A method to remove slugs from a circuitry pattern on the fly during the fabrication of a flexible printed circuit, the method includes applying a coverlay reel-to-reel onto one side of the metal foil on the fly and applying a sacrificial liner reel-to-reel onto another side of the metal foil on the fly. Then, after the slugs and circuitry patterns are created from laser ablation, the slug can be removed by applying compressed air to the slugs and/or peeling off the sacrificial liner from the circuitry pattern reel-to-reel.

Thin-film devices, for example electrochromic devices for windows, and methods of manufacturing are described. Particular focus is given to methods of patterning optical devices. Various edge deletion and isolation scribes are performed, for example, to ensure the optical device has appropriate isolation from any edge defects. Methods described herein apply to any thin-film device having one or more material layers sandwiched between two thin film electrical conductor layers. The described methods create novel optical device configurations.

A device for cutting a web of material comprises movement means for moving a web of material to be cut, defining a feed path for the web at least partly rotatable about a central axis and equipped with at least one conveyor mounted around the central axis, at least one cutting head equipped with a laser source and an optical system configured to direct the laser beam towards a cutting zone, where the optical system of the cutting head comprises at least one directing member located inside the conveyor to direct the laser beam away from the central axis towards the cutting zone.

Methods of separating and positioning discrete articles formed from a continuous length of articles are provided. The methods may comprise the steps of receiving a first portion of the continuous length on a first head in a receiving position of an orbit about a first rotational axis and receiving a second portion of the continuous length on a second head in the receiving position of the orbit about the first rotational axis. The methods may comprise providing a laser system configured to produce and direct a laser beam, and ablating a portion of the continuous length of articles intermediate the first head and the second head with the laser beam to separate the first portion of the continuous length of articles from the second portion of the continuous length of articles, thereby forming a discrete article on the first head.

A laser processing system includes a metal platform having a metal surface wherein at least a portion of the platform surface is substantially planar with a substantially smooth topography. A laser source is configured to generate a laser beam having a focal point that is directed toward a substantially planar portion of the platform surface. A motion mechanism is configured to move at least one of the metal platform and the focal point along at least one axis. A restraining mechanism restrains a film against the platform surface such that an adjoining surface of the restrained film remains in intimate contact with the surface. A controller is configured to operate the laser source, the motion mechanism or both to cut the restrained film in a predetermined pattern with a generated laser beam such that the cut does not extend through the adjoining surface of the restrained film.

A welding or cladding apparatus in which one or more energy beam emitters are used to generate a wide beam spot transverse to a welding or cladding path, and one or more wide feeders feed wire to the spot to create a wide welding or cladding puddle.

Thin-film devices, for example electrochromic devices for windows, and methods of manufacturing are described. Particular focus is given to methods of patterning optical devices. Various edge deletion and isolation scribes are performed, for example, to ensure the optical device has appropriate isolation from any edge defects. Methods described herein apply to any thin-film device having one or more material layers sandwiched between two thin film electrical conductor layers. The described methods create novel optical device configurations.

A GDL cutting system of a fuel cell includes: a laser-cutting device that forms a gas diffusion layer by radiating a laser on the surface of a GDL fabric panel moving on a conveyer; an adsorbing-conveying device that adsorbs and conveys at least two gas diffusion layers cut by the laser-cutting device; a first vision sensor that senses an upper side of the gas diffusion layers cut by the laser-cutting device; and a second vision sensor that senses a lower side of the gas diffusion layers adsorbed and conveyed by the adsorbing-conveying device.

A controller causes a laser beam to move over a strip electrode along a predetermined path to cut the strip electrode into a tab shape. The predetermined path includes a first path, a second path, and a third path. The first path extends from a first position to a second position. The second position is positioned further outside in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and further in the conveyance direction than the first position. The second path extends from the second position to a third position. The third position is positioned in a direction opposite the conveyance direction with respect to the second position. The third path extends from the third position to a fourth position.

A method of manufacturing an aluminium alloy strip article of variable width by means of continuously casting an aluminium alloy strip article, typically in a gauge range of 3 mm to 40 mm, and including the steps of, providing a first continuously cast aluminium alloy strip article at intermediate gauge and at least a second continuously cast aluminium alloy strip article at intermediate gauge, each of the aluminium alloy strip articles to be welded have the same thickness and are of the same aluminium alloy; welding the first aluminium alloy strip article at intermediate gauge to the second aluminium alloy strip article at intermediate gauge to form a welded aluminium alloy strip article; and rolling in at least one further rolling step of the welded strip article to a final gauge.