Abstract: A deposition apparatus for depositing a material on a wafer, the apparatus including a lower shower head; an upper shower head disposed on the lower shower head, the upper shower head facing the lower shower head; and a support structure between the upper shower head and the lower shower head, the wafer being supportable by the support structure, wherein the upper shower head includes upper holes for providing an upper gas onto the wafer, the lower shower head includes lower holes for providing a lower gas onto the wafer, the support structure includes a ring body surrounding the wafer; a plurality of ring support shafts between the ring body and the lower shower head; and a plurality of wafer supports extending inwardly from a lower region of the ring body to support the wafer, and the plurality of wafer supports are spaced apart from one another.

Abstract: A liquid droplet measurement method and a liquid droplet measurement device with which the luminance contrast can be improved without making changes in, for example, the numerical aperture of a lens when the quantity of reflected light from the surface of the measurement target liquid droplet alone cannot provide a sufficient luminance contrast. A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a device are also provided. The liquid droplet measurement device includes: a measurement table having a surface with a recess and for holding a translucent sample substrate; an imaging section that applies light onto the sample substrate having formed thereon a liquid droplet, and measures quantities of reflected light from the sample substrate and the liquid droplet; and a measurement control unit that determines a volume or a surface shape of the liquid droplet using luminance information of the reflected light quantities measured by the imaging section.

Abstract: An apparatus (200) for smoothing a surface of an object (100). The apparatus includes a chamber (210), a reservoir (324) configured to hold a liquid (322), and a nebulizer assembly (212) configured to generate a mist (104) from the liquid into the chamber. The nebulizer assembly includes a mesh (732), a vibrating element (731), and a wick (736). The object is received in the chamber and the mist is configured to surround the object.

Abstract: A thermal spray apparatus to apply coatings to external and internal surfaces in restricted areas is provided. The apparatus includes: a fuel input line; an oxidizing gas input line; coolant input and outlet; a combustion chamber that facilitates primary combustion; a diverging section that splits the primary combustion flow into two or more streams; an elbow section that redirects the combustion streams; a convergent/divergent nozzle; a convergence section that recombines the combustion streams into a single combustion stream within an injection zone of the convergent/divergent nozzle; and a feedstock injector for the injection of feedstock material for forming said coatings into said injection zone of the convergent/divergent nozzle; wherein the convergent/divergent nozzle has a nozzle throat downstream of the injection zone whereby in operation the injection pressure of the feedstock material upstream of the nozzle throat approximates the pressure of the combustion stream within the injection zone.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser. The dispenser includes reversible modular components to define selective removability and rearrangement between them and a base structure such that one or more sheets of a passing liquid-receiving substrate may receive such liquid through interchangeable liquid-dispensing orientations. The removability features include tool-free operation to facilitate quick insertion and removal of the modular components that include at least a liquid-dispensing valve assembly and a seal that is selectively engageable with the valve assembly to protect liquid-dispensing nozzles of the valve assembly from becoming clogged with residual dried liquid during periods of inactivity of the liquid dispenser. Selective movable cooperation or attachment between the modules—as well as between the modules and the base structure—facilitates flexible configurations of the dispenser, including top-down and bottom-up liquid-dispensing orientations.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides various aspects for mobile and automated processing utilizing additive manufacturing and the methods for their utilization. In some examples, discrete material formats for use in an Additive Manufacturing Array are disclosed. Methods of using the additive manufacturing robot, discrete materials, and the roadways produced with the additive manufacturing robot are provided. A combined function Addibot, with Additive Manufacturing capabilities, cleaning capabilities, line painting capabilities and seal coating capabilities which may be used in concert with a camera equipped aerial drone for design and characterization function is described.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automated repair and maintenance operations on a railroad track comprise a work head that is automatically moved over the railroad track according to a predetermined pattern, such as the movement of an applicator for tie plugging compound according to a predetermined pattern of spike holes. The automated repair and maintenance operations may be coupled to systems and methods for automatically detecting a feature on a railroad track that comprise two or more distance measurement sensors that travel over the railroad track. Features on the railroad track are detected where the distance measured by each sensor falls within two different predetermined distance ranges.

Abstract: A device for coating a fiber includes a fiber receiving arrangement and a coating arrangement which includes an application unit which wets the fiber with a coating agent, and a curing unit arranged downstream of the application unit which optically cures the coating agent. The curing unit includes a lamp which emits at least one light beam which is aimed directly or indirectly at a surface of the fiber. A main radiation direction of the lamp includes a beam angle between the main radiation direction and a longitudinal direction of the fiber of less than 40°. The fiber receiving arrangement and the application unit are movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the fiber via a translational motion arrangement so that a wetting process is implemented substantially along an entire length of the fiber.

Abstract: A material delivery assembly includes a delivery fitting attached to a drive shaft and including an outer wall that extends perpendicularly from a receiving surface. Apportioning slots are defined within the outer wall. A dispersion chamber is defined within the outer wall and the receiving surface. A material delivery conduit extends to a delivery port located within the dispersion chamber and is proximate the receiving surface of the delivery fitting. The material delivery port selectively delivers a viscous material to the receiving surface. The drive shaft and the delivery fitting are rotationally operated to define an apportioning state of the delivery fitting that is configured to manipulate the viscous material toward an inner surface of the outer wall. The apportioning slots in the apportioning state are configured to regulate passage of the viscous material from the dispersion chamber, through the outer wall and into a disk-shaped spread pattern.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a process container; a process gas supply mechanism; a substrate loading table; a temperature adjusting medium passage; a temperature adjusting medium extraction mechanism; a heater; and a temperature controller. The temperature controller is configured to adjust a temperature of a target substrate to a first temperature by allowing a temperature adjusting medium to flow through the temperature adjusting medium passage of the substrate loading table; and adjust the temperature of the target substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature by extracting the temperature adjusting medium of the temperature adjusting medium passage using the temperature adjusting medium extraction mechanism while heating the target substrate using the heater.

Abstract: Plant for making decorations on a bituminous membrane including a feed device configured to feed the bituminous membrane at a determinate speed in a direction, and at least two depositing apparatuses disposed one in series with the other in the direction and configured to deposit solid particles on the bituminous membrane according to respective patterns in order to obtain respective decorations on the bituminous membrane. The depositing apparatuses each includes a transfer member configured to receive, support and transfer the solid particles from a respective feed device, to the surface to be enhanced of the bituminous membrane.

Abstract: Apparatus and method useful for, among other things, providing a layer by layer coating of materials on a substrate.

Abstract: An automated food preparation system includes a seasoning-dispensing system, a sauce-dispensing system, and a conveyance system. The seasoning-dispensing system includes a plurality of vessels, a dispersion nozzle, and a conduit coupled to the dispersion nozzle. Each vessel contains one of a plurality of seasonings. The vessels are in selective communication with the conduit. The sauce-dispensing system includes a plurality of sauce reservoirs, a scanning head, and a plurality of tubes. Each sauce reservoirs contains one of a plurality of sauces. The scanning head includes openings each coupled with one of the sauce reservoirs via one of the tubes. The conveyance system transports a foodstuff between a seasoning position in which the foodstuff is disposed below the dispersion nozzle and a sauce position in which the foodstuff is disposed below the openings. The scanning head is movable to dispense one or more sauces onto the foodstuff.

Abstract: A deposition mask includes: a mask sheet formed by stacking a metal layer provided with a plurality of through holes on a film layer provided with a plurality of opening patterns, each through hole enclosing at least one of the opening patterns, and by dividing one surface of the mask sheet into a plurality of unit cells each including two or more of the opening patterns and two or more of the through holes; and a support member which is made of metal and has openings corresponding to the unit cells of the mask sheet, the support member supporting the mask sheet by being joined to the metal layer of the mask sheet to which no external tension is applied. This ensures high shape and positional deposition accuracy in forming thin film patterns using the deposition mask.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for processing a glass sheet can include a coating chamber including a dispensing port to dispense a coating on a major surface of the glass sheet. In some embodiments, an apparatus can include a fog chamber including an enclosure, a fog generator to provide fog to the enclosure, and a passage in the enclosure from which fog can exit the enclosure to contact a major surface of the glass sheet. In some embodiments a method can include providing a glass sheet to a coating chamber, and dispensing a coating on a major surface of the glass sheet. In some embodiments, a method can include providing a glass sheet to a fog chamber, providing fog to an enclosure of the fog chamber, and contacting a major surface of the glass sheet with the fog by passing the fog from the enclosure through a passage in the enclosure.

Abstract: A cyclone is disclosed that includes an enclosure that encloses at least a portion of the cyclone. The enclosure delimits an enclosed volume between an interior surface of the enclosure and the exterior surface of the body. The enclosure retains a gas coolant or liquid coolant in thermal exchange with the enclosed exterior surface of the cyclone. A powder coating system is disclosed that includes a spray booth and a cyclone, where ambient air is added to process air that is drawn from the spray booth into the cyclone. The ambient air may be added to the process air to cool the process air to a temperature that is lower than the process air would be if ambient air were not added, and also may be used to dilute the powder overspray entrained process air.

Abstract: A robot system and a control method of a robot are provided. The robot system includes a robot, a liquid application part being provided on the robot, an application thickness measurement part measuring an application thickness of a liquid applied by the liquid application part, a distance measurement part measuring a first distance from the distance measurement part to an application object, a control part controlling the robot based on the first distance so that a second distance from the liquid application part to the application object becomes constant, a supply amount adjustment part adjusting a supply amount of the liquid to the application object according to the application thickness measured by the application thickness measurement part, wherein the distance measurement part, the liquid application part and the application thickness measurement part are arranged in this order in an application direction of the liquid.

Abstract: A robot system includes a workpiece supplier, a work robot, and a support. The workpiece supplier is to turn a workpiece about a workpiece turning axis to position the workpiece at a work position. The work robot includes a base and a robot arm. The robot arm is connected to the base turnably about an arm turning axis to perform a work on the workpiece at the work position. The arm turning axis crosses the workpiece turning axis. The support connects the workpiece supplier and the base.

Abstract: An end-face coating apparatus for applying a fluid to an end face of a glass substrate includes a workpiece holder and a fluid dispenser. The workpiece holder has a holding surface for holding a glass substrate in a horizontal position such that an end face of the glass substrate projects from the workpiece holder. The fluid dispenser extends in a vertical direction orthogonal to the main faces of the glass substrate and has a nozzle. A dispensing opening for dispensing a fluid is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle. The dispensing opening has a size equal to or smaller than the width of the end face as measured in the thickness direction of the glass substrate. The fluid dispenser is moved relative to the glass substrate by a Z-axis drive mechanism, a ?-axis drive mechanism, a Y-axis drive mechanism, and an X-axis drive mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus for enrobing a product portion can include a polymer spray head arranged to direct a plurality of polymeric fibers in an upward direction and levitate product portions in a polymer enrobing zone above the polymer spray head. Polymeric fibers produced by the polymer spray head can wrap around the product portions levitated in the polymer enrobing zone to create an enrobed product. Side guide structure(s) and/or air knife(s) can be provided adjacent to the polymer enrobing zone to inhibit levitated product portions from falling out of the polymer enrobing zone and/or to guide levitated product portions along a desired path. Exemplary enrobed products include smokeless tobacco products.