Abstract: A body, e.g. a die or tool for use in electrical machining, is shaped by milling and/or electrical methods using a tool head oriented at a perpendicular to the contour to be shaped by reason of input signals to the several servomotors or controls of the tool head and/or sensor head. The latter is displaceable with at least three degrees of freedom, preferably including angular displacement in two mutually perpendicular planes, while the workpiece and tool may be positioned mutually with at least two additional degrees of freedom. The workpiece is finished by fluid honing with a similarly orientable nozzle.

Abstract: Frozen foodstuffs are defrosted under an atmospheric pressure between about 2 atm. and 5 atm. using a liquid or gaseous environment at a defrosting temperature, thereby retaining the cellular structure, texture and appearance of the foodstuffs during defrosting. When the liquid is water, the foodstuffs may be maintained under pressure by immersing them to a depth in excess of 10m, while the medium is preferably a non-oxidizing gas or a gas capable of excluding atmospheric oxygen, preferably carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium or argon. The defrosting temperature is preferably provided by internal heating of the foodstuffs, e.g. by high frequency dielectric heating, inductive heating or resistive heating.