Abstract: Apparatus and method for treating a product with steam. The apparatus includes a treatment tunnel having an entrance opening and an exit opening for introducing and discharging the product, respectively. The apparatus includes a transport unit for transporting the product from the entrance opening to the exit opening and a steam feed unit for feeding steam into the treatment tunnel. The apparatus includes one or more nozzles in communication with the steam feed unit arranged for directing a jet of steam at the product.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a quantity of beverage suitable for consumption, includes a first and a second brew chamber part to form a brew chamber for holding an exchangeable capsule as well as a fluid dispensing device for supplying an amount of fluid, such as water, under pressure to the exchangeable capsule. The first and the second brew chamber part are movable relative to each other between a first relative position, and a second relative position. The first relative position defines an open state in which the capsule can be inserted into the brew chamber. The second relative position defines a closed state allowing the brew chamber to enclose the capsule. A first biasing member biases the capsule towards the second brew chamber part. A second biasing biases the first brew chamber part and the second brew chamber part towards each other. The first biasing member has a higher stiffness than the second biasing member.

Abstract: An enclosure of a steel-making furnace system includes a support structure including a frame that defines an interior, a supply line for supplying a cooling liquid from a reservoir, and a return line fluidly coupled to the supply line and the reservoir. A plurality of panels includes sinuously winding piping having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is fluidly coupled to the supply line and the outlet is fluidly coupled to the return line. The frame includes a plurality of support members spaced from one another, where each of the plurality of support members defines a slot. Each of the plurality of panels is removably and slidably received with the slot for coupling to the frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser machining system (1) with a control unit (30), a laser ablation apparatus (10) and a gas supply (40), wherein the laser ablation apparatus (10) comprises a laser (12) for generating a laser beam (14), a laser head (16) including a re-directing arrangement (18) for directing the laser beam (14) of the laser (12) onto a surface (20) of a workpiece (22) to be machined, wherein the workpiece (22) is disposed in an accommodation device (26), placed in a working chamber (28), wherein a positioning arrangement (32) is provided for a relative movement between the laser head (16) and the workpiece (22) and wherein the working chamber (28) comprises at least one inlet (46) and at least one outlet (48) for a gas. The gas supply (40) of the laser machining system (1) is configured to provide a flow of the gas in the working chamber (28) and a temperature system (11) is provided to adjust the temperature of the gas flow (44).

Abstract: In a wire electrical discharge machining device, a wire electrode released from a wire bobbin can be supplied toward a wire electrical discharge machining portion without generating permanently bending or twisting. A first pulley, which receives a wire electrode fed out from a wire bobbin and delivers the wire electrode to the downstream side, is disposed to wind the wire electrode WE to a first delivery position of an outer peripheral portion opposite to a first reception position across a central portion in a radial direction and deliver the wire electrode WE downward. The first pulley is swingable in the horizontal direction with one end in the radial direction as a fulcrum. The swing fulcrum is disposed, in the width direction of the wire bobbin, within a range from one end to the other end in the width direction of the wire bobbin.

Abstract: A heating apparatus and a heating method are provided. The heating apparatus includes a coil configured to receive AC power to form a magnetic field that inductively heats a workpiece, a spray unit configured to spray cooling fluid including a liquid to the coil in a form of mist at least during a period in which the AC power is supplied to the coil. Alternatively, the spray unit may be configured to spray the cooling fluid in the form of mist to a heating target portion of the workpiece placed in the magnetic field at least during the period in which the AC power is supplied to the coil.

Abstract: A heating apparatus and a heating method are provided. The heating apparatus includes a coil configured to receive AC power to form a magnetic field that inductively heats a workpiece, a spray unit configured to spray cooling fluid including a liquid to the coil in a form of mist at least during a period in which the AC power is supplied to the coil. Alternatively, the spray unit may be configured to spray the cooling fluid in the form of mist to a heating target portion of the workpiece placed in the magnetic field at least during the period in which the AC power is supplied to the coil.

Abstract: A method of making a carbon allotrope heater element for ice protection includes imparting the heater element with a wetting layer, adding a metallic element, which is melted and wets the wetting layer such that a bus bar attachment is made on at least a portion of the carbon allotrope heater element.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for making puffed food products are disclosed. In one implementation, an innovative process may include improved configurations and control of hydraulic drive cylinder(s) to more swiftly and precisely apply pressures to heatable mold elements during production of puffed food products. According to one particular implementation, in order to drive a first hydraulic piston to move at least one movable mold element to a desired position, a second hydraulic piston may be first positioned to set up an adjustable hard-stop based on the desired position, such that the first hydraulic piston may rapidly drive the moveable mold element to stop at precisely the desired position.

Abstract: An induction device is disclosed. The induction device comprises: a main body having a heater; a knob attachable/detachable to/from a knob region provided on one surface of the main body; a touch sensor unit formed around the knob region and, if the knob is attached thereto, touching a protruding part provided at a lower side of the knob; and a control unit for adjusting the temperature of the heater by determining the rotation degree of the knob according to a touch position touched by the protruding part if the knob rotates in a state in which the knob is attached to the knob region.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a movable door that directs debris, such as oil, grease, and food particles, that falls from a plurality of cooking slots in a vertical cooking grill to an area separate from a food product delivery tray, providing a cooked food product with reduced calories that is potentially more visually appealing.

Abstract: A ceramic heater according to one aspect of the present invention has a cylindrical ceramic heater and an annular metal flange fitted around the ceramic heater. In the ceramic heater, one side of the flange with respect to an axial direction of the heater body is concave in the axial direction to define a concave part. The concave part includes a glass accumulation region filled with a glass material. The glass material in the glass accumulation is fused to the flange and to the heater body.

Abstract: A container contains a beverage base material in a beverage base material chamber defined by a chamber bottom and a chamber wall. The container furthermore comprises an elongated handle extending in a direction having a radial component outward from the chamber. The handle is provided with an outlet channel extending from the chamber to a channel outlet provided at the free end of the handle. A beverage preparation system for preparing a beverage includes an automatic beverage preparation apparatus and such a container and is arranged for removably connecting the container to the apparatus such that the handle is positioned vertically with the channel outlet pointing downwards. A method of preparing a beverage using such a beverage preparation system in which the container is connected to the apparatus such that the handle is positioned vertically with the channel outlet pointing downwards for dispensing a beverage from the beverage base material chamber substantially vertically.

Abstract: Alcoholic spirits may be artificially aged under highly pressurized carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may form carbonic acid, which may cause various esters to form in the presence of wood as well as to mellow the flavor when no wood is present. Wood may be pretreated with ozone, which may extract lignin which may further convert to vanillin during pressurized CO2 treatment, giving a vanilla note. After processing with pressurized CO2, a post-treatment of ozone may be given to the spirit, which may cause a mild oxidation and further mellowing of the spirit.

Abstract: The technical problems to be solved are to keep the vicinity of the nozzle opening clean and to restrain the jet liquid column from tilting. The solution to problems lies in a method for cleaning a nozzle of a laser machining apparatus to process a work piece to be processed by a laser beam introduced into a jet liquid column, the method comprising the steps of: forming the jet liquid column by jetting a liquid from the nozzle; and irradiating a spot 30 of the laser beam onto a vicinal section of an inlet opening 22c of the nozzle in such a state that a peak power per unit area of the spot 30 of the laser beam irradiated on a surface provided with the inlet opening 22c of the nozzle does not go beyond a threshold value at which the nozzle is damaged and removing foreign matters attached on the surface.

Abstract: An electromagnetic cooking device includes an enclosed cavity configured to receive a food load, a plurality of high power amplifiers and RF feeds for introducing electromagnetic radiation into the cavity, and a controller for controlling the frequency, phase and amplitude of the electromagnetic radiation fed into the cavity by the RF feeds. The controller is configured to identify resonant modes, develop and implement a heating strategy based on the resonant modes, utilize an asynchronous manager to automatically detect when a variable has changed to a degree that requires an updated identification of resonant modes and an updated heating strategy, and if the asynchronous manager determines that updates are needed, repeat the steps above to determine a new heating strategy, otherwise continue with the current heating strategy.

Abstract: Apparatus for distance gauging in laser material processing includes a source of laser-radiation, an electrically-conductive focusing assembly, a constant-current source, and a voltmeter. The focusing assembly focuses laser-radiation towards an electrically conductive workpiece being processed. The focusing assembly and the workpiece form a capacitive sensor. The constant current source provides a constant electrical current to the focusing assembly for a constant time. The focusing assembly and the workpiece are separated by a distance that is proportional to a change in voltage measured on the focusing assembly during the constant time.

Abstract: An electrical machining method comprises machining a workpiece by an electrical machining device comprising an electrode; increasing a feedrate of the electrode at a first acceleration if a discharge current passing through the electrode and the workpiece is lower than a discharge current reference; and decreasing the feedrate of the electrode at a second acceleration if the discharge current is higher than the discharge current reference, wherein the second acceleration has an absolute value higher than that of the first acceleration.

Abstract: An infusion group for machines for the dispensing of beverages in the form of infusion is disclosed. The infusion group has a capsule-holder configured to receive a capsule for the preparation of an infusion beverage, a dispensing head adapted to cooperate with the capsule-holder to form a chamber for the infusion of the capsule. The dispensing head has a dispensing channel, a perforation disc and an associated supporting member mounted on the dispensing head. The dispensing head also has a discharge channel upstream of the dispensing channel. The configuration of the dispensing head is such that the discharge channel is closed when the perforation disc and the supporting member are in the dispensing position and open when they are in the rest position.

Abstract: A machine for additive manufacturing positions a film having additive material relative to a substrate. The additive material is melted onto the substrate or previously formed layers of a workpiece using a laser. The substrate/workpiece and/or the film can be positioned in multiple axes so that complex shapes can be formed without extraneous supporting structures. The film-based delivery of the additive material allows deposition in orientations other than horizontal as is required for powder-only additive manufacturing and also avoids the inconvenience of collecting and recycling unused loose powdered metal.