Abstract: The uniformity of a wet coating on a substrate is improved by contacting the coating at a first position with the wetted surfaces of periodic pick-and-place devices, and re-contacting the coating with such wetted surfaces at positions on the substrate that are different from the first position and not periodically related to one another with respect to their distance from the first position. A coating is applied to a substrate by applying an uneven wet coating, contacting the coating at a first position with the wetted surfaces of periodic pick-and-place devices, and re-contacting the coating with such wetted surfaces at positions on the substrate that are different from the first position and not periodically related to one another with respect to their distance from the first position. These methods can provide extremely uniform coatings and extremely thin coatings, at very high rates of speed. The coatings can be applied in lanes with sharply defined edges and independently adjustable coating calipers.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for the creation and execution of accurate models for the manufacture of complex, multi-layered materials. The techniques may be used to calculate variations of a process parameter within the material during the manufacturing process. A method comprises receiving segment data that partitions a manufacturing process into a set of segments having at least one layer of a material. For example, the segment data may partition the manufacturing processes along a path traversed by the material within the manufacturing process. The method further comprises receiving curvature data for the layers, and calculating values for a process parameter through the layers of the segments as a function of the curvature data. The method may comprise invoking a one-dimensional model, such as a one-dimensional finite difference model, to calculate the values for the defined segments and layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a fluoropolymer through emulsion polymerization of one or more fluorinated monomers in an aqueous phase in the presence of a fluorinated surfactant. At least part of the fluorinated surfactant is added to the aqueous phase as an aqueous mixture with at least one organic liquid that is not miscible with water and that is selected from halogenated and non-halogenated organic liquids, the mixture having droplets having an average droplet diameter of not more than 1000 nm and the mixture being added to the aqueous phase in such an amount that the total amount of the fluorinated surfactant is not more than 1% by weight based on the weight of the aqueous phase and the total amount of said organic liquid is not more than 1% by weight based on the weight of said aqueous phase. The invention allows for an improvement of the efficiency of an aqueous emulsion polymerization process.

Abstract: In general, the invention is directed to a system of reusable software components that allow computational models to be seamlessly integrated into an executable software program, such as process management software within a manufacturing facility. The system includes a set of objects that encapsulate computational models and provide generic interfaces for invoking the models. A control module is embedded within the software program to invoke the computational models in parallel. The system may further include a model aggregator to receive input values from the control module and to distribute the input values to the objects for use during model execution. The system can be used to quickly and easily provide the results of one or more process models to line operators and process engineers during the manufacturing process, allowing the process engineer or line operator to more readily understand and adjust the process.

Abstract: A method of measuring inductance or inductive reactance of a sample is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing an instrument for measuring the inductance or the inductive reactance of the sample; (b) subjecting a portion of the instrument to different temperatures and recording data corresponding to the performance of the instrument portion at each temperature; (c) measuring the inductance or the inductive reactance of the sample using the instrument; and (d) correcting the measurement of inductance or inductive reactance for temperature based on the performance data.