Method of manufacturing soft convex adhesive wafer

A method of producing a wafer for adhesively attaching an ostomy appliance to a peristomal skin surface surrounding a stoma of a wearer of said appliance, said wafer comprising an integrally molded adhesive layer consisting of a skin barrier material and having a substantially planar distal surface covered by a flexible backing layer for attaching said wafer to a collecting bag and a proximal contoured bodyside surface having a first surface topography such that said adhesive layer has a relatively thin peripheral portion and a relatively thick central portion surrounding an aperture for receiving said stoma, said proximal surface being covered by a release layer and said central portion having a maximum thickness which is at least 2 mm larger than the maximum thickness of said peripheral portion, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first mold for pre-forming said release layer and provided with a first mold hollow having a second surface topography similar to said first surface topography, said hollow being provided with suction apertures communicating with a vacuum source, providing a second mold for molding said adhesive layer having a first part and a second part adapted for being pressed against one another, said first part being provided with a second mold hollow for defining said first surface topography of said adhesive layer,
• providing a substantially continuous supply of a sacrificial web,
• arranging said skin barrier material on said sacrificial web,
• providing a substantially continuous supply of release web,
• heating an area of said release web for enhancing the deformability thereof,
• locating said heated area in register with said first mold hollow,
• applying vacuum to said suction apertures such that said area is sucked into said hollow and thereby deformed such that said area is provided with a third surface topography substantially identical to said second surface topography,
• relieving said vacuum application,
• displacing said area into register with said second mold hollow such that said third surface topography with said second surface topography,
• displacing a portion of said sacrificial web with barrier material thereon into register with said second mold hollow such that said area is located between said portion and said second mold hollow, and
• pressing said second part against said first part such that said area and said portion are pressed into said second mold hollow.

A method of laminating a wafer comprising:

• applying said flexible backing layer to said distal surface,
• applying a flexible release sheet to said proximal surface,
• providing a resilient laminating pad or tampon adapted for being displaced to and fro in a laminating direction and for exerting a laminating pressure in said laminating direction,
• providing a plane counter-pressure surface at substantially right angles to said laminating direction,
• placing said wafer on said counter-pressure surface with said plane backing layer abutting said counter-pressure surface, and
• displaying said laminating pad in said laminating direction such that laminating pressure is exerted on the entire distal surface of said wafer by said laminating pad.