Abstract: After a transfer material was hardened in a situation an imprint mold which has a concave part pattern is forced against the liquid transfer material, a replica which has a convex part pattern corresponding to the concave part pattern by releasing the imprint mold. A pressurization mechanism and a vacuum pump are set, regarding depth K of the concave part pattern of the imprint mold, height k of the convex part pattern of the transfer material, effective pressure Mo while the imprint mold is forced, pressure P in the space, with satisfying: Mo/P?k/(K?k). With this arrangement, even if air comes inside of the concave part pattern of the imprint mold and is stuffed in the inside, it is possible to have transcription with no problem.

Abstract: A method is provided for transferring a pattern from a template (1) to an object (12) in an imprint process, using a two-step process. The first step includes contacting a pattern of the template surface with a polymer material comprising one or more Cyclic Olefin Copolymers (COCs), to produce a flexible polymer replica having a structured surface with an inverse of the pattern of the template surface. In a second step, after releasing the flexible polymer replica from the template, the inverse pattern of the flexible polymer replica is pressed into a resist layer on a substrate, to imprint a replica of the pattern of the template surface in therein.

Abstract: To fabricate a composite item from a layup of composite material, the layup is degassed, debulked, and cured. To degas the layup, an envelope pressure within an envelope that includes the layup is reduced, a chamber pressure within a chamber that includes the envelope is reduced, and the layup is heated. To debulk the layup, the chamber pressure is increased relative to the envelope pressure so that the envelope exerts a compressive force upon the layup in response to the relatively higher chamber pressure as compared to the envelope pressure. To cure the layup, the layup is exposed to radiation.

Abstract: A mixer-extruder assembly may include a hollow cylindrical chamber and a hopper connected to the chamber. A piston drive shaft having a piston attached at one end may be rotatable about a drive shaft axis that is coaxial with the cylindrical chamber. The piston may have one or more mixer blades coupled thereto and rotatable therewith. The piston may be controllably rotated about the drive shaft axis, after input material received by the hopper is delivered into the chamber, causing the mixer blades to rotate and mix the input material with mixing fluid introduced into the chamber. The piston may also be slidably movable from an upper end of the chamber toward the outlet port of the chamber, so that the mixed input material is extruded through the output port of the chamber.

Abstract: At the filling station of a dry cast pipe making machine for making pipe lined with a plastic liner, the liner is first placed over the core and then a plurality of spaced-apart, removable L-shaped plates are secured around the top edge of the core. One leg of each plate extends inside the core with the other leg extending downwardly over the top edge of the liner. The plates are removably held in place on the core by the use of a clamping device, such as a vise-grip, for example. Once the form is filled with concrete and ready for the pressure heading step, the downwardly extending legs of the plates serve as ‘shoehorns’ to guide the pressure header over the top of the liner and prevent damage to it. In addition, the plates will assist in centering the core within the jacket.

Abstract: A birefringent film with excellent uniformity in in-plane retardation, retardation in the thickness direction, and alignment axis is provided. The birefringent film is produced in such a manner that, in the step of stretching a polymer film, the polymer film is stretched in a width direction while being shrunk in a longitudinal direction, and assuming that lengths in the width direction and the longitudinal direction of the polymer film before being stretched are 1, a change ratio (STD) of the length in the width direction of the polymer film resulting from the stretching and a change ratio (SMD) of the length in the longitudinal direction of the polymer film resulting from the shrinking satisfy the following formula (1).

Abstract: There is provided an optical modeling apparatus that forms a model of a desired shape by sequentially forming hardened layers by irradiating a light-curable resin with light. The apparatus includes a first light source that emits a light beam for plotting on the resin, a scanning device that scans the light beam from the first light source over the resin, a second light source that emits light that irradiates one fixed region of the resin at a time, and a spatial light modulator that spatially modulates the light from the second light source to blanket-expose a specified region of the resin. The light beam from the scanning device and the light from the spatial light modulator form each hardened layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an imprinting method includes applying a resist to a substrate, imprinting a stamper on which protruded patterns are formed against the resist applied to the substrate, forcing a distal end of a peeling wedge into a part between the substrate and the stamper, and introducing a gas between the substrate and the stamper to peel off the stamper from the substrate, in which a gap between the substrate and the stamper is made larger than a thickness of the resist at a part into which the distal end of the peeling wedge is forced.

Abstract: The current invention relates to methods of making nano-particles of a material with a narrow polydispersity. The particle materials are active agents, organic compounds, polymers, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A gasket assembly (20) and method for forming the gasket assembly (20) for sealing two mating surfaces (46,48) over a complex geometrical contact region. The gasket assembly (20) is formed by a hollow silicone rubber tube (22) having a naturally straight configuration but easily bent into complex configurations without kinking. The tube (22) is filled with a curable liquid rubber compound (30) and then the ends (24,26) of the tube (22) are joined in end-to-end fashion to form a continuous loop. The joined ends (24,26) of the tube (22) can be reinforced with a connector (34,134) and then locally cured on a preliminary operation so that the liquid rubber compound (30) does not escape. The tube (22) is then laid up in a mold (40) having a complex geometrical feature (42) which replicates the complex geometrical contact region of the two mating surfaces (46,48) to be subsequently sealed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing a pattern forming sheet efficiently. The method and apparatus for producing a sheet having a first pattern formed on at least one side by a first roll forming die and a second pattern formed by a second roll forming die is characterized in that the rotational angular speeds of the first and second roll forming dies are substantially equalized and relative positional variation of the first and second patterns is substantially minimized by synchronizing the phases of the periodic positional variation caused by the rotation of the rolls.

Abstract: Defects and/or particles during an imprint lithography process may provide exclusion zones and/or transition zones in the patterned layer. Exclusion zones and/or transition zones in the patterned layer may be identified to provide a region of interest on a template.

Abstract: An air ring with increased-control over the gauge uniformity of blown plastic film in a film extrusion device. The air ring includes a generally annular plenum, an annular orifice for discharging cooling air against an extruded plastic tube passing through the air ring, and a flow path for cooling air between the plenum and the annular orifice. The air flow path is segmented along a circumference of the annular plenum, the segments including a material with high heat conductivity and guiding the air from the annular plenum to the orifice. Heating elements are provided for individually and selectively heating the segments of the air flow path such that the temperature of the cooling air discharge against the extruded plastic tube can be locally varied.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating a mold from solidified imprinting material that includes creating deformation in the template in which the mold is included. The deformation is sufficient to create a returning force that is greater than an adhesion forced between the solidified imprinting material and the mold. For example, the deformation may result from a pressure differential created between the mold and a side of the template disposed opposite to the mold. In this manner, the distortion may be undulations in the template of sufficient magnitude to contact a substrate upon which the solidified imprinting material is disposed.

Abstract: An optical film manufacturing method, including steps of: casting a dope in which a thermoplastic resin is dissolved in a solvent, on a support so as to form a web; peeling and conveying the web from the support; measuring a physical property of the conveyed web at plural positions along a lateral direction of the web and obtaining a deviation among plural measurement values of the physical property at the plural positions: and drying the web by adjusting drying conditions at the plural positions to differ in accordance with the deviation.

Abstract: A process for producing a transparent or opaque silica glass product including mixing a silica fine powder and a cellulose derivative and injection molding the mixture, followed by degreasing treatment and baking treatment, which is characterized in that the cellulose derivative is a cellulose derivative which causes reversible thermal gelation in an aqueous solution of at least one member selected from methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and hydroxyethylmethyl cellulose; in producing a transparent silica glass product, the cellulose derivative is added in water heated at a gelation temperature thereof or higher, and after cooling, the formed aqueous solution is kneaded with the silica fine powder; and in producing an opaque silica glass product, the cellulose derivative is added in a silica slurry containing a silica powder and heated at a gelation temperature of the cellulose derivative or higher.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tampon applicator barrel having a fingergrip with one or more gripping structures that have an acute edge for improved gripping. Preferably, the one or more gripping structures are one or more embossed ring-like structures. The present invention also provides a method for forming the one or more gripping structures on the applicator barrel. The method preferably includes forming at least one embossed ring-like gripping structure on the barrel such that the radial compressive strength of the applicator barrel is not compromised.

Abstract: A method for granulating a flexible polyolefin resin including: melting a flexible polyolefin resin by volatilization after polymerization; cooling the resin to a temperature in a range of the melting point of the resin (Tm-D) ±50° C.; and granulating the cooled resin by an underwater granulation method; the underwater granulation method using cooling water of 30° C. or less in which an antifusion agent is added.

Abstract: This invention includes methods and systems for processing hydrogel lenses using aqueous solutions as leaching aids.

Abstract: There is provided an optical modeling apparatus that forms a model of a desired shape by sequentially forming hardened layers by irradiating a light curable resin with light. The apparatus includes a first light source that emits a light beam for plotting on the resin, a scanning device that scans the light beam from the first light source over the resin, a second light source that emits light that irradiates one fixed region of the resin at a time, a spatial light modulator that spatially modulates the light from the second light source and blanket-exposes a specified region of the resin, and an exposure position adjuster that moves, in at least one direction, the light from the spatial light modulator. The light beam from the scanning device and the light from the spatial light modulator form each hardened layer.