Jetting dispenser and method of jetting highly cohesive adhesives

A method of non-contact dispensing a hot melt adhesive onto a substrate with a dispensing system including a valve and a nozzle outlet, the method comprising:

• heating the dispensing system to a first temperature;
• jetting the hot melt adhesive from the nozzle outlet and toward the substrate by repeatedly opening and closing the valve to form a plurality of minute droplets of the hot melt adhesive;
• and
• controlling the jetting such that each droplet of the hot melt adhesive is rapidly heated to a second temperature higher than the first temperature as each droplet releases from the nozzle outlet.

A jetting dispenser for dispensing minute droplets of hot melt adhesive, the dispenser comprising:

• a dispenser module including a valve member with a piston portion and a needle integrally formed with said piston portion;
• a valve body coupled to said dispenser module and including a nozzle with a valve seat and a valve orifice;
• and
• a solenoid valve coupled to said dispenser module and operable to deliver pressurized air to reciprocate said valve member towards and away from said valve seat such that said needle repeatedly contacts said valve seat to jet minute droplets of hot melt adhesive through said valve orifice.