii) the electronic detector arrangement, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is configured to detect the radius of a feed roll wound with second release material and / or of a take-up roll wound with second release material using a detection method, preferably an optical detection method, for a cassette unit arranged in the receiving position by means of the electronic detector arrangement, wherein the feeding device is configured to control and / or regulate the second drive unit as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll wound with the second release material and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll wound with the second release material of a cassette unit arranged in the receiving position.

[0080] In this context, the use of a feeding device according to the invention for refilling emptied adhesive rolls with adhesive elements, in particular for refilling cassette units, is also disclosed.

[0081] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained and described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures:

[0082] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a first preferred embodiment; and

[0083] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the components used in a method according to the invention in a second preferred embodiment.

[0084] Fig. 1 and 2 each show schematically the components used in a method according to the invention for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements 10 in two preferred embodiments with preferred loading devices.

[0085] In the left part of the figures, the dispenser arrangement 14 is shown in which a dispenser material tape 12, which comprises a plurality of adhesive elements 10 on a first release material 16, is provided on a master roll 48, wherein for reasons of clarity only a part of the adhesive elements 10 is visualized.

[0086] The dispenser material strip 12 provided by the master roll 48 is guided by means of the guide elements of a guide system 46 to a pull-off unit 34, which is driven by an electric motor acting as a first drive unit and is designed to pull the dispenser material strip 12 or the first release material 16 through the dispenser arrangement 14 at a constant dispensing speed vs.

[0087] As the dispensing material strip 12 is guided through the dispensing arrangement 14, it passes through the dispensing area 18, which in the example shown is designed with a dispensing edge 36. In this dispensing area 18, the adhesive elements 10 are separated from the first release material 16 by a sharp deflection of the first release material 16, so that they can be dispensed from the dispensing arrangement 14. The feeding devices in Figs. 1 and 2 differ with regard to the design of the dispensing area 18. While the adhesive elements 10 are dispensed directly at the dispensing edge 36 in Fig. 1, a circulating conveyor element 38, which is designed as a conveyor belt with a reduced-adhesion surface, is interposed in order to temporarily receive the adhesive elements 10 dispensed at the dispensing edge 36.

[0088] The right-hand part of Figs. 1 and 2 shows the receiving arrangement 20, which is intended to receive the adhesive elements 10. In the preferred embodiments shown, the receiving arrangement 20 is designed as a cassette receiving arrangement, in which a cassette unit 40 to be refilled is arranged in the cassette holder in a reversible and non-destructively replaceable manner, in which it is fixed in a predetermined position by positioning elements, in particular the undriven rollers of the cassette unit 40 can be driven by the drive units of the receiving arrangement 20 via suitable contacting elements, in particular mandrels. For reasons of clarity, Figs.1 and 2, the cassette unit 40 is primarily shown, which comprises the feed roller 22, the take-up roller 24 and the web-shaped second release material 28, which is guided between the feed roller 22 and the take-up roller 24 by means of the guide arrangement 26 and in the process passes through a cassette dispensing edge, which ensures optimal guidance of the second release material 28 in the take-up area 30, so that the adhesive elements 10 can be taken over particularly easily at this point. To promote the transfer process, a pressing element 42 is also provided in Fig. 2, which is designed as a pressure roller and presses the adhesive elements 10 transferred to the second release material 28 onto the second release material 28.

[0089] In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the receiving arrangement 20 comprises two further electric motors, which are used as a second drive unit for driving the receiving roller 24 and as a third drive unit for driving the feed roller 22.

[0090] The basic method now proceeds in such a way that the first release material 16 in the dispenser assembly 14 is guided through the dispensing area 18 at a dispensing speed vs in order to separate the adhesive elements 10 from the first release material 16 and dispense them in the dispensing area 18. At the same time, the second release material is rolled up in the receiving assembly 20 onto the take-up roll 24, with the second release material 28 being guided through the receiving area 30 at a take-up speed VA in order to receive the adhesive elements 10 dispensed by the dispenser assembly 14.

[0091] In order to be able to control or regulate the pick-up speed VA, which in the example shown also serves as a basis for the dispensing speed vs, particularly precisely, and in particular to optimally adjust the transmission ratio between the second drive unit and the third drive unit, the feeding device used comprises an electronic detector arrangement 32.

[0092] As clearly visible in Figs. 1 and 2, the electronic detector arrangement 32 in the example shown comprises a first detector unit 44a and a second detector unit 44b, each designed as an optical distance detector. In the illustrated embodiments, these are ultrasound-based distance detectors, each arranged at a known distance in the radial direction from the respective roll and capable of determining the radius of the respective roll from the detected distance. To enable interaction with the optical detector units 44a, 44b, the cassette unit 40 comprises two detection recesses in its housing 50, which in the example shown each run orthogonally to the radial direction of the corresponding roll and ensure the necessary detection path.

[0093] 1 and 2 are controlled and regulated by an electronic data processing device (not shown) as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll 22 wound with the second release material 28 and as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll 24 wound with the second release material 28, wherein the process control by the electronic data processing device is selected in particular such that the tensile load on the second release material 28 always remains below a predetermined limit value while the take-up speed VA is kept constant, namely at a value which is somewhat greater than the dispensing speed vs of the dispenser arrangement 14, in order to set a somewhat greater distance between the adhesive elements 10 in the refilled cassette unit 40, which ensures reliable separation of the adhesive elements 10 in the subsequent application process.Since the diameter of the rollers in the cassette unit 40 changes depending on the fill level of the cassette unit 40, the gear ratio between the two drive motors of the cassette unit 40 also changes dynamically during the filling of the cassette unit 40. Thanks to the invention, it is possible to determine the optimal gear ratio very precisely and in real time, since the radii of the rollers are detected using the ultrasonic sensors and the currently optimal gear ratio can be calculated from this in real time. This allows the second release material 28 in the cassette unit 40 to be moved safely and constantly at the desired linear speed. The pressure roller ensures that the adhesive elements on the second release material 28 are sufficiently wetted so that the adhesive elements 10 remain on the second release material 28 and do not fall off. The position orThe pressure of the pressing element 42, which is preferred for all embodiments, can be flexibly adjusted depending on the thickness of the adhesive elements 10 in order to ensure the desired pressing pressure.

[0094] List of reference symbols

[0095] Adhesive element

[0096] Dispenser tape

[0097] Dispenser arrangement first separation material dispensing area

[0098] Recording arrangement

[0099] Feed roller

[0100] Take-up roll

[0101] Guide arrangement second separating material receiving area

[0102] Detector arrangement

[0103] Pull-off unit

[0104] Dispensing edge, rotating conveyor element, cassette unit

[0105] Pressure element from detector units

[0106] guidance system

[0107] Mother role

[0108] Housing

Claims

Claims 1. A method for producing adhesive rolls loaded with adhesive elements (10), comprising the method steps: a) producing or providing a dispenser material strip (12) in a dispenser assembly (14), wherein the dispenser material strip (12) comprises a plurality of adhesive elements (10) arranged on a web-shaped first release material (16), wherein the dispenser assembly (14) comprises a first drive unit for driving the first release material (16) in the dispenser assembly (14), wherein the dispenser assembly (14) is configured to separate the adhesive elements (10) from the first release material (16) in a dispensing area (18) and to dispense them from the dispenser assembly (14), b) producing or providing a receiving assembly (20), comprising: i) a feed roller (22), ii) a receiving roller (24), iii) a guide assembly (26), iv) a web-shaped second release material (28),which is partially wound on the feed roll (22) and fastened at one end to the take-up roll (24), wherein the second release material (28) is arranged between the feed roll (22) and the take-up roll (24) in the guide arrangement (26) and is guided through a take-up area (30) of the take-up arrangement (20), v) a second drive unit for driving the take-up roll (24), and vi) an electronic detector arrangement (32), wherein the take-up arrangement (20) is configured to detect, by means of the electronic detector arrangement (32), the radius of the feed roll (22) wound with the second release material (28) and / or of the take-up roll (24) wound with the second release material (28), c) guiding the first release material (16) in the dispenser arrangement (14), wherein the first release material (16) is guided through the dispensing area (18) at a dispensing speed vs,wherein adhesive elements (10) are separated from the first separating material (16) and dispensed in the dispensing area (18), d) rolling up the second release material (28) onto the take-up roll (24), the second release material (28) being guided through the take-up area (30) at a take-up speed VA, the adhesive elements (10) dispensed by the dispenser arrangement (14) being arranged on the second release material (28) in the take-up area (30), and e) detecting the radius of the feed roll (22) wrapped with the second release material (28) and / or of the take-up roll (24) wrapped with the second release material (28) by means of the electronic detector arrangement (32), the second drive unit being controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll (22) wrapped with the second release material (28) and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll (24) wrapped with the second release material (28).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the donor material tape (12) is provided on a master roll (48).

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the master roll (48) has a width of 100 mm or less, and / or wherein the adhesive elements (10) are arranged on the donor material strip (12) in exactly one row.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dispenser assembly (14) comprises a pull-off unit (34) comprising the first drive unit for pulling off the dispenser material strip (12).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) comprises a dispensing edge (36) in the dispensing area (18).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) in the dispensing area (18) comprises a circulating conveyor element (38) with an adhesion-reduced surface, wherein the dispenser arrangement (14) is designed such that a material passing over the dispensing edge (36) the adhesive element (10) conveyed out is transferred with the adhesive layer to the adhesion-reduced surface of the conveying element (38).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the receiving arrangement (20) is a cassette receiving arrangement with a cassette unit (40) arranged therein, comprising: b) a receiving position, b.ii) a cassette unit (40) arranged in the receiving position so as to be reversibly and non-destructively replaceable, comprising: the feed roller (22), the take-up roller (24), the guide arrangement (26), and the web-shaped second separating material (28) which is partially wound on the feed roller (22) and fastened at one end to the take-up roller (24), wherein the second separating material (28) is arranged between the feed roller (22) and the take-up roller (24) in the guide arrangement (26) and is guided through a cassette receiving area of ​​the cassette unit (40), b.iii) the second drive unit, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is set up so that the take-up roller (24) of the cassette unit (40) arranged in the receiving position can be driven by the second drive unit, b.iv) the electronic detector arrangement (32), wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is set up to detect the radius of the feed roller (22) wound with the second separating material (28) and / or the take-up roller (24) wound with the second separating material (28) using a detection method by means of the electronic detector arrangement (32) for the cassette unit (40) arranged in the receiving position.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement comprises one or more positioning elements, the positioning elements being adapted to stabilize a cassette unit (40) in the cassette receiving arrangement in a predetermined position.

9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, additionally comprising as part of the receiving arrangement (20): vii) a third drive unit for driving the feed roller (22).

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the receiving arrangement (20) comprises one or more pressing elements (42) in the region of the receiving area (30), wherein the adhesive elements (10) dispensed by the dispenser arrangement (14) in the receiving area (30) are pressed onto the second separating material (28) with the one or more pressing elements (42) when arranged on the second separating material (28).

11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the receiving arrangement (20) is configured to detect the radius of the feed roll (22) wound with the second release material (28) and / or the take-up roll (24) wound with the second release material (28) using an optical detection method by means of the electronic detector arrangement (32).

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the electronic detector arrangement (32) comprises one or more detector units (44a, 44b).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more detector units (44a, 44b) are selected from the group consisting of cameras and distance detectors.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the second drive unit is controlled and / or regulated as a function of the detected radius of the feed roll (22) wound with the second release material (28) and / or as a function of the detected radius of the take-up roll (24) wound with the second release material (28) in order to maintain a predetermined take-up speed VA.

15. Feeding device for use in a process according to one of the claims 1 to 14, including: A) a dispenser assembly (14) comprising: Ai) a first roll holder for rotatably receiving a master roll (48) comprising a donor material strip (12), wherein the donor material strip (12) comprises a plurality of adhesive elements (10) arranged on a web-shaped first release material (16), A.ii) a pull-off unit (34) for pulling the donor material tape (12) from the parent roll (48), comprising the first drive unit, A.iii) a guide system (46) which is arranged to guide the unwound dispenser material band (12) from the parent roll (48) through the dispensing area (18), and B) a cassette receiving arrangement comprising: Bi) a receiving position for the reversible and non-destructively replaceable reception of a cassette unit (40), which comprises: the feed roller (22), the take-up roller (24), the guide arrangement (26), and the web-shaped second separating material (28), which is partially wound on the feed roller (22) and fastened at one end to the take-up roller (24), wherein the second separating material (28) is arranged between the feed roller (22) and the take-up roller (24) in the guide arrangement (26) and is guided through a cassette receiving area of ​​the cassette unit (40), B.ii) the second drive unit, wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is adapted so that the take-up roller (24) of a cassette unit (40) arranged in the receiving position can be driven by the second drive unit, and B.iii) the electronic detector arrangement (32), wherein the cassette receiving arrangement is adapted to detect, by means of the electronic detector arrangement (32), a Receiving position arranged cassette unit (40) to detect the radius of a feed roll (22) wound with second release material (28) and / or a take-up roll (24) wound with second release material (28) using a detection method, wherein the feeding device is designed to drive the second drive unit depending on the detected radius of the roll wrapped with the second release material (28) Feed roller (22) and / or depending on the detected radius of the take-up roller (24) wound with the second release material (28) of a cassette unit arranged in the take-up position.

Images