Abstract: A device for receiving, stacking, and removing microplates is presented and described. The device comprises a tower for stacking the microplates, wherein a microplate comprises a container and, optionally, a lid. There is a retaining device at the lower end of the tower, which has a first retaining tool and a second retaining tool, and preferably partially encompasses a microplate. The first retaining tool is designed to hold a microplate in a form-fitting manner. The second retaining tool is designed to fix a container in the microplate in place in a frictional manner. The first retaining tool is above the second retaining tool in the stacking direction. A system that comprises the device described above, a dispenser device, and a transport device, is also disclosed. The dispenser device is used to fill microplates, and the transport device is used to add and remove microplates to and from the device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a silver electrolyte for the deposition of silver layers on substrates, which comprises potassium silver cyanide, potassium cyanide with a content of at least 10 g/L, at least one grain refiner with a content of 0.2 to 10 g/L, at least one dispersant with a content of 1 to 10 g/L and at least one solid component with a content of 1 to 150 g/L, wherein the particles of the solid component have an average particle size (d50) of 10 nm-100 ?m. Furthermore, contact surfaces and methods for the deposition of such contact surfaces are shown.

Abstract: The invention relates to a silver electrolyte for the deposition of silver layers on substrates, which comprises potassium silver cyanide, potassium cyanide with a content of at least 10 g/L, at least one grain refiner with a content of 0.2 to 10 g/L, at least one dispersant with a content of 1 to 10 g/L and at least one solid component with a content of 1 to 150 g/L, wherein the particles of the solid component have an average particle size (d50) of 10 nm-100 ?m. Furthermore, contact surfaces and methods for the deposition of such contact surfaces are shown and the use of the electrolyte according to the invention in strip electroplating.

Abstract: A sample distribution system 1 has a regulator 4 for receiving a pipetting unit 2 that has at least one exchangeable pipette tip 3, wherein the regulator 4 is configured to change the position of the pipetting unit 2 in relation to a base plate 5, and to detect the presence or absence of pipette tips 3 with a sensor unit 12. According to the invention, the sensor unit 12 is a photoelectric sensor, in particular a reflection photoelectric sensor, with a detection range. The sensor unit 12 and the pipetting unit 2 can also move in relation to one another, in order to determine the presence of a pipette tip 3, if the pipette tip is in the detection range of the sensor unit 12.

Abstract: A sample distribution system 1 has a regulator 4 for receiving a pipetting unit 2 that has at least one exchangeable pipette tip 3, wherein the regulator 4 is configured to change the position of the pipetting unit 2 in relation to a base plate 5, and to detect the presence or absence of pipette tips 3 with a sensor unit 12. According to the invention, the sensor unit 12 is a photoelectric sensor, in particular a reflection photoelectric sensor, with a detection range. The sensor unit 12 and the pipetting unit 2 can also move in relation to one another, in order to determine the presence of a pipette tip 3, if the pipette tip is in the detection range of the sensor unit 12.

Abstract: Device for an energy generation unit of a user's installation, which is connected to an energy supply network and to at least one energy consumption unit of the user's installation and comprises a programmable logic control which controls an internal energy consumption, by the energy consumption units of the user's installation, of the energy generated by the energy generation unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a coupling formation of a pipetting channel of a pipetting device for coupling of an implement, for instance a pipette tip, or a laboratory instrument, laboratory tool or the like, thereto, wherein the coupling formation surrounds a pipetting channel section which extends along a pipetting channel axis which defines an axial direction, wherein the coupling formation additionally has, at its free longitudinal end, a pressure-imparting orifice into which the pipetting channel section opens and has, at its radially outer surface which surrounds the pipetting channel axis and extends principally in axial direction and in peripheral direction about the pipetting channel axis relative to the pipetting channel axis, a coupling projection which yields in the radial direction, which is characterized in that the coupling projection is provided so as to be essentially undeformable but radially movable on a spring arrangement which is elastic in radial direction.

Abstract: A metering apparatus includes a base and a vertical support coupled to the base and extending upwardly from the base. The metering apparatus also includes a transverse support coupled to the vertical support, vertically spaced from the base. The metering apparatus also includes a pipetting device coupled to the transverse support, the pipetting device including at least one pipetting channel configured to attach to a pipetting tip. The metering apparatus also includes a disposal container configured to receive used pipetting tips from the pipetting channel, detachably coupled to the vertical support. The pipetting device is movable in first, second, and third directions substantially orthogonal to each other. The disposal container is moveable in one of the first, second, and third directions.

Abstract: A device for dispensing adhesive on a substrate comprises a writing head with a first dispensing nozzle and at least one second dispensing nozzle. The device can be operated in two operating modes and is configured to perform the following steps for the change from the one operating mode to the other operating mode: —lifting of the writing head, retracting or extending a pin, and lowering of the writing head to a predetermined working altitude, wherein the tips of the dispensing nozzles reach a substantially similar altitude above the substrate in the retracted state of the pin, and wherein the tip of the at least one second dispensing nozzle reaches a higher altitude above the substrate than the tip of the first dispensing nozzle in the extended state of the pin.

Abstract: A solids handling equipment rotary plough includes a metal body defining a pair of opposed spaced non-parallel elongate faces extending between a bottom and a top and from a first end to a second end of each opposed elongate face, the first end and the second end being spaced further from each other than the top and the bottom are spaced from each other providing each opposed elongate face with a length greater than a height. The opposed elongate faces are on opposite sides and facing away from a first imaginary vertical plane, each of said opposed elongate faces having at least two elongate major surfaces which are not co-planar, an upper, elongate, non-vertical, major surface being angled towards the first imaginary vertical plane to slope upwardly and a lower, elongate, vertical, major surface being angled in a horizontal plane so that the first ends of the opposed elongate faces are closer to each other than the second ends.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a coupling formation of a pipetting channel of a pipetting device for coupling of an implement, for instance a pipette tip, or a laboratory instrument, laboratory tool or the like, thereto, wherein the coupling formation surrounds a pipetting channel section which extends along a pipetting channel axis which defines an axial direction, wherein the coupling formation additionally has, at its free longitudinal end, a pressure-imparting orifice into which the pipetting channel section opens and has, at its radially outer surface which surrounds the pipetting channel axis and extends principally in axial direction and in peripheral direction about the pipetting channel axis relative to the pipetting channel axis, a coupling projection which yields in the radial direction, which is characterized in that the coupling projection is provided so as to be essentially undeformable but radially movable on a spring arrangement which is elastic in radial direction.

Abstract: Device for an energy generation unit of a user's installation, which is connected to an energy supply network and to at least one energy consumption unit of the user's installation and comprises a programmable logic control which controls an internal energy consumption, by the energy consumption units of the user's installation, of the energy generated by the energy generation unit.

Abstract: A solids handling equipment rotary plough (200) includes an elongate metal body (201) with a leading face (210) and a trailing face (212). The body (201) is configured to be mounted to a rotary component for rotation about an axis of rotation at least in one direction which is an operative forward direction such that the leading face (210) leads the trailing face (212). At least the leading face (210) has at least two major operatively upwardly and outwardly extending surfaces (202.1, 204.1) which are not coplanar. A first major surface (202.1) is angled operatively rearwardly and upwardly relative to the forward direction of rotation at an angle of at least 1° to the vertical. A second major surface (204.1) is angled operatively forwardly and outwardly at an angle of at least 1° relative to a radius of a circle described in use by the rotary plough (200) when rotating in the operative forward direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a metering apparatus (10), in particular a pipetting machine, comprising a pipetting device (12) that can be moved in three directions (X, Y, Z) orthogonal to each other and that has at least one pipetting channel (16) to which a pipetting tip (18) is or can be detachably attached in order to aspirate sample liquid from a sample container (34, 36) associated with the metering apparatus (10) or to dispense sample liquid into a sample container (34, 36), wherein the at least one pipetting channel (16) is designed in such a way that a pipetting tip (18) detachably attached to the pipetting channel can be removed from the pipetting channel (16), preferably can be automatically removed, and a disposal container (40), which is arranged on the metering apparatus (10) and in which used pipetting tips (18) can be accommodated after being removed from a relevant pipetting channel (16).

Abstract: A device for dispensing adhesive on a substrate comprises a writing head with a first dispensing nozzle and at least one second dispensing nozzle. The device can be operated in two operating modes and is configured to perform the following steps for the change from the one operating mode to the other operating mode: lifting of the writing head, retracting or extending a pin, and lowering of the writing head to a predetermined working altitude, wherein the tips of the dispensing nozzles reach a substantially similar altitude above the substrate in the retracted state of the pin, and wherein the tip of the at least one second dispensing nozzle reaches a higher altitude above the substrate than the tip of the first dispensing nozzle in the extended state of the pin.

Abstract: The invention relates to a bidirectional optical amplifier array (VA) which is preferably used in a passive optical network (PON) system, is disposed between a first line termination (OLT) and a second line termination (ONU), and is penetrated by an optical downstream signal (OSD) in one direction and an optical upstream signal (OSD) in the opposite direction. Said optical amplifier array is composed of a first part with two branching and combining units (D1 and D2), a unidirectional optical amplifier (E1), and a transponder (T) in which the optical downstream signals and upstream signals (OSU and OSD) are separately amplified. The two signals (OSU and OSD) that run in opposite directions are amplified in a bidirectional amplifier (E2) in a second part. A constant gain is maintained in the bidirectional optical amplifier (E2) by means of the continuous downstream signal (OSD) such that the amplifier can be operated in stable conditions for the upstream signal (OSU) regardless of occurring bursts.

Abstract: A system which comprises point-to-multipoint connections and in which a portion of a downstream signal is extracted at a point located between a central network unit and a plurality of user network units, a header of the downstream signal is read and analyzed, and the header data obtained in this manner is used for controlling a regenerator provided in the upstream path for the data burst signals. The header data contains the beginning and end of the burst of the data burst signals, thus making it possible to reliably generate a temporal triggering signal for the regenerator.

Abstract: A fixed bed coal gasifier (300) includes a coal gasification chamber with a coal lock above the chamber. A static coal distribution device inside the gasification chamber includes a hollow coal distributor which flares downwardly outwardly with a skirt depending downwardly from an inside of the coal distributor so that a gas collection zone is defined between the skirt and the coal distributor. The gasifier (300) has an ash discharge outlet (606) and a rotatable grate (600) above the outlet (606). The rotatable grate (600) includes at least one upwardly projecting finger or disturbing formation (500) to disturb the ash bed formed in use above and around the grate (600).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for depositing a film onto a substrate, with a sputter deposition process wherein the sputter deposition process is a direct current sputter deposition wherein the film consists of at least 90 wt-% of an inorganic material having semiconductor properties whereby the film of the inorganic material M2 is directly deposited as crystalline structure, so that at least 50 wt-% of the deposited film has a crystalline structure wherein the source material (target) used for the sputter deposition consists of at least 80 wt-% of the inorganic material M2. wherein the inorganic material is selected from a group including binary, ternary, and quaternary compounds including sulphur, selenium, tellurium, indium, and/or germanium.

Abstract: A method of constructing an inner thermal lining or jacket of a jacketed gasifier having an outer shell with an opening allowing access to an interior of the gasifier, includes inserting jacket wall segments (40) into the gasifier interior through the opening, the jacket wall segments (40) each comprising an elongate jacket plate (42) with an annulus face (44) and a plurality of transversely extending longitudinally spaced stiffener formations (46) standing proud of the annulus face (44). The jacket wall segments (40) are arranged side by side leaving an aperture or space between adjacent jacket plates. The stiffener formations (46) of adjacent spaced jacket wall segments are welded together through the aperture or space between said adjacent spaced jacket wall segments, and the apertures or spaces are closed with window plates.