A method for manufacturing a concave diffraction grating is provided. The method includes the steps of: positioning a flat mold and a concave substrate such that a pressing surface, having a groove pattern of a diffraction grating, of the flat mold faces a concave surface, coated with a resin, of the concave substrate; pressing the pressing surface against the resin coated over the concave surface by pressurizing the flat mold using a fluid; and curing the resin having the groove pattern transferred thereto by being pressed by the pressing surface. This makes it possible to improve load non-uniformity and manufacture a concave diffraction grating with high surface accuracy.

An apparatus for making an object is disclosed. The apparatus has a flexible element having an upwardly facing surface for disposing thereon a material used to make the object, and a member connected to an actuator that can move the member. A controller is in communication the actuator. A method which may be executed using the apparatus is also disclosed.

In an example method of forming a waveguide part having a predetermined shape, a photocurable material is dispensed into a space between a first mold portion and a second mold portion opposite the first mold portion. A relative separation between a surface of the first mold portion with respect to a surface of the second mold portion opposing the surface of the first mold portion is adjusted to fill the space between the first and second mold portions. The photocurable material in the space is irradiated with radiation suitable for photocuring the photocurable material to form a cured waveguide film so that different portions of the cured waveguide film have different rigidity. The cured waveguide film is separated from the first and second mold portions. The waveguide part is singulated from the cured waveguide film. The waveguide part corresponds to portions of the cured waveguide film having a higher rigidity than other portions of the cured waveguide film.

A functional polymeric cutting edge structure and methods for manufacturing cutting edge structures using polymeric materials are provided. A razor blade for use in a razor cartridge or a blade box for assembly in a razor cartridge frame may be formed using the present invention.

A bare optical fiber manufacturing method includes applying an ultraviolet curable resin applied around an optical fiber; and irradiating the ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet light emitted from semiconductor ultraviolet light emitting elements, by use of an ultraviolet irradiation device having plural ultraviolet irradiation units each having plural positions where the ultraviolet light is emitted toward the ultraviolet curable resin, the plural positions being arranged on the same circle, the plural ultraviolet irradiation units being arranged in a traveling direction of the optical fiber such that the optical fiber passes centers of the circles, at least two of the plural ultraviolet irradiation units being differently arranged with respect to circumferential direction angles thereof around an axis that is the traveling direction of the optical fiber.

Methods produce a three-dimensional dental block of material from a dental, polymerizable material. The methods include at least: transferring the polymerizable dental material into a radiolucent three-dimensional casting or press mold; irradiating the polymerizable dental material substantially from all sides with light in the UV/Vis spectral region forming polymerized outer surfaces of the dental material in the form of a solid outer shell of the dental material, wherein the shell is present in the defined three-dimensional geometry of the material whilst the inner region of the material is not polymerized or partially polymerized; heating the material with solid shell being present in defined three-dimensional geometry, to 60° C. to 150° C. for at least 90 minutes; and obtaining a dental, polymerized block of material having defined three-dimensional geometry.

A vat heating device is provided, including a vat and a heater. The vat has a bottom plate. The vat is used to accommodate a photosensitive resin. The heater is disposed on the bottom plate, adjacent to the photosensitive resin. The heater is used to heat the photosensitive resin. The heater is on an optical path of a light source for curing the photosensitive resin. A photocuring three-dimensional molding system containing the above vat heating device is also provided.

Provided are a cylindrical base, a master and a method for manufacturing a master enabling a uniform transfer of a fine pattern. A cylindrical base of a quartz glass having an internal strain in terms of birefringence of less than 70 nm/cm is used. A resist layer is deposited to an outer circumference surface of this cylindrical base, a latent image is formed on the resist layer, the latent image formed on the resist layer is developed and the pattern of the developed resist layer is used as a mask for etching to form a structure including concaves or convexes arranged in a plurality of rows on the outer circumference surface of the cylindrical base.

A bare optical fiber manufacturing method includes applying an ultraviolet curable resin applied around an optical fiber; and irradiating the ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet light emitted from semiconductor ultraviolet light emitting elements, by use of an ultraviolet irradiation device having plural ultraviolet irradiation units each having plural positions where the ultraviolet light is emitted toward the ultraviolet curable resin, the plural positions being arranged on the same circle, the plural ultraviolet irradiation units being arranged in a traveling direction of the optical fiber such that the optical fiber passes centers of the circles, at least two of the plural ultraviolet irradiation units being differently arranged with respect to circumferential direction angles thereof around an axis that is the traveling direction of the optical fiber.

An aperture system for a bottom-up stereolithography device including a reservoir having a lower opening, an aperture including a flexible membrane positioned within the reservoir and covering the lower opening, and a boundary seal positioned around a periphery of the flexible membrane, the boundary seal including one or more boundary seal components and immobilizing the periphery of the flexible membrane against the reservoir. The flexible membrane is formed of a material having a low affinity for a liquid resin used in the stereolithography device as well as cured photopolymer resin parts produced by the device. In addition, the flexible membrane is able to deform as the cured resin part is pulled away from the aperture, thus enabling lower energy mixed mode adhesive failure to occur at the interface between the cured resin and the aperture and reducing the chance of cohesive damage to the cured photopolymer part.