Parameters of a set of tools are stored on a storage device. The tools are part of a manufacturing assembly usable for removing one or more support structures from a part. The support structures are formed with the part to facilitate additive manufacturing of the part. A near-net shape is modeled which includes the part combined with the support structures. A process plan is developed that includes subtractive manufacturing operations by the manufacturing assembly that remove the support structures. The process plan repeatedly updates the near-net shape as each one of the support structures is incrementally removed.

An engineering support system that supports engineering of a process control system, includes: a storage; and a processor connected to the storage and that: transforms design drawings into semantic models and outputs the semantic models to the storage; and generates a combined semantic model by combining the semantic models based on a degree of similarity among the semantic models and outputs the combined semantic model to the storage, wherein each of the semantic models is expressed by first information indicating elements included in the design drawings and second information indicating a relationship between the elements.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods, systems, and program products for controlling a machine. Methods according to the present disclosure can include: calculating, using a performance model of the machine, a set of inter-stage conditions of the machine corresponding to one of a set of input conditions and a set of output conditions during an operation of the machine, wherein the machine includes a turbine component having a fluid path therein traversing a plurality of turbine stages and a plurality of inter-stage positions; calibrating the performance model of the machine based on a difference between a predicted value in the performance model of the machine and one of the set of input conditions and the set of output conditions; and adjusting an operating parameter of the machine based on the calibrated performance model and the calculated set of inter-stage conditions of the machine.

A method for wafer point by point analysis includes receiving a selection of manufacturing equipment, utility use data, and utilization data. A water eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and the utility use data. An emissions eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and the utility use data. An electrical energy eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and the utility use data. A combined eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and water eco-efficiency characterization, emissions eco-efficiency characterization, and electrical energy eco-efficiency characterizations. The combined eco-efficiency characterization is provided for display by a graphical user interface.

Several embodiments of photolithography systems and associated methods of overlay error correction are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for correcting overlay errors in a photolithography system includes measuring a plurality of first overlay errors that individually correspond to a microelectronic substrate in a first batch of microelectronic substrates. The method also includes determining a relationship between the first overlay errors and a first sequence of the microelectronic substrates in the first batch. The method further includes correcting a second overlay error of individual microelectronic substrates in a second batch based on a second sequence of the microelectronic substrates in the second batch and the determined relationship.

Provided is a control device for controlling an operation of a substrate processing apparatus that forms a predetermined film on a substrate and operations of a plurality of measurement devices that measure a characteristic of the predetermined film. The control device includes: an individual difference information storing unit that stores individual difference information representing a relationship between information allocated to each of the plurality of measurement devices to specify each measurement device and an individual difference of the measurement device; and a controller that corrects a measurement value of the characteristic of the predetermined film measured by the measurement device based on information specifying the measurement device that has measured the characteristic of the predetermined film and the individual difference information stored in the individual difference information storing unit.

The present invention is suitable for easily properly setting control parameters in short time. The simulation device of the present invention comprises: a frequency response function computing part (53) computing a frequency response function according to a first command value and a measured value of a mechanical system; an impulse response computing part (41) computing an impulse response by performing inverse Fourier transform on the frequency response function obtained according to the frequency response function and the control parameters; and a time response outputting part (44) executing time response simulation of the mechanical system (7) according to a second command value and the impulse response.

The present invention easily displays a frequency response and a time response to a user. The simulation device of the present invention comprises: a frequency response function computing part (53) computing a frequency response function according to a measured value of a response of a mechanical system (7), a time response outputting part (44) executing time response simulation, a frequency response outputting part (45) outputting a frequency response characteristic and a display control part (26) displaying the time response simulation and frequency response characteristic simultaneously or selectively.

A method for identifying friction parameters for a linear module is disclosed. Since an acting interval of a friction is determined by a relative velocity between two contacting surfaces, and when the relative velocity is much greater than a Stribeck velocity, there is only a Coulomb friction and a viscous friction exist between the contacting surfaces, it is possible to use a measured torque signal of this interval to identify a Coulomb friction torque, a the linear module's friction torque, and the linear module's equivalent inertia. When the relative velocity between the two contacting surfaces is smaller than the Stribeck velocity, it is possible to identify a maximum static friction torque and the Stribeck velocity by referring to the three known parameters. Thereby, all the friction parameters can be identified within one reciprocating movement of the linear module, making the method highly feasible in practice.

An intent-based automation engineering method for automation of a production process includes: receiving an intent model, correlating to process intent, including production process functions, constraints on measurable properties on the production process functions, and/or production process function sequences required for the production process, as a received intent model; receiving a process model, correlating to process knowledge including a production process behavior, as a received process model; determining a machine-readable production model linking the received intent model to the received process model as a provided production model; and determining a control strategy for controlling the production process dependent on the provided production model as a determined control strategy.