Abstract: We disclose herein a flow sensor comprising: a first substrate comprising an etched portion, a dielectric region located on a first side of the first substrate, wherein the dielectric region comprises at least one dielectric membrane located over the etched portion of the first substrate, a sensing element located on or within the dielectric membrane, and a second substrate adjoining a second side of the first substrate. The first side of the first substrate and the second side of the first substrate are opposite sides. The first substrate and the second substrate cooperate to form a sensing channel through the flow sensor.

Abstract: We disclose herein a flow sensor assembly comprising a first substrate, a flow sensor located over the first substrate, a lid located over the flow sensor, a flow inlet channel, and a flow outlet channel. A surface of the flow sensor and a surface of the lid cooperate to form a flow sensing channel between the flow inlet channel and the flow outlet channel, and a surface of the flow sensing channel is substantially flat throughout the length of the flow sensing channel.

Abstract: Method for the continuous casting of a product (P), chosen from billets or blooms, along a curved casting line (18), the method providing to cast a liquid metal (M) in a crystallizer (11) having a tubular cavity (12) with an octagonal cross section.

Abstract: A continuous casting and rolling plant for the continuous production of steel bars or profiles, the plant comprising in sequence, along a processing line, a continuous casting machine adapted to cast a billet; a first cutting device; a second cutting device; a rolling train adapted to roll the billet; wherein the continuous casting machine comprises a crystallizer, and is adapted to cast the billet at least at a first casting speed v1 and at a second casting speed v2 greater than the first casting speed v1; wherein the first cutting device is arranged at a first distance from the crystallizer expressed in meters, along the processing line, calculated according to a specific mathematical relation.

Abstract: Method for the continuous casting of a product (P) along a curved casting line (18), provided with a crystallizer (11) having a tubular cavity (12) with a polygonal cross section defined by a determinate number of sides (n). The product (P) exiting from the crystallizer (11) is curved along the casting line (18) by support and curving rollers (19) and without the aid of lateral containing sectors of the cross section of the product (P).

Abstract: We disclose herein a gas sensor comprising a catalyst material; a temperature detector configured to measure a change in temperature of the catalyst material; and a plurality of electrodes configured to measure the current and/or resistance of the catalytic material. The gas sensor can be formed using CMOS or CMOS-SOI technologies.

Abstract: Method for the continuous casting of a product (P) along a curved casting line (18), provided with a crystallizer (11) having a tubular cavity (12) with a polygonal cross section defined by a determinate number of sides (n). The product (P) exiting from the crystallizer (11) is curved along the casting line (18) by support and curving rollers (19) and without the aid of lateral containing sectors of the cross section of the product (P).

Abstract: We disclose herewith a heterostructure-based infra-red (IR) device comprising a substrate comprising an etched portion and a substrate portion; a device region on the etched portion and the substrate portion, the device region comprising a membrane region which is an area over the etched portion of the substrate. At least one heterostructure-based element is formed at least partially within or on the membrane region and the heterostructure-based element comprises at least one two dimensional carrier gas.

Abstract: We disclose herein a CMOS-based sensing device comprising a substrate comprising an etched portion, a first region located on the substrate, wherein the first region comprises a membrane region formed over an area of the etched portion of the substrate, a flow sensor formed within the membrane region and a pressure sensor formed within the membrane region.

Abstract: We disclose an array of Infra-Red (IR) detectors comprising at least one dielectric membrane formed on a semiconductor substrate comprising an etched portion; at least two IR detectors, and at least one patterned layer formed within or on one or both sides of the said dielectric membrane for controlling the IR absorption of at least one of the IR detectors. The patterned layer comprises laterally spaced structures.

Abstract: We disclose herein a CMOS-based flow sensor comprising a substrate comprising an etched portion; a dielectric region located on the substrate, wherein the dielectric region comprises a dielectric membrane over an area of the etched portion of the substrate; a p-n junction type device formed within the dielectric membrane, wherein the p-n junction type device is configured to operate as a temperature sensing device.

Abstract: We disclose herein an infra-red (IR) detector comprising a substrate comprising at least one etched portion and a substrate portion; a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate. The dielectric layer comprises at least one dielectric membrane, which is adjacent to the etched portion of the substrate. The detector further comprises a first sensing area and a second sensing area each located in a dielectric membrane and a plurality of thermocouples. At least one thermocouple comprises first and second thermal junctions. The first thermal junction is located in or on the first sensing area and the second thermal junction is located in or on the second sensing area.

Abstract: We disclose herewith a heterostructure-based sensor comprising a substrate comprising an etched portion and a substrate portion; a device region located on the etched portion and the substrate portion; the device region comprising at least one membrane region which is an area over the etched portion of the substrate. At least one heterostructure-based element is located at least partially within or on the at least one membrane region, the heterostructure-based element comprising at least one two dimensional (2D) carrier gas.

Abstract: We disclose herewith a heterostructure-based infra-red (IR) device comprising a substrate comprising an etched portion and a substrate portion; a device region on the etched portion and the substrate portion, the device region comprising a membrane region which is an area over the etched portion of the substrate. At least one heterostructure-based element is formed at least partially within or on the membrane region and the heterostructure-based element comprises at least one two dimensional carrier gas.

Abstract: We disclose herein an infra-red (IR) detector comprising a substrate comprising at least one etched portion and a substrate portion; a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate. The dielectric layer comprises at least one dielectric membrane, which is adjacent to the etched portion of the substrate. The detector further comprises a first sensing area and a second sensing area each located in a dielectric membrane and a plurality of thermocouples. At least one thermocouple comprises first and second thermal junctions. The first thermal junction is located in or on the first sensing area and the second thermal junction is located in or on the second sensing area.

Abstract: We disclose herein a thermal IR detector array device comprising a dielectric membrane, supported by a substrate, the membrane having an array of IR detectors, where the array size is at least 3 by 3 or larger, and there are tracks embedded within the membrane layers to separate each element of the array, the tracks also acting as heatsinks and/or cold junction regions.

Abstract: The active vibration damping system of a rolling mill comprises a rolling stand and an adjustment system for the bending of the rolling rolls (1, 1?) having hydraulic actuators (2\2?, 2??, 2iv) acting on the chock (20) of the rolling rolls (1, 1?) and hydraulic feeding circuits (7, 9, 11, 12) and injectors (8?, 8?, 8??, 8iv), preferably piezoelectric injectors, directly inserted into the chambers (6\6?, 6??, 6iv) of the hydraulic actuators (2?, 2?, 2??, 2iv) with the advantage of exploiting the dampening effect resulting from the high- pressure oil injection.

Abstract: A control device (1) for a stopper (3) comprises: —an outer casing (10), —a control rod (6) sliding through the casing (10), rigidly attachable to the stopper (3), —a hydraulic circuit (20) including a double-acting hydraulic cylinder (21) and a reversible hydraulic pump (9), the hydraulic cylinder (21) having a first and a second chamber (21a, b) between which a piston (22) slides, the hydraulic pump (9) being connected directly to the first and second chamber (21a, b) by means of a first branch and a second branch (20a, b) of said hydraulic circuit (20, respectively, the piston being rigidly attached to the control rod (6), the hydraulic circuit (20) being entirely housed in the outer casing (10), —a control circuit (30) connected to the hydraulic circuit (20) to control the position of the piston (22).

Abstract: A conveying device (4) for conveying rolled bar segments, continuously exiting from a cutting shear (3), comprising at least two conveying channels (10, 11) for conveying the bar segments; at least one separation wall (8) separating a first conveying channel (10) from a second conveying channel (11); and at least one fixed partition (9), provided below the wall (8) and which separates the first channel (10) from the second channel (11); the fixed partition (9) is configured so that, at speed, when a rolled bar is deviated to pass from a direction towards the first channel to a direction towards the second channel, the tail of a first bar segment (30) advances in the first channel (10) by passing below the fixed partition (9), while the head of a second bar segment (31) after the first segment (30) advances in the second channel by passing above the fixed partition.

Abstract: We disclose a chemical sensing device for detecting a fluid. The sensing device comprises: at least one substrate region comprising at least one etched portion; a dielectric region formed on the at least one substrate region, the dielectric region comprising at least one dielectric membrane region adjacent to the at least one etched portion; an optical source for emitting an infra-red (IR) signal; an optical detector for detecting the IR signal emitted from the optical source; one or more further substrates formed on or under the dielectric region, said one or more further substrates defining an optical path for the IR signal to propagate from the optical source to the optical detector. At least one of the optical source and optical detector is formed in or on the dielectric membrane region.