Molding tools in precision glass molding fail easily, even with protective thin film coatings applied. In this work, various efficient methods for assessing glass-coating interactions are developed, including a new, automated testing rig. Analysis of the testing results provides a better understanding of these mechanisms and how they are influenced by material properties and process parameters, so that the appropriate measures can be taken to prolong the life of the molding tools.

This book provides a complete picture of several decision support tools for predictive maintenance. These include embedding early anomaly/fault detection, diagnosis and reasoning, remaining useful life prediction (fault prognostics), quality prediction and self-reaction, as well as optimization, control and self-healing techniques. It shows recent applications of these techniques within various types of industrial (production/utilities/equipment/plants/smart devices, etc.) systems addressing several challenges in Industry 4.0 and different tasks dealing with Big Data Streams, Internet of Things, specific infrastructures and tools, high system dynamics and non-stationary environments . Applications discussed include production and manufacturing systems, renewable energy production and management, maritime systems, power plants and turbines, conditioning systems, compressor valves, induction motors, flight simulators, railway infrastructures, mobile robots, cyber security and Internet of Things. The contributors go beyond state of the art by placing a specific focus on dynamic systems, where it is of utmost importance to update system and maintenance models on the fly to maintain their predictive power.

Thin Films and Coatings: Toughening and Toughness Characterization captures the latest developments in the toughening of hard coatings and in the measurement of the toughness of thin films and coatings. Featuring chapters contributed by experts from Australia, China, Czech Republic, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom, this book: Presents the current status of hard-yet-tough ceramic coatings Reviews various toughness evaluation methods for films and hard coatings Explores the toughness and toughening mechanisms of porous thin films and laser-treated surfaces Examines adhesions of the film/substrate interface and the characterization of coating adhesion strength Discusses nanoindentation determination of fracture toughness, resistance to cracking, and sliding contact fracture phenomena Toughening and toughness measurement (of films and coatings) are two related, yet separate, fields of great importance in today’s nanotechnology world. Thin Films and Coatings: Toughening and Toughness Characterization is a timely reference written in such a way that novices will find it a stepping stone to the field and veterans will find it a rich source of information for their research.

High quality optical components for consumer products made of glass and plastic are mostly fabricated by replication. This highly developed production technology requires several consecutive, well-matched processing steps called a "process chain" covering all steps from mold design, advanced machining and coating of molds, up to the actual replication and final precision measurement of the quality of the optical components. Current market demands for leading edge optical applications require high precision and cost effective parts in large volumes. For meeting these demands it is necessary to develop high quality process chains and moreover, to crosslink all demands and interdependencies within these process chains. The Transregional Collaborative Research Center "Process chains for the replication of complex optical elements" at Bremen, Aachen and Stillwater worked extensively and thoroughly in this field from 2001 to 2012. This volume will present the latest scientific results for the complete process chain giving a profound insight into present-day high-tech production.

While several available texts discuss molded plastic optics, none provide information on all classes of molded optics. Filling this gap, Molded Optics: Design and Manufacture presents detailed descriptions of molded plastic, glass, and infrared optics. Since an understanding of the manufacturing process is necessary to develop cost-effective, produ