3m Innovative Properties Company

David L Hofeldt

Catherine P Tarnowski

Derek H Justice

John A Ramthun

Gregory D Kostuch

Peter T Benson

Michele A Craton

Evan J Ribnick

Guillermo Sapiro

David L Phillips

Jack Wing Lai

Kenneth G Brittain

Francis M Aguirre

Wenyuan Xu

Andrzej P Jaworski

Michael Alan Meis

Robert L Brott

Gordon D Henson

Daniel H Carlson

James N Dobbs

Michael J Sykora

Karl K Stensvad

Daniel J Theis

John T Strand

Jeffrey H Tokie

Christopher J Rother

Glen A Jerry

Thomas J Strey

Levent Biyikli

Paul C Thomas

Jay M Krieger

Sammuel D Herbert

Gregory J McGill

Esa H Vilkama

Methods and systems of measurement for blown film lines are provided. The sensing system includes a terahertz (THz) sensor positioned adjacent to a film bubble extruded from a blown film die, and a sensor support configured to guide the THz sensor around the circumference of the film bubble to measure its film thickness.

Methods and systems for blown film thickness measurement

A time-domain terahertz (THz) measurement system includes a single reference surface. A reference beam providing the single reference surface is supported at two mounting points, at least one of which is a non-fixed mounting point to allow for thermal expansion of the reference beam. The system acquires an air scan profile of the single reference surface with no sample present at a first time, and a sample scan profile with the sample present at a second time. The system further performs a linear correction of the air scan profile using distance measurements at two reference points outside the boundaries of the sample collected at the time of acquisition of the air scan profile and the sample scan profile. The system measures one or more properties of a sample, including, for example, a thickness profile of the sample and an effective refractive index profile of the sample.

Time-domain terahertz measurement system having a single reference surface

A manufacturing system includes a sensing system that provides high-resolution feedback for web guiding and tension control. The system may be especially useful for web material that is manufactured to include micro-replicated structures with micron size scale. A micro-replication station forms a pattern of micro-replicated lenses on a web material. The sensing system illuminates a measurement area on the web material and detects an angular distribution of light exiting a set of the micro-replicated lenses within the first measurement area. A control system that adjusts at least one process control parameter of the transport system based on the detected angular distribution.

Precision control of web material having micro-replicated lens array

A system is described for detecting the presence of non-uniformity patterns and providing output indicative of a severity of each type of non-uniformity pattern. The system includes a computerized rating tool that assists a user in efficiently and consistently assigning expert ratings (i.e., labels) to a large collection of training images representing samples of a given product. In addition, the rating software develops a model that allows a computerized inspection system to detect the presence of non-uniformity patterns in a manufactured web material in real time and provide output indicative of a severity level of each pattern on a continuous scale. The system also includes algorithmic and hardware approaches to significantly that increase the throughput of the inspection system.

System for detection of non-uniformities in web-based materials

A computerized rating tool is described that assists a user in efficiently and consistently assigning expert ratings (i.e., labels) to a large collection of training images representing samples of a given product. The rating tool provides mechanisms for visualizing the training images in an intuitive and configurable fashion, including clustering and ordering the training images. In some embodiments, the rating tool provides an easy-to-use interface for exploring multiple types of defects represented in the data and efficiently assigning expert ratings. In other embodiments, the computer automatically assigns ratings (i.e., labels) to the individual clusters containing the large collection of digital images representing the samples. In addition, the computerized tool has capabilities ideal for labeling very large datasets, including the ability to automatically identify and select a most relevant subset of the images for a defect and to automatically propagate labels from this subset to the remaining images without requiring further user interaction.

Computer-aided assignment of ratings to digital samples of a manufactured web product

A method includes providing a substrate having a layer of photosensitive material thereon and a mask having contiguous first, second, and third portions; and sequentially: i) scanning the first portion with a light beam at a first rate and subsequently impinges on the photosensitive material at an exposure zone; ii) fixing the scanning within the second portion; and iii) resuming scanning through the third portion. Throughout the process the substrate moves through the exposure zone. An apparatus for carrying out the process includes a light beam source, a mask mount, a mask stage, a conveyor assembly, and at least one optical element for manipulating the light beam into a rectangular light beam.

Method and apparatus for photoimaging a substrate

An apparatus that can measure both haze and clarity on a web moving at conventional manufacturing speeds. The apparatus uses an integrating sphere and a novel mirror arrangement. With this arrangement, the invention can utilize a calibration curve created using known samples over the range of measurement desired to convert in real time, and the response of two photo detectors that measure the wide and low angle scattering signals, to deduce the desired optical property values. This approach significantly increases the speed and response of sensor and enables either on-line single point or full web scanning for uniformity measurement and control.

Optical property sensor

Systems and methods for calibrating a web inspection system.

Web inspection calibration system and related methods

A radiation modifying apparatus comprises a plurality of solid state radiation sources to generate radiation that modifies a first material such as by curing or creating alignment through polarization. The solid state radiation sources can be disposed in an array pattern. Optical concentrators, arranged in a corresponding array pattern, receive radiation from corresponding solid state radiation sources. The concentrated radiation is received by a plurality of optical waveguides, also arranged in a corresponding array pattern. Each optical waveguide includes a first end to receive the radiation and a second end to output the radiation. The radiation modifying apparatus can be utilized for continuous substrate, sheet, piece part, spot curing, and/or 3D radiation-cure processes.

LED modifying apparatus and method

Growing community of inventors

Oakdale, MN, United States of America

David L Hofeldt