This research was motivated by the use of multi-track feeders in the printed
circuit board (PCB) assembly. In a low volume, high mix production environment,
setup time is usually considered more important than processing time. Implementation
of multi-track feeders not only increases the capacity of the surface mount
machines but...
Solid phases that form under the influence of changing environmental conditions often record such changes in their chemical composition. Quantification of these compositional variations is invaluable in reconstructing paleoenvironmental changes. Laser ablation, employed as a solid sample introduction system, offers fine spatial resolution (50 - 250 [mu]m) for spectroscopic analysis...