Method of manufacturing fiber bundles for use in brushes

A method for manufacturing a final fiber bundle for use in brushes which comprises the steps of:

• (a) arranging a number of synthetic thermoplastic fibers in such a manner that at least one end of each of the fibers is positioned in the same plane, to obtain a fiber bundle,
• (b) compressing the thus arranged thermoplastic fibers to the extent that a predetermined bulk density is reached, whereupon the fiber ends in the same plane seem to constitute an end surface of the fiber bundle,
• (c) irradiating the end surface of the bundle with energy beams in such a manner that they are applied to a prdetermined area of the end surface of the bundle to fusion bond together the fiber ends included in said predetermined area, and
• (d) separating the thus partly irradiated fiber bundle into a fiber bundle portion having a fusion bonded layer and a fiber bundle portion having no fusion bonded layer, thereby to obtain a final fiber bundle having a fusion bonded layer.

A method for manufacturing a final fiber bundle for use in brushes, which comprises the steps:

• (a) arranging a number of non-thermoplastic fibers in such a manner that at least one end of each of the fibers is positioned in the same plane, to obtain a fiber bundle,
• (b) compressing the thus arranged non-thermoplastic fibers to the extent that a predetermined bulk density is reached, whereupon the fiber ends in the same plane seem to form an end surface of the fiber bundle,
• (c) applying a predetermined amount of a powdered thermoplastic adhesive to said end surface,
• (d) irradiating the powdered thermoplastic adhesive-applied end surface with energy beams in such a manner that they are applied to a predetermined area of the end surface of the bundle to bond together the fiber ends in said predetermined area with aid of the fused thermoplastic adhesive, and
• (e) separating the thus partly irradiated fiber bundle into a fiber bundle portion having a bonded layer and a fiber bundle portion having no bonded layer thereby to obtain a final fiber bundle having a bonded layer.