In some embodiments, a counting machine may include a counting area configured to count a plurality of items. The counting area may include a fixed pressure plate, a movable pressure plate, and one or more sensors configured to measure the distance between the fixed pressure plate and the movable pressure plate, and a processor configured to determine the number of items in the counting area by comparing a sampled thickness value to the thickness of the items located between the fixed pressure plate and the movable pressure plate.

In some embodiments, a counting machine may include a counting area configured to count a plurality of items. The counting area may include a fixed pressure plate, a movable pressure plate, and one or more sensors configured to measure the distance between the fixed pressure plate and the movable pressure plate, and a processor configured to determine the number of items in the counting area by comparing a sampled thickness value to the thickness of the items located between the fixed pressure plate and the movable pressure plate.

A method is provided for dimensioning a cross section of a structural product, the cross section having an arbitrary shape. The method includes defining and thereby producing a first definition of the cross section, and accessing template cross sections of various shapes, the template cross sections having respective second definitions of the template cross sections. The method includes performing a comparison of the first definition of the cross section and the respective second definitions of the template cross sections. The method includes identifying a matching one of the template cross sections based on the comparison, the matching one of the template cross sections further having respective locations from which the matching one of the template cross sections is dimensioned. And the method includes applying the respective locations to the cross section, and dimensioning the cross section from the respective locations.

A method is provided for dimensioning a cross section of a structural product, the cross section having an arbitrary shape. The method includes defining and thereby producing a first definition of the cross section, and accessing template cross sections of various shapes, the template cross sections having respective second definitions of the template cross sections. The method includes performing a comparison of the first definition of the cross section and the respective second definitions of the template cross sections. The method includes identifying a matching one of the template cross sections based on the comparison, the matching one of the template cross sections further having respective locations from which the matching one of the template cross sections is dimensioned. And the method includes applying the respective locations to the cross section, and dimensioning the cross section from the respective locations.

An uncertainty estimation method including: acquiring first variable values, which are a plurality of variable values included in a function indicating a relationship between a measurement dimension and a maximum permissible length measurement error when a predetermined measurement condition value of a coordinate measuring machine is a first value, and second variable values, which are the plurality of variable values occurring when the measurement condition value is a second value; calculating a maximum permissible length measurement error corresponding to a third value by calculating the variable values occurring when the measurement condition value is the third value on the basis of the plurality of first variable values and the plurality of second variable values; and estimating the measurement uncertainty of the coordinate measuring machine on the basis of the calculated maximum permissible length measurement error.

A driving device includes a frame, a screw-nut system comprising a threaded rod and a first nut helicoidally connected to the threaded rod, the threaded rod being connected to the frame by a pivot connection that allows the threaded rod to rotate with respect to the frame about a longitudinal axis of the threaded rod, a first position sensor making it possible to detect a limit position of the first nut along the longitudinal axis, the first position sensor comprising a first part and a second part, the first position sensor being sensitive to a variation in a distance between the first part and the second part of the first position sensor along the axis, the first part being fixed to the first nut and the second part being connected to the threaded rod without passing via the pivot connection and in such a way that rotation of the threaded rod about the longitudinal axis leads to a variation in the distance between the first part and the second part of the first position sensor along the longitudinal axis.

A driving device includes a frame, a screw-nut system comprising a threaded rod and a first nut helicoidally connected to the threaded rod, the threaded rod being connected to the frame by a pivot connection that allows the threaded rod to rotate with respect to the frame about a longitudinal axis of the threaded rod, a first position sensor making it possible to detect a limit position of the first nut along the longitudinal axis, the first position sensor comprising a first part and a second part, the first position sensor being sensitive to a variation in a distance between the first part and the second part of the first position sensor along the axis, the first part being fixed to the first nut and the second part being connected to the threaded rod without passing via the pivot connection and in such a way that rotation of the threaded rod about the longitudinal axis leads to a variation in the distance between the first part and the second part of the first position sensor along the longitudinal axis.

Methods and systems for selecting measurement locations on a wafer for subsequent detailed measurements employed to characterize the entire wafer are described herein. High throughput measurements are performed at a relatively large number of measurement sites on a wafer. The measurement signals are transformed to a new mathematical basis and reduced to a significantly smaller dimension in the new basis. A set of representative measurement sites is selected based on analyzing variation of the high throughput measurement signals. In some embodiments, the spectra are subdivided into a set of different groups. The spectra are grouped together to minimize variance within each group. Furthermore, a die location is selected that is representative of the variance exhibited by the die in each group. A spectrum of a measurement site and corresponding wafer location is selected to correspond most closely to the center point of each cluster.

A system and method for generating an angular calibration factor (ACF) for a metrology tool useful in a fabrication process, the method including providing the metrology tool, the metrology tool including a stage and a housing, measuring a rotational orientation of the stage relative to the housing and generating the ACF for the stage based at least partially on the rotational orientation.

An estimation device includes a controller that: obtains first-type temperature data for a position corresponding to an outside of a first-type position of a pipe in which a fluid flows; obtains second-type temperature data for a position corresponding to an outside of a second-type position of the pipe at which condition related to heat transfer is different than condition at the first-type position; based on the first-type temperature data and the second-type temperature data, calculates thermal resistance of a deposit formed on an inner surface of the pipe, and estimates a thickness of the deposit.