Abstract: A process and apparatus for heating a flowable product. The flowable product is introduced into a vessel or chamber and then heated by use of microwaves. The microwaves are generated by a microwave transmitter and introduced into the vessel at or near a bottom of the vessel via a waveguide. The introduction of microwaves near or at the bottom of the vessel allows mixing of the flowable product as the flowable product is heated.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for circulating and managing temperature of a liquid in a vessel. An illustrative embodiment includes an apparatus having a control section with a pump to receive liquid and expel the liquid via a pump outlet, a temperature interface to modulate a supply of energy, and a control interface to direct operation of the pump and the temperature control interface. An immersible section is configured to be at least partially immersed in the liquid and includes at least one temperature control surface to heat the liquid in response to the energy received from the temperature interface, a pump inlet to draw the liquid into the pump, and a filtration housing covering the at least one temperature control surface and the pump inlet to prevent particles over a predetermined size from passing into the pump inlet and coming into contact with the at least one temperature control surface.

Abstract: A vaporizer device is provided, including: a cartridge including a reservoir, the reservoir being configured to hold a vaporizable substance; a wick element located within the cartridge and including a susceptor material in a form of a tube, the wick element being configured to contact the vaporizable substance located in the cartridge; and an induction heating element, disposed around at least a portion of the cartridge, the wick element being at least partially surrounded by the induction heating element, and the wick element being further configured to heat the vaporizable substance based on induction heating of the wick element by the induction heating element.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically preparing baked waffle cone sheets, for use in preparing a waffle cone to be filled with a frozen confectionery product, from waffle cone batter, the apparatus comprising a baking station, the baking station comprising a plurality of baking plate locations onto which the waffle cone batter is to be deposited, each baking plate location comprising an essentially planar baking surface comprising a characteristic waffle region comprising a first array of parallel linear grooves, so as to produce a characteristic waffle pattern in the baked waffle sheet from the resulting parallel linear protrusions in the baked waffle sheet; wherein each baking plate location also comprises a graphical region, the graphical region being located within the characteristic waffle region and comprising grooves corresponding to a graphical image, and also comprising at least one linear groove, each linear groove being contiguous with, dimensionally similar to and collinear with a groove in the character

Abstract: Disclosed is an article for use with apparatus for heating smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. The article includes a smokable material, such as tobacco, and a heater for heating the smokable material. The heater comprises heating material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field. The heating material has a Curie point temperature that is less than the combustion temperature of the smokable material.

Abstract: Devices and methods for processing a workpiece along a predetermined processing line are provided. The device includes: a pulsed, polychromatic laser beam generator; an optical arrangement; and a moving device. The laser beam generator generates a laser beam along a beam direction. The optical arrangement generates a focal line along the beam direction. The optical arrangement has a chromatic aberration for wavelength-dependent focusing of the laser beam and a filter for wavelength-dependent filtering of the laser beam. The moving device generates relative movement between the laser beam and the workpiece along the predetermined processing line.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a housing having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, the front housing portion including a front end portion having a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-generating article including a taggant having a spectroscopic signature; and a detector configured to detect a presence of the aerosol-generating article in the cavity and to identify aerosol-generating articles that may be usable with the system, the detector being able to determine the spectroscopic signature of the taggant.

Abstract: A laser lift-off integrated apparatus includes a laser light source configured to perform laser lift-off on a wafer to undergo lift-off, a lift-off chamber configured to bear the wafer to undergo lift-off, a heater configured to provide temperature required by the wafer to undergo lift-off during a lift-off process, a profile measuring device configured to acquire surface profile information of the wafer to undergo lift-off, and a movable device configured to, according to the surface profile information acquired by the profile measuring device, adjust a height of the wafer to undergo lift-off such that a focus of the laser light source is at a position where the wafer to undergo lift-off is to undergo lift-off.

Abstract: A welding power source is configured to supply a welding current to a wire as a consumable electrode. The welding power source includes a controller configured to change the welding current based on a position of a distal end of the wire a distance from which to a surface of a base metal varies periodically, in a case where the distal end of the wire is fed toward the base metal with periodical switching between a forward feeding period and a reverse feeding period.

Abstract: A heatable device for use with a vehicle-mounted image acquisition unit includes a main body including a first end, a second end opposite the first end, an interior cavity defined therein extending between the first and second ends, and a receiving portion disposed at the second end, the receiving portion including an opening therein providing access to the interior cavity, a transparent glass substrate fixed to the main body at the first end and including a transparent electrically-conductive coating on an inner surface thereof or the glass with contact foil stripes without a transparent electrically-conductive coating, the inner surface of the transparent glass substrate facing the first end of the main body, and at least one electrically-conductive unit disposed at least partially outside of the interior cavity defined in the main body.

Abstract: A laser beam generation device includes power supply units, LD modules, a combiner, and a control device. The LD modules receive currents from the power supply units, and output laser beams. The combiner collects the laser beams and outputs one laser beam. The control device generates control signals such that power of the laser beam becomes a laser output setting value and such that the currents become current command values. Phases of pulses of the control signals are shifted from each other by 60 degrees.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an inclined structure extending in an oblique direction from a surface of a base metal includes: forming a base portion by stacking a plurality of build-up layers on the surface of the base metal, each of the plurality of build-up layers being formed by a plurality of beads, the base portion including a reference surface inclined at an opposite side of the oblique direction across a perpendicular line of the surface of the base metal; and forming a projecting portion by stacking a plurality of build-up layers on the reference surface of the base portion, each of the plurality of build-up layers being formed by a plurality of beads, the projecting portion extending in the oblique direction from the base portion.

Abstract: An electrically conductive flat filament arrangement for a fluid permeable heater assembly for aerosol-generating systems includes a center portion and two side portions. The two side portions are on opposite sides of the center portion. The center portion defines a heating region of the filament arrangement and the side portions define electrical contact regions of the filament arrangement. The center portion and the two side portions each include a plurality of openings. Each plurality of openings defines an open area of the center portion and an open area of each of the two side portions. A percentage of the total area of the center portion including the open area of the center portion is greater than the percentage of the total area of one of the side portions including the open area of the side portion.

Abstract: In a method and a carrier gas nozzle for allowing at least one fluid to flow over a welding area of a workpiece along a welding path during a welding process, the at least one fluid is flowed onto the welding area via at least one inlet and channels having openings. The openings of the channels are divided into at least two sectors, and at least one flow parameter, if need be also a property of the at least one fluid of each sector, is individually controlled, wherein at least one flow parameter of at least one fluid of at least one sector is controlled depending on the geometry of the welding path and/or depending on the geometry of the workpiece.

Abstract: A method for preventing cracking of nickel-based superalloy fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) belongs to the field of additive manufacturing (AM). The method of preparing an as-built part with a high density, no crack defects, and good mechanical properties includes: reducing the content of elements Zr and B forming low melting point phase in a nickel-based superalloy, adjusting the total content of Al and Ti in the alloy to 4.5 wt % or below, and combining with the control of special SLM process parameters. The new method has the advantages of a reasonable component design, a simple preparation process, and good performance of the as-built part, and therefore is suitable for large-scale application.

Abstract: A mobile hardbanding system that uses PTA welding to perform hardbanding on drill string sections at the well site. The inventive system allows alternate use of PTA and MIG welding. Both a PTA torch and a MIG torch are provided. Changing from one type of welding to the other is simplified by including separate electrical, gas, and cooling conduits for each torch. The torch not in use is parked in the welding compartment near the weld box. The powder hopper for the PTA welding assembly may be mounted on a swivel arm so that it can be moved out of the way when the MIG torch is in use.

Abstract: An induction device includes an induction unit including a sensor unit which is arranged above the induction unit in a mounted position and includes a plurality of temperature sensor elements arranged in a distributed manner and configured to detect a sensor parameter in the form of a temperature parameter of a unit. A control unit is provided to analyze the sensor parameter.

Abstract: A beverage maker includes a fermentation module, a gas discharge channel connected to the fermentation module, a gas discharge valve connected to the gas discharge channel, a storage tank connected to the gas discharge value and provided with a space capable of accommodating gas therein, an actuator configured to inject gas collected in the space of the storage tank to the fermentation module through the gas discharge channel, a gas pressure sensor connected before the gas discharge valve in a gas flow direction in the gas discharge channel, and a controller configured to control the gas discharge valve and the actuator based on a pressure value of the gas pressure sensor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a weldable connecting element 2 for connecting or joining thermo-plastic line elements 3. The connecting element 2 comprises: a thermoplastic body 4; at least one heating element 6, which is embedded in the body 4, wherein the heating element 6 serves to generate heat in a welding area 5 for welding the body 4 to the at least one line element 3. Furthermore, a joining control 12 is provided, which is configured to prohibit the welding operation and/or to interrupt the welding operation if the body 4 and the line element 3 are not joined correctly.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method involving a substrate having an interface layer, wherein the interface layer (IL) forms only an upper surface portion of the substrate, and a feedstock material (FM) placed on the IL. The method involves using a laser system to generate first and second beam components providing first and second power flux levels, respectively, where the second level is greater than the first. The FM is heated to a first level short of a melting point using the first beam component, at which point the particles of the FM begin to experience surface tension forces relative to the IL. Further heating the FM to a second level melts the FM and also melts the IL of the substrate, but where a portion of the IL remains unmelted by the second beam component as the particles of the FM and the IL are bonded together.