Abstract: In a continuous grinding machine for grinding the surface of flat workpieces (20) with at least one grinding station and a transport device (10) for moving the workpieces (20) relative to the grinding station, the grinding station having at least one grinding assembly (22) with a grinding belt (26) and a pressure device (34) for pressing the grinding belt (26) against the workpiece surface, and with a control device (38) for controlling the pressure device (34) depending on the workpiece contour, the transport device (10) is reversible with respect to its feed direction and the control device (38) has means (36) for detecting the workpiece contour depending on the feed direction.

Abstract: A glass edge finishing system, a belt assembly and a method are described herein for finishing an edge of a glass sheet. The glass edge finishing system comprises: (a) a base; and (b) one or more belt assemblies located on the base, where each belt assembly includes: (i) a support frame; (ii) a motor; (iii) a pair of pulleys rotatably mounted on the support frame and driven by the motor; (iv) a belt engaged to and driven by the pair of pulleys, where the belt contacts and finishes the edge of the glass sheet; (v) a belt cleaning device that removes glass debris from the belt as the belt moves past the belt cleaning device; and (vi) a cleaning containment enclosure within which there is located the belt cleaning device, where the cleaning containment enclosure contains the glass debris removed from the belt by the belt cleaning device.

Abstract: An example coating removal apparatus for a component includes a table having a first platform disposed along an axis. The platform is arranged to receive at least one fixture for holding a corresponding component. The coating removal apparatus also includes a removal device having a web. The table is slidably moveable in an axial direction and configured to move the fixture a pre-determined distance such that at least one portion of the component contacts the web to remove a coating of the component.

Abstract: A small test piece polishing apparatus is provided which is less likely to bend or damage a small test piece, which is superior in working efficiency, and which ensures uniform quality for the small test pieces produced. The small test piece polishing apparatus 1 for polishing a surface of a small test piece 3 having a circular cross section using a string-type member 13 includes string-type member delivery/recovery means 10, abrasive applying means 20, holding/rotating means 30, and pressing/scanning means 40. The abrasive applying means 20 applies an abrasive to the string-type member delivered by the string-type member delivery/recovery means 10. Thereafter, the pressing/scanning means 40 presses the string-type member 13 applied with the abrasive against the small test piece 3 held and rotated by the holding/rotating means 30 to perform scanning, to thereby polish the small test piece 3.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing magnetic recording tape includes applying a front coat including a magnetic component to a substrate to provide a coated substrate. The coated substrate defines a first face and an opposing, second face, the first face extending between a first corner and an opposing, second corner, and the second face extending between a third corner and an opposing, fourth corner. An abrasive surface is moved against the first corner of the coated substrate to abrasively remove a volume of material from the first corner. In particular, the abrasive surface is angularly offset at a substantially non-orthogonal angle from the first face of the coated substrate.

Abstract: In a cutting method by a wire saw, in which a wire A at a wire array wound around work rollers 10 is made to reciprocate or travel in one direction at a high speed and numerous pieces of wafers are cut out in abutment of a workpiece B against the wire array, a receiving member 27 of a cassette type having numerous support wires 34 arranged at the same pitch as that of the wire at the wire array is disposed at a position immediately under the wire array for cutting the workpiece B; and wafers b cut out of the workpiece B by the wire A are contained in separation one from another between the support wires 34 in the receiving member 27. Thus, the wafers can be prevented from adhering to each other during a cutting operation, thus to be accurately cut, and further, the wafers can be prevented from being cracked during the cutting operation, thus to be efficiently separated one from another, so as to enhance wafer cleansing performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods control abrading operations of an abrading machine by sensing characteristics of an abrading article installed on the abrading machine. When a problem is discovered by sensing the article, appropriate actions may be taken. As one example, the abrading article may be sensed to determine whether the abrading article has been installed with an abrasive side facing the wrong direction. An alert allows an operator to reinstall the article. As another example, the abrading article may be sensed to determine whether splicing tape is present to hold two pieces of abrading tape together. The article may be advanced until the splicing tape is beyond an abrading zone. As another example, the abrading article may be sensed to determine whether the abrading article has stopped moving while the article drive is advancing because the article has broken. An alert allows an operator to repair the break.

Abstract: In the tape head polishing method of the present invention the tape head is moved orthogonally to the polishing medium (such as diamond polishing tape) direction of motion during polishing. The polishing medium motion is synchronized with the tape head motion, such that the polishing medium is held stationary when the tape head motion is stationary, and the polishing medium is moved when the tape head motion is approximately at a maximum velocity. The tape head velocity VH and the polishing medium velocity VT during the tape motion are generally related by the equation VT?VH Tan ?, where Tan ?=W/L, where W is the width of an insulation layer fabricated between a magnetic shield and a tape head read sensor element, and L is the length of a read sensor element.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus has a substrate holder, a polishing belt, and a backing member positioned on a side of the polishing belt opposite the substrate holder. The polishing belt has a polishing surface to contact at least a portion of the substrate held by the substrate holder. The polishing belt is movable in a first direction in a generally linear path relative to the substrate. The polishing belt has a plurality of grooves formed therein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of planarizing substrates is disclosed. A planarizing web medium is prepared for planarizing substrates to reduce defect generation. The planarizing web has a planarizing region and preparing region defined thereon, wherein at least one portion of the preparing region is outside the planarizing region. The web medium is advanced to move one portion of the web out of the planarizing region and another portion into the planarizing region.

Abstract: A multistage fine-hole machining device has lap stations for lapping an inner surface defining a through-hole of a workpiece. Each of the lap stations has a passing unit for passing wire through the through-hole of the workpiece, a supply unit for supplying a polishing material to the wire, and a sliding unit for effecting relative sliding movement between the workpiece and the wire while the wire is passed through the through-hole of the workpiece and is supplied with the polishing material to thereby lap the inner surface of the workpiece with the polishing material and enlarge the diameter of the through-hole. A transfer device successively transfers the workpiece to each of the lap stations to lap the inner surface of the workpiece at each of the lap stations during the lapping operation for successively enlarging the diameter of the through-hole to a preselected diameter.

Abstract: A system for conditioning a pad is provided. The system includes a pad conditioning media, a feed-roll containing a supply of the pad conditioning media, and a take-up roll for receiving an end of the pad conditioning media. Further included in the system is a pressure application member defined between the feed-roll and the take-up roll. The pressure application member is designed to apply pressure onto the pad conditioning media as the pad conditioning media is applied against the pad to cause a conditioning of a surface of the pad.

Abstract: In the tape head polishing method of the present invention the tape head is moved orthogonally to the polishing medium (such as diamond polishing tape) direction of motion during polishing. The polishing medium motion is synchronized with the tape head motion, such that the polishing medium is held stationary when the tape head motion is stationary, and the polishing medium is moved when the tape head motion is approximately at a maximum velocity. The tape head velocity VH and the polishing medium velocity VT during the tape motion are generally related by the equation VT≦VH Tan &phgr;, where Tan &phgr;=W/L, where W is the width of an insulation layer fabricated between a magnetic shield and a tape head read sensor element, and L is the length of a read sensor element.

Abstract: A polishing media magazine for improved polishing. The polishing media magazine may include a conditioning element for rapid, uniform conditioning and cleaning of the polishing media. The polishing media magazine may include polishing media having sections of raised elevation to contain the fluid and may include a polishing support platen having features adapted to urge the edges of the polishing media upwards. The polishing media may be roll fed from a supply roll across a support platen and onto a take-up roll.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting, cleaning and/or drying a polishing pad used for planarizing a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include a cleaning head positioned adjacent a post-operative portion of the polishing pad to clean and/or dry the rear surface of the polishing pad. The cleaning head can include a heat source, a mechanical contact element, and/or orifices that direct fluid and/or gas toward the rear surface. The apparatus can further include a vessel through which the rear surface of the polishing pad passes to clean the rear surface. The apparatus can also include a flow passage in fluid communication with a region between the polishing pad and a support pad upon which the polishing pad rests during planarization. Gas moves through the flow passage toward or away from an interface region between the polishing pad and the support pad to draw the polishing pad toward or away from the support pad.

Abstract: The device of this invention is made up by: a stage having an upper surface for which a section taken at a right angle to the longitudinal direction describes a concave arc; abrasive tape arranged on the stage at a right angle to the longitudinal direction; a mechanism for driving the abrasive tape; a mechanism that applies pressure and places the end face of the workpiece in contact with the abrasive tape such that the center of the radius of curvature of the section of the stage coincides with the center of rotation of a rod-like workpiece; a mechanism for giving the workpiece a reciprocating movement over the surface depression in the longitudinal direction of the stage while rotating the workpiece; arid a water-holding material that contains a grinding fluid that produces a thin and uniform film of grinding fluid on the surface of the abrasive tape.

Abstract: A conveying assembly in a conditioning sub-assembly for conveying a conditioning surface to a polishing pad during conditioning is described. The conveying assembly includes an arm and a guiding component connected to the arm and adapted to guide the conditioning surface about the conveying assembly, thereby allowing another area of the conditioning surface to advance and become available for conditioning.

Abstract: An adjustment plate (10) is used for holding a fixture plate (12) adjustably on a grinder table (14). The adjustment plate (10) includes a shoulder bolt (30) that passes through the fixture plate (12) and threadably engages the adjustment plate (10). The adjustment plate (10) further includes a toggle bolt assembly (50) attached to the base of the adjustment plate to engage the fixture plate (12). The shoulder bolt (30) and the toggle bolt (50) allow the fixture plate (12) to be adjusted about the vertical axis of the adjustment plate (10). The adjustment plate (10) further includes a clamp (32) that is used to clamp the fixture plate (12) to the adjustment plate (10) when the fixture plate (12) is properly positioned. The adjustment plate (10) is attached to the grinder table (14) by a plurality of T-bolts (64) slidably received in T-bolt holes (70) in adjustment plate (10). A plurality of set screws (80) are threadably received in adjustment plate (10) and each engage the grinder table (14).

Abstract: Sanding accessory for a conventional belt sander or the like, enabling manually held workpieces to be sanded to a super-smooth finish without rounding off their edges. A workpiece held by hand sideways against a fence parallel to the direction of travel of the belt moves forward by belt friction to a crosswise face of the fence and is retained there as the fence reciprocates laterally across the belt and back, sanding the workpiece evenly and distributing the belt wear uniformly over substantially its entire abrasive surface.

Abstract: A belt grinding machine for forming cutting edges of complex geometry on surgical instruments includes a fixture for holding an instrument with a site thereon in a position for grinding a surface at the site on the instrument, a grinding assembly having a grinding belt with a planar span for grinding the surface at the site on the instrument, an oscillation producing mechanism for oscillating the instrument relative to the grinding belt so as to reciprocally translate the site on the instrument parallel and relative to the planar span of the grinding belt concurrently with grinding the surface at the site on the instrument, a translation producing mechanism for selectively translating the grinding assembly and thus the planar span of the grinding belt toward and away from the site on the instrument to permit receiving and setting up of the instrument in the instrument holding fixture and to place the instrument in a position for the planar span of the grinding belt to grind the surface at the site on the inst