to the base surface 12 of the blind holes as soon as it is assured that all bristles 4 rest against the base surface 12 of the blind holes the air pressure is reduced and the housing 7 is again removed from the carrier 1 now the bristle bundles 4 are processed further in a known usual manner the bristles 4 of each bristle 3 are melted or fused so as to form a thickening at their connection side ends which thickenings serve in an ensuing work step for fastening the bristle bundles in a bristle carrier the embodiment of the device shown in fig2 coincides largely with the embodiment of fig1 however in this case instead of the blind holes in the configuration plate 10 there are provided through bores 13 into which plugs 14 can then be inserted so that the blind holes 11 are again formed herein the plugs 14 have end faces at their inner ends which correspond precisely to the base surfaces 12 of the blind holes 11 in fig1 the plugs 14 are fabricated from a sintered metal and are porous throughout the configuration plate 10 is provided with a chamber 15 having an aperture 16 a vacuum can be applied to the chamber 15 through this aperture 16 if in this embodiment the configuration plate 10 rests at the carrier 1 and a vacuum has been built up in.