One aspect is a device for processing a filament in a process stream, including at least one processing beam source, designed and arranged for emitting at least one processing beam which is suitable for processing a segment of the filament by interaction of the at least one processing beam with the segment of the filament, thereby obtaining a processed filament. The device includes a guide, including a filament feed which is arranged upstream of the at least one processing beam source, and is designed to feed the filament from a feed reel. The guide is designed and arranged to guide the filament so that during the processing the segment of the filament inclines an angle with a vertical axis in the range from 0 to 45°.

Analyte sensors and methods of manufacturing same are provided, including analyte sensors comprising multi-axis flexibility. For example, a multi-electrode sensor system 800 comprising two working electrodes and at least one reference/counter electrode is provided. The sensor system 800 comprises first and second elongated bodies E1, E2, each formed of a conductive core or of a core with a conductive layer deposited thereon, insulating layer 810 that separates the conductive layer 820 from the elongated body, a membrane layer deposited on top of the elongated bodies E1, E2, and working electrodes 802′, 802″ formed by removing portions of the conductive layer 820 and the insulating layer 810, thereby exposing electroactive surface of the elongated bodies E1, E2.

A shunt resistor according to the present invention includes a pair of electrode plates spaced apart from each other in a plate surface direction and a resistive alloy plate that connects the pair of electrode plates and that has a predetermined set resistance value. A surface of the resistive alloy plate is provided with a visually recognizable character string pattern that is formed by laser processing and that indicates the set resistance value of the resistive alloy plate, and a surface area and a carving depth of the character string pattern are set in such a manner that the resistive alloy plate has the set resistance value.

A shunt resistor according to the present invention includes a pair of electrode plates spaced apart from each other in a plate surface direction and a resistive alloy plate that connects the pair of electrode plates and that has a predetermined set resistance value. A surface of the resistive alloy plate is provided with a visually recognizable character string pattern that is formed by laser processing and that indicates the set resistance value of the resistive alloy plate, and a surface area and a carving depth of the character string pattern are set in such a manner that the resistive alloy plate has the set resistance value.

Method of controlling a laser marking matrix system, the matrix system comprising an N×M matrix of lasers to produce the laser marking, the method comprising the sequential transformation of at least two images to be marked into a series of marking commands according to an N×M matrix of dots, which comprises the following phases: division of a first image into a fixed portion and a variable portion, transformation of the fixed portion into a fixed matrix and the variable portion into a variable matrix, combination of said fixed and variable matrices, laser marking of the first image, processing of a second image, obtaining a new variable matrix which is added to the previous fixed matrix, producing a complete new matrix, laser marking of the second image.

A surface is laser-etched to convey a 2D machine-readable code pattern. Various strategies are detailed to minimize the etching time. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to reduce a path length traveled by the laser. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to make it sub-optimal, i.e., making the code pattern a less-faithful approximation of an ideal code pattern. In some embodiments the etched surface is the surface of a plastic container, and the code pattern conveys information indicating the type of plastic of which the container is manufactured. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A surface is laser-etched to convey a 2D machine-readable code pattern. Various strategies are detailed to minimize the etching time. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to reduce a path length traveled by the laser. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to make it sub-optimal, i.e., making the code pattern a less-faithful approximation of an ideal code pattern. In some embodiments the etched surface is the surface of a plastic container, and the code pattern conveys information indicating the type of plastic of which the container is manufactured. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

It comprises: a film made of a resin in which an aperture pattern is formed, the aperture pattern passing through the film, the aperture being with a shape and dimension corresponding to the thin-film pattern in a pre-established region for formation of the thin-film pattern on the substrate; and a metal member that has an aperture part opposite the aperture pattern with a shape and dimension larger than the aperture pattern, the metal member being provided as a thin sheet in intimate contact with one surface of the film on an outside part of the aperture pattern of the film. The film is mutually distanced and distributed, at a position where the film does not overlap the aperture pattern, into a plurality of divided parts on one surface of the metal member.

It comprises: a film made of a resin in which an aperture pattern is formed, the aperture pattern passing through the film, the aperture being with a shape and dimension corresponding to the thin-film pattern in a pre-established region for formation of the thin-film pattern on the substrate; and a metal member that has an aperture part opposite the aperture pattern with a shape and dimension larger than the aperture pattern, the metal member being provided as a thin sheet in intimate contact with one surface of the film on an outside part of the aperture pattern of the film. The film is mutually distanced and distributed, at a position where the film does not overlap the aperture pattern, into a plurality of divided parts on one surface of the metal member.

Embodiments of heat spreaders with integrated preforms, and related devices and methods, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a heat spreader may include: a frame formed of a metal material, wherein the metal material is a zinc alloy or an aluminum alloy; a preform secured in the frame, wherein the preform has a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the metal material; and a recess having at least one sidewall formed by the frame. The metal material may have an equiaxed grain structure. In some embodiments, the equiaxed grain structure may be formed by squeeze-casting or rheocasting the metal material.