An apparatus (1) for the inspection of parisons (2) comprises: an inspection zone (10), configured to receive an unordered plurality of parisons (2); an illuminator (3), configured to emit a beam of light directed at the plurality of parisons (2); a detector (4) comprising a camera (41) configured to capture an image of the plurality of parisons (2), wherein the inspection zone is interposed between the illuminator (3) and the detector (4); a control unit (5) configured to process the image captured by the camera (41) to derive an item of diagnostic information regarding the defectiveness of one or more parisons (2) of the plurality of parisons (2), wherein the illuminator (3) includes an emission-polarizing filter (32) and the detector (4) includes a receiving polarizing filter (42).

An optically anisotropic polymer thin film includes a crystallizable polymer and an additive configured to interact with the polymer (e.g., via π-π interactions) to facilitate chain alignment and, in some examples, create a higher crystalline content within the polymer thin film. The polymer thin film may be characterized by a bimodal molecular weight distribution where the molecular weight of the additive may be less than approximately 50% of the molecular weight of the crystallizable polymer. Example crystallizable polymers include polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene naphthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, as well as derivatives thereof. Example additives, which may occupy up to approximately 10 wt. % of the polymer thin film, include aromatic ester oligomers, aromatic amide oligomers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, for example. The optically anisotropic polymer thin film may be characterized by a refractive index greater than approximately 1.7 and an in-plane birefringence greater than approximately 0.2.

Various methods of additive layer manufacturing, and objects obtainable by such manufacturing, are disclosed. In particular, there is provided a method of additive layer manufacturing comprising depositing a layer of a material on a surface, and controlling the deposition to vary a material property of the material within the layer. There is also provided a method of additive layer manufacturing comprising depositing at least one layer of material on a sacrificial layer, the layer of material having a thickness of 400 microns or less, wherein the sacrificial layer is located on a base surface.

A method for producing a phase difference film is provided. The phase difference film consisting of a resin C contains a copolymer P containing a polymerization unit A and a polymerization unit B, and includes a phase separation structure that exhibits a structural birefringence. The phase separation structure includes a phase including as a main component the polymerization unit A and another phase including as a main component the polymerization unit B. The phase difference film has an NZ factor of greater than 0 and smaller than 1. The method comprises: forming a single layer film of a resin C; and causing phase separation of the resin C in the film, which includes a step of applying to the film a stress along a thickness direction thereof.

Provided is a method capable of producing a retardation film being excellent in axial accuracy, showing small changes in retardation and dimensions at the time of its heating, and having a slow axis in an oblique direction with high production efficiency. The production method for a retardation film of the present invention includes: holding left and right end portions of a film with left and right variable pitch-type clips configured to have clip pitches changing in a longitudinal direction, respectively; preheating the film; causing the clip pitches of the left and right clips to each independently change to obliquely stretch the film; reducing the clip pitches of the left and right clips to shrink the film in the longitudinal direction; and releasing the film from being held with the clips.

This disclosure provides new methods to characterize and relate residual stress and orientation imparted to the injection molded polymeric preform with orientation and residual stress in the resulting blow molded bottle. The method developed allows one to define and map the coupled thermal stress histories of both processes to define applicable preferred mutual processing windows for both preform and bottle molding processes. Stretch blow-molding parameters are developed using the disclosed method.

A method for producing a phase difference film is provided. The phase difference film includes an orientation layer formed of a resin C having a negative intrinsic birefringence value. The resin C contains a block copolymer having a block (A) including as a main component a polymerization unit A having a negative intrinsic birefringence value and a block (B) including as a main component a polymerization unit B, and a weight fraction of the block (A) therein being 50% by weight or more and 90% by weight or less. The phase difference film has an NZ factor of greater than 0 and smaller than 1. The method comprising: forming a single layer film of the resin C; and causing phase separation of the resin C in the film, which includes a step of applying to the film a stress along a thickness direction thereof.

An optical film formed of a resin C including a copolymer P containing a polymerization unit A and a polymerization unit B, wherein the optical film includes a phase separation structure that expresses structural birefringence, the phase separation structure includes a phase containing as a main component the polymerization unit A and a phase containing as a main component the polymerization unit B, and a value of Rth/d calculated from the thickness-direction retardation Rth (nm) and thickness d (nm) is 2.5×10-3 or more.

An optically anisotropic polymer thin film includes a crystallizable polymer and an additive configured to interact with the polymer (e.g., via π-π interactions) to facilitate chain alignment and, in some examples, create a higher crystalline content within the polymer thin film. The polymer thin film may be characterized by a bimodal molecular weight distribution where the molecular weight of the additive may be less than approximately 50% of the molecular weight of the crystallizable polymer. Example crystallizable polymers include polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene naphthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, as well as derivatives thereof. Example additives, which may occupy up to approximately 10 wt. % of the polymer thin film, include aromatic ester oligomers, aromatic amide oligomers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, for example. The optically anisotropic polymer thin film may be characterized by a refractive index greater than approximately 1.7 and an in-plane birefringence greater than approximately 0.2.

A polymer thin film is characterized by a first in-plane refractive index (n.sub.x) along a first direction of the polymer thin film, a second in-plane refractive index (n.sub.y) along a second direction of the polymer thin film orthogonal to the first direction, and a third refractive index (n.sub.z) along a thickness direction substantially orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction, where n.sub.x>n.sub.z>n.sub.y. Such a polymer thin film may exhibit one or more of (a) an in-plane birefringence of at least approximately 0.05, and (b) n.sub.x greater than approximately 1.7.