Methods and apparatus for plugging cells of ceramic structures and honeycomb filters

A method for plugging a subset of cells of a honeycomb structure, the method comprising:

• covering a first end face of the honeycomb structure with a mask that comprises a body having an outer edge and a plurality of openings, wherein the outer edge of the body extends outwardly of at least a portion of an outer edge of the first end face and the plurality of openings of the mask is coincident with a plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure;
• bringing a film material and the honeycomb structure into contact with each other, the film material having an outer edge that also extends outwardly of at least a portion of the outer edge of the first end face of the honeycomb structure;
• applying a force to the film material with a piston to push a plugging material through the plurality of openings of the mask and into the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure;
• and
• measuring a plurality of pressures within the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure during the applying step;
• wherein the step of measuring a plurality of pressures within the plurality of cells is conducted by evaluating output pressure data from a plurality of pressure sensors disposed on a pressure sensor film, the pressure sensor film disposed between the film material and the plugging material;
• wherein the plurality of pressure sensors is disposed in a distribution on the pressure sensor film that corresponds with a distribution of the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure;
• and
• wherein the plugging material comprises a non-uniform thickness based at least in part on prior-measured output pressure data from the plurality of pressure sensors disposed on the pressure sensor film.