A contour measuring devices for measuring the contour of hot-strip rolls installed in a roll stand during a rolling process includes a plurality of distance sensors that extend along the length of the hot-strip roll in a perpendicular and non-contacting manner and, in this manner. Each distance sensor has a measurement head oriented towards the hot-strip roll. The plurality of distance sensors are positioned separate from and lateral to each other on and along a longitudinal support. The longitudinal support is comprised of a double shell tube that cools the design sensors with an inner tube that conducts a coolant, a shell tube that surrounds the inner tube, and an annular space located therebetween. The inner tube is fixed at its opposite ends in a position relative to the shell tube.

An automated system for accurately measuring the thickness of a sample quantity of small items such as oat flakes. The system picks individual oat flakes from a hopper using a vacuum and passes them between two precision rollers. One roller is fixed and has vacuum ports to pick up the flake from the hopper. The second roller is floating. As the flake passes between the rollers, the flake is flattened and the second roller is deflected by an amount equal to the thickness of the flake. A vision system comprising a video camera, a light source and a computer measures the deflection of the floating roller. The vision system obtains an image of the curvature of the floating roller at the point opposite the pinch point of the two rollers. Data from the measurement may be recorded on the computer and processed as desired.

Apparatus for measuring deflection of a film in a film gate having an aperture illuminated by a primary light source having an output spectrum, includes: a) a reflective photonic probe mounted in the film gate, the reflective probe having at least one optical fiber; b) a measurement light source coupled to reflective photonic probe and emitting a wavelength of light outside of the primary light source's spectrum; c) a photodetector coupled to the reflective photonic probe; d) a narrow pass optical filter located between the photodetector and the reflective photonic probe, the narrow pass filter passing the light from the measurement light source and blocking the light from the primary light source; and e) signal processing electronics connected to the photodetector for producing a signal representing the motion of the film perpendicular to the plane of the film.

A method of forming a relief image in a structure comprising a substrate and a transfer layer formed thereon comprises covering the transfer layer with a polymerizable fluid composition, and then contacting the polymerizable fluid composition with a mold having a relief structure formed therein such that the polymerizable fluid composition fills the relief structure in the mold. The polymerizable fluid composition is subjected to conditions to polymerize polymerizable fluid composition and form a solidified polymeric material therefrom on the transfer layer. The mold is then separated from the solid polymeric material such that a replica of the relief structure in the mold is formed in the solidified polymeric material; and the transfer layer and the solidified polymeric material are subjected to an environment to selectively etch the transfer layer relative to the solidified polymeric material such that a relief image is formed in the transfer layer.

Described are imprint lithography templates, methods of forming and using the templates, and a template holder device. An imprint lithography template may include a body with a plurality of recesses on a surface of the body. The body may be of a material that is substantially transparent to activating light. At least a portion of the plurality of recesses may define features having a feature size less than about 250 nm. A template may be formed by obtaining a material that is substantially transparent to activating light and forming a plurality or recesses on a surface of the template. In some embodiments, a template may further include at least one alignment mark. In some embodiments, a template may further include a gap sensing area. An imprint lithography template may be used to form an imprinted layer in a light curable liquid disposed on a substrate. During use, the template may be disposed within a template holder. The template holder may include a body with an opening configured to receive the template, a support plate, and at least one piezo actuator coupled to the body. The piezo actuator may be configured to alter a physical dimension of the template during use.