Abstract: A reflow soldering apparatus and method are provided for reflow soldering electrical and electronic components to circuit boards. The reflow soldering apparatus and method use selective infrared (IR) heating alone or in combination with convection heating to achieve reflow soldering. Selective IR heating provided by the apparatus and method according to the invention helps to eliminate or helps to at least substantially reduce a risk overheating and thermal damage to non-targeted electrical and electronic components and areas of circuit boards during reflow.

Abstract: There is described a fuel composition which is substantially free of alkoxylated compounds and is substantially free of long-chain alkyl alcohols having at least 6 C atoms, and contains at least 95% by volume of a hydrocarbon-based fuel and 0.1 to 5% by volume of an additive of the formula (I); R—CO—NR1R2 (I) in which R is a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched alkyl radical having 6 to 21 C atoms; and R1 and R2, which may be the same or different, each represent a hydroxyalkyl radical having 1 to 4 atoms.

Abstract: There is described a fuel composition comprising biodiesel and a surfactant, characterised in that the surfactant comprises a mixture of an alkanolamide, an alkoxylated alcohol and an alkoxylated fatty acid or a derivative thereof. More particularly there is described a fuel composition in which the diesel component is a mixture of biodiesel and petroleum diesel, e.g. up to 20% v/v biodiesel. There is also described a method of running an internal combustion engine comprising the use of a fuel according to claim 1.

Abstract: There is described a fuel additive composition comprising an alkanolamide, an alkoxylated alcohol, an alkoxylated fatty acid, or a derivative thereof, in which the degree of alkoxylation of the C18 to C22 fatty acid is from 0.5 to 5 mols of alkoxylate to 1 mol of fatty acid. There is also described a fuel composition comprising a liquid hydrocarbon fuel and a surfactant composition according to the invention. A method of running an internal combustion engine comprising the use of such a fuel is also described.

Abstract: A vehicle powertrain torque control provides an engine drag control mode of operation during periods of undesired engine drag induced wheel slip by modifying the torque of the vehicle engine in closed loop control to maintain a driven wheel speed at a predetermined target velocity lower than the vehicle speed by a target velocity difference providing as much engine braking as is consistent with a desired degree of lateral traction. The control derives a velocity error as the difference between the driven wheel speed and the target velocity and derives and delivers to the powertrain a torque command for reducing the velocity error. The torque control determines the engine drag control mode in response to the wheel speed sensors, preferably causing entry of the engine drag control mode when the driven wheel speed that is closest to the vehicle speed falls below the target velocity while powertrain delivered torque and throttle position are below predetermined values indicative of deceleration.

Abstract: A method of making a pair of rotary die cylinders with lands having coacting cutting edges which cut blanks from a web of material passing through the nip of the rotating dies. In cross section each land has an outer face and a pair of spaced apart side faces which are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the chord of the outer face to provide a clean cut and facilitate release of the cut blank from the cutting blades as it emerges from the nip of the dies. The die cylinders are journalled for rotation by recesses with frusto conical locating surfaces in their opposed ends. Each die cylinder is made by machining the recesses in the opposed ends of a generally cylindrical workpiece of tool steel and then utilizing the recesses to locate and orient the workpiece relative to a cutting tool to produce a cylindrical surface on the workpiece concentric with the axis of the recesses and then to machine away portions of the periphery of the cylindrical surface to form the cutting blade lands thereon.