The Boeing Company
Systems for dispensing a substance on a surface

Abstract:

A system for dispensing a substance in a form of a bead on a surface in a progression direction includes a dispenser having: a leading edge, a contact portion comprising two contact points with the surface, and a trailing edge that extends between the two contact points and terminates therein. The system is configured to move the dispenser along a virtual travel plane, which is parallel to the path and passes through the two contact points, while maintaining the contact portion in communication with the surface as the substance is being dispensed. The system is also configured to monitor a leading portion of the bead and to generate a signal responsive to at least one characteristic of the leading portion, wherein the leading portion is located ahead of a portion of the leading edge in the progression direction along the path. The system is further configured to control, responsive to the signal, at least one of a speed of the dispenser along the path or a flow rate of the substance to the dispenser to provide a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape of the bead along the path.