Abstract: One variation of a food production system includes a controller and a module housing: configured to transiently house a food-dispensing module configured to store and dispense units of an ingredient toward an autonomous assembly zone; and including a positioner module, arranged within the autonomous assembly zone, including a platform configured to receive and support a food container, a set of positioner arms configured to support and move the platform across an assembly plane to position the food container below food-dispensing modules, and a set of actuators configured to transiently engage the set of positioner arms. The controller is configured to: receive a food order specifying the ingredient; trigger the set of actuators to rotate the set of positioner arms to move the platform across the assembly plane and locate the food container below the food-dispensing module; and trigger the food-dispensing module to dispense the ingredient into the food container.

Abstract: A thermal radiation heater includes: a heater element layer including a planar conductive body; at least one front surface side layer including an outermost layer and provided close to a front surface of the heater element layer; and at least one back surface side layer including an outermost layer and provided close to a back surface of the heater element layer. The outermost layer close to the front surface has an emissivity of 0.7 or more, and the outermost layer close to the back surface has an emissivity of 0.6 or less.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and/or methods are disclosed relating to a welding-type power supply with a pre-regulator circuit configured to provide a pre-regulated direct current (DC) bus at two or more voltage levels, responsive to various operating conditions. In some examples, the pre-regulator circuit may be configured to provide a pre-regulated DC bus voltage at one voltage level for certain input line voltages, weld processes, and/or target weld output levels, and at another voltage level for other input line voltages, weld processes, and/or target weld output levels. In some examples, the pre-regulator circuit may be configured to provide a pre-regulated DC bus voltage for certain input line voltages, weld processes, and/or target weld output levels and an unregulated DC bus voltage at other input line voltages, weld processes, and/or target weld output levels.

Abstract: An example welding-type system includes: a welding-type power source configured to provide welding-type current to a welding-type circuit, the welding-type circuit comprising a welding-type electrode and a first contact tip of a welding torch; an electrode preheating circuit configured to provide preheating current through a first portion of the welding-type electrode via a second contact tip of the welding torch; a switching circuit configured to control a current flow between the welding-type power source and the first contact tip; and a preheat control circuit configured to control the switching circuit to: selectively direct current from the welding-type power source to the second contact tip; and selectively divert current from the electrode preheating circuit to the first contact tip.

Abstract: In a method for additive manufacturing of a workpiece, a data set defines the workpiece in multiple layers. A first energy beam is moved relative to a manufacturing platform along first trajectories to produce, in temporally successive steps, a stack of workpiece layers. Individual properties of the stack are determined using a measurement arrangement having an exciter that excites the stack with a second energy beam, and having a detector that detects properties of the stack resulting from an excitation along a defined detection path in a spatially resolved manner. At least one of the second energy beam and the detection path is moved relative to the manufacturing platform along further trajectories using a further scanning unit. The first scanning unit and the further scanning unit establish completely separate beam paths for the first energy beam and the at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path.

Abstract: A brewing unit includes a first part having a receptacle for receiving a capsule, a cartridge or a compacted pod, a second part movable relative to the first part between an open position in which the first and second parts are at a distance from each other, and a closed position in which the second and first parts are coupled to one another to define a brewing chamber. An electric motor controls movement of the second part relative to the first part. A transmission mechanism arranged between the electric motor and the first or second part comprises a movable member whose position is univocally associated with the relative position of the second part with respect to the first part. An electronic control unit controls the electric motor. A micro-switch switches between an ON operational state and an OFF operational state depending on the position of the movable member.

Abstract: An actively heated mug has a body with a chamber that can receive and hold a beverage and a heating element to actively heat the chamber, batteries, and circuitry that controls the operation of the heating element. A user interface is electrically connected to the circuitry and has one or more buttons actuatable a) to turn on the heating element, b) to adjust a temperature setting to one of multiple temperature settings to control the operation of the heating element to heat or maintain the liquid at a user selected temperature setting, and c) to turn off the heating element.

Abstract: A welding-type power supply includes a controller, a preregulator, a preregulator bus, and an output converter. The controller has a preregulator control output and an output converter control output. The controller has a converter control output connected to the control input, and a flux balancing module. The converter control output is responsive to the flux balancing module such that the flux in the transformer remains balanced.

Abstract: The method for controlling an induction heating device according to the present disclosure may include receiving a driving command for a second working coil when a first working coil is being driven at a first target frequency, stopping driving of the first working coil and driving the second working coil at a preset first adjustment frequency, determining a second target frequency of the second working coil corresponding to the driving command for the second working coil, determining a final driving frequency of the first working coil and a final driving frequency of the second working coil based on the first target frequency and the second target frequency, respectively, driving the first working coil and the second working coil simultaneously at a second adjustment frequency, and adjusting a driving frequency of the first working coil and a driving frequency of the second working coil to the final driving frequency, respectively.

Abstract: A method of regulating the temperature of a cooking liquid during sous vide cooking in a cooking vessel on a burner of a cooktop includes setting a desired cooking temperature and measuring the temperature of the cooking liquid inside the sous vide cooking vessel at a plurality of predetermined time intervals with a first temperature sensor mounted on an interior surface of a wall of the sous vide cooking vessel. The temperature of the cooking liquid is compared to the desired cooking temperature at each of the predetermined time intervals. The energy output of the burner is controlled based on the difference between the temperature of the cooking liquid and the desired cooking temperature. A cooking vessel and system for sous vide cooking using this method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A resistance spot welding electrode for forming dissimilar welded lap joints in crash-relevant structural components of the automotive industry made of high-strength materials. The resistance spot welding electrode includes a cap having, at an end portion of the electrode in contact with materials to be welded together during welding, a non-axially symmetrical contact area in order to form, between the materials being welded, a weld nugget with an essentially similar non-axially symmetrical shape.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for storing perishable items under reduced pressure conditions. Total atmospheric pressure within a vacuum chamber containing a perishable item is reduced below a total pressure limit. Oxygen partial pressure and total pressure within the vacuum chamber are monitored. When oxygen partial pressure falls below a lower oxygen partial pressure limit, an oxygen-containing gas is admitted to raise oxygen partial pressure above the lower oxygen partial pressure limit. When the total atmospheric pressure reaches or exceeds the total pressure limit, total pressure is once again reduced. The vacuum container or chamber comprises a section of cylindrical pipe open at both ends, a first end cap and a second end cap, and formed of a plastic material. Notwithstanding that the pipe and end caps are formed of plastic, they are formed with a structure capable of withstanding pressure created by a high vacuum in the vacuum container.

Abstract: A welding system configured to eliminate effects of arc blow in a welding operation. The welding system comprises welding circuitry, preheat circuitry, a drive roller, and control circuitry configured to perform a reciprocation cycle. The reciprocation cycle may include the steps of: advancing a filler material toward the welding work piece until the filler material is electrically connected to the weld pool; supplying the preheat power to heat the filler material while the filler material is electrically connected to the weld pool; retracting the filler material away from the welding work piece until the filler material is not electrically connected to the weld pool; and terminating supply of the preheat power to the filler material while the filler material is not electrically connected to the weld pool.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying a single failure in a heater array and compensating for the failure are described. The methods include identifying two X buses and two Y buses of the heater array having a location of the failure. A confirmation of the single failure within the heater array is performed after identifying the two X and two Y buses. Once the single failure is confirmed, the location of the failure is identified. The methods include compensating for the single failure by adjusting a duty cycle of a heater at the location of the failure, adjusting additional duty cycles of heaters along the same X bus as the failed heater and the same Y bus as the failed heater, and maintaining remaining duty cycles of power provided to remaining heaters of the heater array.

Abstract: A coffee machine makes use of a valve arrangement for controlling the coupling of a water heater outlet selectively to one of two or more outlets, such as a steam delivery nozzle and a brew chamber. The valve arrangement comprises an active valve between the inlet channel and a first one of the outlets and a passive valve downstream of the active valve from the water heater outlet, coupled to a second one of the outlets. A cam surface controls the active valve, wherein the angular position of the cam surface controls the coupling of the inlet channel to the first one of the outlets. The rotation may be driven by rotational coupling to a brew chamber motor. This coffee machine design makes use of a single valve arrangement to provide the flow control from the water heater. This provides a compact arrangement with a low component count and simple control mechanism. It also enables all valve mechanisms to be outside the water or steam flow.

Abstract: An electroweld fitting is made of plastic material for welding plastic pipelines. The electroweld fitting has: a cylindrical body having a longitudinal axis; a heating wire winding; contacts configured to conduct an electric current; and a pipe stop. The pipe stop is arranged on an inner lateral surface of the cylindrical body. The pipe stop is flexible and resilient. The cylindrical body and the pipe stop arranged thereon are a one piece injection molded part. The heating wire winding is an embedded wire in the inner lateral surface of the cylindrical body.

Abstract: Welding power supplies having dynamic current responses are disclosed. Example welding power supplies include: power conversion circuitry configured to convert supply power to welding current; a voltage sense circuit configured to measure an output voltage of the power conversion circuitry; and control circuitry configured to: in response to detecting that the output voltage has decreased below a lower voltage limit: control an increasing ramp rate of the welding current output by the power conversion circuitry; and in response to detecting that the output voltage has increased above the lower voltage limit, control a decreasing ramp rate of the welding current output by the power conversion circuitry.

Abstract: An additive repair device for internal threads is provided. The device includes a moving assembly, a rotating assembly, a speed regulation assembly, a gear assembly, an additive assembly, and a connecting assembly. The moving assembly includes a drive part and a linear movement mechanism. The additive assembly is connected to the linear movement mechanism through the connecting assembly. One end, which is far away from the drive part, of the linear movement mechanism is connected to an input end of the speed regulation assembly through the gear assembly. The rotating assembly includes a clutch mechanism and a clamping mechanism. The clutch mechanism includes a clutch outer gear and a clutch inner gear. The clutch outer gear is arranged at an output end of the speed regulation assembly. The clamping mechanism is fixed to one end, which is far away from the speed regulation assembly, of the clutch inner gear.

Abstract: A method for electrical discharge drilling of a hole in a part made of electroconductive material, in particular for an aircraft turbomachine, the method using an electrical discharge machine including a head that can move relative to the part and has a consumable EDM electrode, which is of elongated shape and is translationally moved along its elongation axis, the method including the following steps: a) advancing the EDM electrode towards the part in order to drill a hole in the part; and b) retracting the EDM electrode and removing the EDM electrode from the hole, wherein it further includes the following steps: c) laterally moving the head; d) advancing the EDM electrode towards the part in order to scan for the part; e) computing the effective depth of the hole drilled in step a).

Abstract: A system includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum source, and a mixture flow path adapted to be connected to receive the output of a direct steam injector. The vacuum source is operatively connected to a vacuum port of the vacuum chamber, while a product outlet port from the vacuum chamber is adapted to be connected to an arrangement for removing treated product from the vacuum chamber. The mixture flow path includes a flow path segment outside of the vacuum chamber volume and a flow path segment within the vacuum chamber volume. At least some of a surface defining the flow path segment within the vacuum chamber is in substantial thermal communication with one or more cooling structures.