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 to push a plugging material through the plurality of openings of the mask and into the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure;
• and
• adjusting the force applied to the film material based at least in part on a pressure within the plurality of cells to push the plugging material to a predetermined depth within the plurality of cells,
• wherein the force applied to the film material is provided by an adjustable piston comprising a planar face that applies the force to the film material based at least in part on one or more of a yaw adjustment and a pitch adjustment to the planar face of the adjustable piston.

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 to push a plugging material through the plurality of openings of the mask and into the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure;
• and
• adjusting the force applied to the film material based at least in part on a pressure within the plurality of cells to push the plugging material to a predetermined depth within the plurality of cells, and
• wherein the force to the film material is provided by an adjustable piston comprising an adjustable face that applies the force to the film material based at least in part on an adjustment to a height of the adjustable face of the piston at one or more XY positions on the adjustable face.