Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for producing an ingredient foam such as milk foam for use with other products such as beverages. An ingredient dispensing assembly is included for receiving one or more ingredients from an ingredient dispensing apparatus, processing the ingredients and dispensing a general uniform, consistent foam. The ingredient dispensing assembly includes a whipping chamber, an output nozzle, and an insert retained within cavities defined by the whipping chamber and output nozzle. The internal surfaces of the chamber and nozzle cavities in combination with the insert provide passages defining a mixing zone, a shredding zone communicating with the mixing zone, and a deceleration zone communicating with the shredding zone. The assembly passes at least one ingredient through the zones to dispense foam from an exit port of the outlet nozzle. The system includes apparatus and methods for reducing the dissociation of foam dispensed form the exit port.

Abstract: A construction platform for the additive manufacturing of a component, in particular from a superalloy, wherein the construction platform has a surface region that is produced by an additive manufacturing method, wherein the additive manufacturing method is a beam melting or beam welding method. A construction platform is used as a substrate for the additive manufacturing of a component, in particular from a superalloy. A method includes the additive manufacturing of the construction platform, wherein a surface region of the construction platform is produced by a beam melting or beam welding method.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes systems and method relating to laser marking, in particular an apparatus comprises a fiber laser operable to produce a laser beam, an optics assembly operable to focus and direct the laser beam onto a non-metalized layer side of a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises the non-metalized layer side comprising a nonmetalized material and a metalized layer side comprising a metalized material, the metalized layer side being opposite the non-metalized layer side; and electronics communicatively coupled with the fiber laser and the optics assembly, the electronics being operable to control the fiber laser and the optics assembly, based on one or more laser settings, to direct the laser beam through the non-metalized layer side to be absorbed by the metalized layer side, generate a laser marking on the metalized material, and avoid generating the laser marking on the non-metalized material.

Abstract: The invention described herein generally pertains to a system and method for evaluating one or more conditions or preliminary weld condition related to a welding system and/or method that utilizes a welding sequence to perform two or more welds with respective welding schedules. In an embodiment, an operator registration is provided that verifies the operator and identifies welding sequences to which the operator is authorized to perform. In another embodiment, one or more fixture locations are monitored to determine whether a workpiece is accurately configured prior to a welding operation. In still another embodiment, locations on a workpiece can be displayed to assist an operator in performing two or more welds utilizing a welding sequence. Moreover, a wireless system communications a data signal to a welding work cell in which such data is used to identify a welding sequence.

Abstract: A device for cooking food on a grill has opposed upper and lower platens wherein a gap spacing between the platens is automatically adjusted in an initial stage and in subsequent stages of the cooking time for the food. The food is caused to be located between two opposed platens, the opposed platens each having opposed cooking surfaces and the opposed cooking surfaces defining a gap spacing that is adjustable. A controller and drive mechanism adjust the gap spacing between the platens so that during an initial stage of the cooking the gap spacing is equal to or less than the nominal initial uncooked thickness of the food, and during one or more subsequent stages of the cooking, after the initial stage, the gap spacing between the platens is varied.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for brewing a beverage from precursor particulates. The apparatus comprises a liquid delivery system for delivering liquid into a brewing basket. The liquid delivery system comprises a showerhead disposed above at least a portion of the brewing basket. The showerhead has a plurality of outlet openings through which liquid flows outward from the showerhead into the brew basket. At least two of the outlet openings are oriented to direct the flow of liquid out of the showerhead at least in part transversely of the brew basket.

Abstract: A cooking system is provided. The cooking system includes a user equipment and one or more cooking apparatuses. The user equipment may include a user interface configured to receive an input of a food model including at least one of a shape, an ingredient, or a color of a food in accordance with a touch input of a user, a first transceiver configured to transmit information on the food model to the one or more cooking apparatuses, and a first processor configured to transmit information of the food model to the plurality of cooking apparatuses via the first transceiver. Each of the one or more cooking apparatuses may include a second transceiver configured to receive information on the food model from the user equipment, a food shaping device configured to discharge food ingredients, a food heating device, and a second processor.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to additive manufacturing systems and methods on a large-scale format. One aspect involves a method for fabricating an object. The method includes (a) irradiating a layer of powder in a build area above a build platform to form a fused region; (b) providing a subsequent layer of powder over the build area; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until at least a portion of the object, a support structure, and a build envelope are formed; and (d) removing the object from the build envelope and the support structure. The support structure extends from an inner surface of the build envelope to a location proximate a location of the object to be built.

Abstract: A grill including an upper shell and a lower shell is provided. The lower shell defines an opening there-through, and the upper shell and the lower shell together define a cooking chamber. A pellet burner is adapted to fit in the opening in the lower shell. The pellet burner includes an air duct having a first end and a second end. The first end is positioned outside of the lower shell and the second end is positioned inside of the lower shell when the pellet burner is fitted in the opening in the lower shell. The pellet burner includes a fan positioned to blow air through the air duct and through the second end of the air duct, and a pellet box configured to hold a plurality of pellets. An auger moves the pellets to a position adjacent the second end of the air duct that contains a hot rod.

Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module including a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module including a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mould for the manufacturing of mould steels in an inert gas or a pressurized electro slag re-melting apparatus. The mould comprises a non-rectangular and non-circular inner copper sleeve having a width, w, of 1000-2500 mm and a thickness, t, of 700-1250 mm, wherein the short sides in the thickness direction of the copper sleeve at least partly have sections with curved surfaces and wherein the long sides in the width direction at least partly have sections with curved surfaces.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and systems for interpreting a first user input comprising a text flow entry, interpreting a second user input comprising one of an in-line data access entry and a table-based calculation entry, positioning a text entry value on a unified document surface in response to the first user input, creating at least one data structure in response to the one of the in-line data access entry and the table-based calculation entry, and positioning the data structure on the unified document surface.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a ventilation system arranged to create an airflow in a cooking space of the appliance; a cooking basket, arranged to receive food products to be cooked in the cooking space and allowing the airflow to pass through a bed of food products to be cooked; a heating system arranged to heat the airflow, wherein the ventilation system includes a cross-flow fan, and wherein, in the airflow, the heating system is arranged downstream of the ventilation system, the cooking basket is arranged downstream of the heating system.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided with an outlet, in particular for milk froth, which apparatus can be moved in two or three coordinate directions (x, y, z) using a control unit. When dispensing the fluid, a graphic pattern can thus be created automatically on the surface of the beverage dispensed into the container, preferably coffee. A pivotably housed guide sleeve and a hose element are provided with the outlet, which element can be pivoted in the sleeve and through which element the milk froth passes. This outlet can be moved with the hose element and the guide sleeve in a plane in these two coordinate directions (x, y) above the container in controlled manner, and the milk froth can thus be dispensed into the container. The result is a compact structure of the apparatus and this can be integrated into a coffee machine in a very space-saving manner.

Abstract: A beverage machine with a holder including front and side walls around an opening where beverage material is held to form a beverage where the walls slope downwardly and inwardly toward the opening. A peripheral wall may extend upwardly from the opening and form a trough around the opening with the front and side walls.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for the accelerated aging of beverages, including distilled spirits are disclosed. A spirit is aged through a modular approach that targets development of individual sensory characteristics. In one embodiment, a spirit undergoes ultrasonic cavitation in the presence of wood chips, heating in the presence of wood chips, ultrasonic cavitation without wood chips, heating without wood chips, and intermittent aeration. The process is operable to produce a highly customized spirit and achieve a taste, bouquet, and color similar to that of traditionally aged spirits.

Abstract: An example device for monitoring and controlling a laser cutting process on a workpiece includes an image capturing apparatus for capturing an image of a region of the workpiece to be monitored, in which the region of the workpiece to be monitored includes a region of interaction of a laser beam with the workpiece, and an evaluation apparatus for detecting material boundaries of the workpiece using the captured image. The evaluation apparatus is configured to determine at least one characteristic value of the laser cutting process based on a geometric relationship between at least two of the detected material boundaries, the region of interaction, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus for producing a GaN wafer from a GaN ingot includes a laser beam irradiating unit configured to apply a laser beam having a wavelength capable of passing through the GaN ingot held by a chuck table. The laser beam irradiating unit includes a laser oscillator configured to oscillate the laser beam. The laser oscillator includes a seeder configured to oscillate a high-frequency pulsed laser, a thinning-out unit configured to thin out high-frequency pulses oscillated by the seeder at a predetermined repetition frequency, and generate one burst pulse with a plurality of high-frequency pulses as sub-pulses, and an amplifier configured to amplify the generated burst pulse.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method in which flat layers are produced in succession so each newly produced layer is stacked on a previously produced layer or on a flat metal support, each layer having at least one metal strip occupying the entire thickness of the corresponding layer. The production of each layer includes: deposition, during which part of the strip is pressed against the previously produced layer or the support; a fusion step carried out during the deposition step during which only a fused portion of the part is fusion-welded to the previously produced layer or to the support; and repeating the deposition and fusion steps, applying them to corresponding parts of the or each strip offset from each other along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, such that the fused portions of two of the parts following each other along the second axis overlap.

Abstract: A cartridge assembly, a cartridge device, a food forming module, and a cooking apparatus capable of using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to form and cook food are provided. The cooking apparatus includes a main body, a cooking compartment is provided in the main body, and a cartridge assembly is installed in the cooking compartment to be capable of linear motion and rotational motion. The cartridge assembly includes a cartridge body having cartridge mounts formed therein, cartridge cases are mounted on the cartridge mounts, and cartridges are disposed in the cartridge cases and include food ingredients that are accommodated therein.