Patent ID: 8364451

Claim:
A method for selectively positioning particulate material onto a moving surface, the method comprising the steps of: a.) providing a set of physical equations forming a physical model, wherein the set of physical equations is connected by interaction boundary conditions; b.) selecting a set of fixed boundary conditions; c.) providing a set of predetermined model targets; d.) selecting a set of variable boundary conditions; e.) performing calculus operations on the physical equations by using the initial operating conditions and variable boundary conditions, wherein the calculus operations are performed by employing a computing device; f.) transforming the calculus results into a model output which is readable to a human analyst directly or by the computing device; g.) comparing the model output to predetermined model targets and determining the deviation therebetween; h.) modifying the set of variable boundary conditions using computational equations for minimizing the deviation between the model output to predetermined model targets; and i.) repeating steps d.) through h.) until a preset exit criterion is met; wherein the set of fixed boundary conditions are selected from the group consisting of: transferring a cluster of particulate material into a receiving region of a transfer device, whereby the receiving region of the transfer device defines a particulate cluster pattern; holding the cluster of particulate material on the transfer device by applying vacuum to the transfer device; moving the receiving region of the transfer device to a discharging region of the transfer device; guiding the web material over a carrier support structure; deforming the web material by the carrier support structure such that an indentation is formed in the unsupported regions, thereby forming a pattern in the indentation corresponding to the particulate cluster pattern; forming indentations in the web material on the carrier support structure by applying vacuum to the web material; expelling the cluster of particulate material from the transfer device toward the indentation in the web material; depositing the cluster of expelled particulate material on the deformed web material; applying a cover material to the carrier material and the cluster of particulate material, thereby forming a sandwich structure; and bonding the web material and the cover material to each other; and wherein the model targets are selected from the group consisting of: a target cluster design pattern; the quantity of particulate material in the cluster; the basis weight of the cluster of particulate material; a distribution of the particulate material clusters on the web material; and the production speed.