Abstract: A continuous vacuum system for processing substrates has an inlet air lock, an outlet air lock, at least one process chamber, and a device for conveying the substrates through the continuous system. To create a continuous system having a compact design and high throughput for plasma-enhanced treatment of substrates at a reduced pressure, which ensures a simple, rapid and secure handling of the substrates with a high capacity of the substrate carrier, the conveying device has at least one plasma boat in which the substrates are arranged on a base plate in a three-dimensional stack in at least one plane at a predefined distance from one another with intermediate carriers in between. At least the intermediate carriers are made of graphite or another suitable electrically conductive material and can be acted upon electrically with an alternating voltage via an electric connection.

Abstract: Method of regulating an amount of dampening medium on a printing plate of an offset printing machine, includes determining the amount of dampening medium on the printing plate, adjusting the rotational speed of a dampening ductor and/or the like to a given set value so as to regulate the amount of dampening medium on the printing plate and, for regulation deviations wherein the set value is greater than an actual value, driving a controller with a greater amplification factor than for regulation deviations wherein the set value is smaller than the actual value.

Abstract: A method of establishing a measuring location lying in an ink-free area for determining the thickness of a layer of dampening medium on the surface of an offset printing plate, which includes scanning the surface of the plate in a search run with a measuring head, and evaluating the thus obtained measurement data in a manner that a measuring location lies in a vertical zone of the offset printing plate with the smallest possible average area coverage, and a device for performing the method.

Abstract: Sensor device for analyzing a surface structure includes a lighting device for emitting a focussed beam of light rays directed onto a surface, a radiation detector element for sensing light rays reflected from the surface, and an evaluating device for determining the surface structure from signals emitted by the light-ray detector element, a parameter T.sub.N for the surface structure being determinable by the evaluating device in accordance with a third moment of distribution of intensity of the reflected light rays in accordance with an equation: ##EQU1## wherein n represents a number of measuring points along a scattering indicatrix corresponding to the light rays reflected from the surface; P.sub.i is an initialized measuring signal according to an equation: ##EQU2## wherein I.sub.i is in the intensity of the light rays on a measuring point i; K represents a scaling factor; and M has a value determinable from values for i and P.sub.