Patent ID: 8317955

Claim:
A method for applying starch adhesive to the flute tips of a singleface web having a fluted medium web bonded to a top liner web in a corrugating process, wherein the singleface web medium flute tips are susceptible to compressive damage, said method comprising the steps of: a. driving with a motor a glue applicator roll having a film of adhesive of a desired thickness applied thereon at a target controlled underspeed relative to corrugator speed; b. running the singleface web at corrugator speed around a rider roll with a rotational axis parallel to the axis of the glue applicator roll; c. positioning the rider roll so that the periphery of the roll is closely spaced from the glue applicator roll with a gap between the rolls; d. adjusting the rider roll toward the glue applicator roll to achieve initial contact of the flute tips of the singleface web with the glue applicator roll without substantial compression that would cause permanent flute tip damage; e. sensing a forward drag the singleface web exerts on the glue applicator roll as the rider roll begins to compress the flute tips of the singleface web against the glue applicator roll by monitoring the effect of the drag on the torque required to maintain the desired underspeed of rotation of the glue applicator roll with torque indicated by the current from the output of a regenerative drive for the motor rotationally driving the glue applicator roll; and f. further adjusting the rider roll to glue applicator roll gap to achieve a glue applicator roll rotational motor regenerative drive output current that results in a target slight compression of the singleface web between the rider roll and the glue applicator roll that will avoid permanent damage to the flute tips of the singleface web.