Abstract: This invention describes a data-driven bunker planner system (11) for optimising refuel costs for a marine vessel (1). The bunker planner system (11) operates on a computing system (10) located on the vessel (1) and includes a data acquisition module (111), a fuel-price forecasting module (112) and a data optimisation module (113). The fuel-price forecasting module (112) forecasts the future fuel prices and/or fuel indexes in the long-term or the short-term. The data optimisation module (113) determines an optimal time to fulfil a refuel term contract or combinations of contracts based on the forecasted fuel prices and/or fuel indexes. The forecasted fuel prices and/or fuel indexes, the optimised fuel term contracts and a bunkering plan are outputted through a notification generation module (114) and a human-machine interface system (18). The bunker planner system outputs have been verified using real-life data trained on various customized machine learning and optimization models.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for manufacturing a thin film substrate. The method comprises steps of: providing a substrate having at least one through hole; forming a first metallic layer on a surface of the substrate and the through holes; forming a resist layer and a first opening on the first metallic layer; forming a second metallic layer in the first opening and the through hole; removing the resist layer and a part of the first metallic layer to form a circuit layer and a plurality of grooves; forming a solder mask layer on the circuit layer and in the groove, and forming a second opening on the solder mask layer to expose a part of the circuit layer; and polishing the surface of the exposed circuit layer and the solder mask layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for manufacturing a circuit board comprising the steps of: (a) forming a through hole in a substrate; (b) providing a photo resist to cover a predetermined area adjacent to the through hole on a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface of the substrate; and (c) performing an etching process to make the through hole has a shape of dumbbell.

Abstract: A method for reducing roughens of the metals on a ceramic substrate having metal filled via holes, comprising forming via holes, a seed layer, and through film coating, exposure and development process followed by multiple steps of DC electroplating to achieve copper circuit with desired surface roughness.