An X-ray generator 110 irradiates with an X-ray beam onto a polycrystalline sample on a sample stage 113. An X-ray detector 116 including an array of X-ray detecting elements detects the intensities of diffracted X-rays which occur from the X-ray beam incident on the sample. A rotary drive rotates the X-ray generator, X-ray detector and sample-holding section so as to maintain a predetermined relationship between the angle formed by the sample surface and the incident X-ray beam, and the angle formed by the sample surface and the diffracted X-ray travelling toward the X-ray detector. A stress measurement section rotates, for a measurement of a stress value of the sample, either the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector or the sample stage so as to change the angle formed by the sample surface and the incident X-ray beam, while maintaining the positional relationship of the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector.

An X-ray generator 110 irradiates with an X-ray beam onto a polycrystalline sample on a sample stage 113. An X-ray detector 116 including an array of X-ray detecting elements detects the intensities of diffracted X-rays which occur from the X-ray beam incident on the sample. A rotary drive rotates the X-ray generator, X-ray detector and sample-holding section so as to maintain a predetermined relationship between the angle formed by the sample surface and the incident X-ray beam, and the angle formed by the sample surface and the diffracted X-ray travelling toward the X-ray detector. A stress measurement section rotates, for a measurement of a stress value of the sample, either the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector or the sample stage so as to change the angle formed by the sample surface and the incident X-ray beam, while maintaining the positional relationship of the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector.

A pressure adaptive sensor system has at least one transmitting antenna and at least one receiving antenna adapted to receive a signal from at least one transmitting antenna. A measurement of received signals is used in order to determine pressure of an operable portion of the electrode on an object. The determined pressure is used by a pressure actuator to alter a contact profile when an electrode is in contact with skin or a surface.

A friction force sensing system comprising one interrupter with a blocking extension and one flexible assembly having a fixed end and a free end, longitudinal flexures extending between said fixed end and said free end, said interrupter and said flexible assembly being fixedly connected to each other by a mounting element at the free end of said flexible assembly.

A method for manufacturing of a waveguide for guiding an electro-magnetic wave comprising: forming a first waveguide layer, a sacrificial layer and a protection layer on a first wafer, patterning to define a pattern of a first waveguide part and a supporting structure in the first waveguide layer; exposing the sacrificial layer on the first waveguide part while the protection layer still covers the sacrificial layer on the supporting structure; removing the sacrificial layer on the first waveguide part; removing the protection layer; bonding a second wafer to the sacrificial layer of the first wafer such that a second waveguide part is supported by the supporting structure and a gap corresponding to the thickness of the sacrificial layer is formed between the first and second waveguide parts.

The present invention is a method for measuring a residual stress in a cast and forged steel product, the method using X-rays, including: irradiating a cast and forged steel product with X-rays; two-dimensionally detecting intensities of diffracted X-rays originating from the X-rays; and calculating a residual stress based on a diffraction ring formed by an intensity distribution of the diffracted X-rays detected in the detecting, wherein, when the residual stress is measured for each of a plurality of measurement positions of the cast and forged steel product, the residual stress for each of the measurement positions is calculated in the calculating based on the diffraction ring for each of the measurement positions and an X-ray elastic constant which varies for each of the measurement positions.

A method for determining residual stress in a selectively hardened parts including an unhardened region adjacent to a hardened region is provided. The method includes obtaining a Barkhausen Noise (BN) value for the unhardened region and selecting a corresponding absolute residual stress value from a look-up table. The selected absolute residual stress value accurately estimates the absolute residual stress in the hardened region of the selectively hardened part. In variations of the method the unhardened region is surrounded by the hardened region, the hardened region is a laser hardened region and the unhardened region is not laser hardened.

An improved ultrasonic transducer for measuring stretch loads on bolts is provided. The improved ultrasonic transducer is separated into a pickup unit and a base sensor unit. The base sensor unit includes a piezo ceramic inside an aluminum can covered by a PCB for protection, which is surrounded by a strong magnet. Honey is used as a couplant between the base sensor unit and the bolt during operation. The base sensor unit stays on the bolt before and after tightening without changing the mechanical bonding between the sensor and bolt therefore achieving higher accuracy stretch readings. The base sensor unit is low cost and reusable, as it can be placed on number of bolts before tightening and can be removed after tightening, washed and then reused.

A method and apparatus of condition monitoring and detection of vibration generated from at least two different sources using a single sensor/transducer is provided. The method and apparatus provides switchably adapting signal processing, such as amplification and frequency filtering, to one at a time of the at least two different signal sources. An example of which is vibration sources. This adapts the analogue signal from the sensor/transducer to the analogue to digital converter and any further optional analogue signal processing, so that it is possible to maximize use of available dynamic range of these and without any saturation of these. Suitably, the signal processing to analyze the vibration signals is also appropriately adapted to the vibration source in question.

The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for detecting an anomaly of a rolling equipment rolling on rails of a railway resting on a rail support. This method comprises a decomposition (DECOMP) by discrete wavelet transform of a measurement signal (S) transmitted by a strain sensor detecting the deformation of the rail support into an approximation signal (A.sub.J) and a residual signal (R.sub.J) and a search (RECH-PA) for outliers (PA) in the residual signal (R.sub.J) in order to detect an anomaly of the rolling equipment.