Extrusion/dispensing systems and methods

A device for co-extruding first and second materials onto a substrate such that the first and second materials form parallel elongated gridline structures on the surfaces of the substrate, each said gridline structure including a central line structure formed by said first material that contacts the surface of the substrate, and support structures formed by the second material that contacting opposing side surfaces of the central line structure, the device comprising:

• a housing defining a plurality of exit ports and a plurality of inlet ports that extend through one or more outer surfaces of the housing, and a plurality of convergent paths defined inside housing, each of the convergent paths including:
• a central channel extending between a closed end and an open end, the closed end of the central channel communicating with a first inlet port of said plurality of inlet ports,
• first and second side channels disposed on opposite sides of the central channel, each of the first and second side channels extending between an associated closed end and an associated open end, wherein the closed ends of the first and second side channels respectively communicate with second and third inlet ports of said plurality of inlet ports, and
• a merge region communicating with the open ends of each of the central channel and the first and second side channels, the merge region also communicating with an associated exit port of said plurality of exit ports,
• wherein the first and second side channels and the central channel of each said convergent path converge at the merge region such that when the first material is introduced into the central channel through the first inlet port and the second material is introduced into the first and second side channels through the second and third inlet ports, the first material and second material form a single flow in the merge region is sandwiched between portions of the second material to form said central line structure and said support structures before exiting said associated exit port.