Abstract: A system (100) for manufacturing an extrudate (10), such as a honeycomb body, is provided. The system comprises an extruder (102). The extruder is configured to form an extrudate from a wet mixture, such as a ceramic forming mixture. The system further comprises a radiative heat assembly (104). The radiative heat assembly is configured to heat the extrudate. The radiative heat assembly comprises one or more IR light sources (112). The one or more IR light sources are arranged as one or more rings around the extrudate. The system further comprises a differential pressure assembly (108). The differential pressure assembly is configured to remove at least a portion of water vapor from around the extrudate. The differential pressure assembly can direct an air flow out of a chamber (136) formed by a housing (132) surrounding the radiative heat assembly. Alternatively, the differential pressure assembly can direct an air flow into the chamber.

Abstract: Porous structures are made from compositions that include hollow glass bodies and an inorganic powder. The inorganic powder may act as a rigid frame member, a crystallization agent, or both, which reduces the shrinkage of the porous structures during firing. The porous structures made therefrom have an open porosity of greater than 70% and reduced shrinkage of less than 10% compared to the green structures prior to firing. Methods for firing the green structures made from the compositions are also disclosed, the firing methods including reducing a temperature ramping rate of the green structures during a crystallization temperature range of the glass of the hollow bodies.

Abstract: Non-settling aqueous-based pourable suspensions may be prepared from mixtures of water soluble and oil soluble amphiphiles with from 6 to 11 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic portion of the amphiphile. The water soluble amphiphiles are classed as hydrotropes. The systems are low foaming and are particularly useful for suspending problematic materials such as graphene and diamond powder.

Abstract: Pressure regulators with adjustable boost bodies are described herein. An example pressure regulator includes a valve body; a seat in the fluid passageway; an actuator casing coupled to the valve body; and a plug assembly including: a stem; a plug coupled to the stem; a stem guide disposed in the channel of the actuator casing; a boost body on the second side of the stem guide; and a tube extending through the boost body, the tube and the boost body forming a unitary structure to prevent movement of the tube relative to the boost body, the tube having a first end and a second end, the second end disposed in a downstream location relative to the seat, wherein the boost body is rotatable with respect to the stem guide to position the tube in at least one other orientation relative to the actuator casing.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for analyzing refuse includes operations of receiving sensor data indicating an operational state of a vehicle body component of a refuse collection vehicle (RCV); analyzing the sensor data to detect a presence of a triggering condition based at least partly on a particular operational state of the vehicle body component, as indicated by the sensor data; in response to detecting the triggering condition, accessing image data indicating a physical state of refuse collected by the RCV; providing the image data as input to at least one contaminant detection model trained, using at least one machine learning (ML) algorithm, to output a classification of the image data, the classification indicating a degree of contamination of the refuse; and storing, in a machine-readable medium, the classification of the image data.

Abstract: An physiological measurement device provides a device body having a base, legs extending from the base and an optical housing disposed at ends of the legs opposite the base. An optical assembly is disposed in the housing. The device body is flexed so as to position the housing over a tissue site. The device body is unflexed so as to attach the housing to the tissue site and position the optical assembly to illuminate the tissue site. The optical assembly is configured to transmit optical radiation into tissue site tissue and receive the optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood flow within the tissue.

Abstract: A refuse vehicle includes a telescopic arm, a sensor, and a processor. The telescopic arm includes an outer boom defining a bore, an inner boom received in the bore of the outer boom, and a bearing pad received in the bore and located between an exterior surface of the inner boom and an interior surface of the outer boom. The sensor is configured to output data indicating a position of a load-bearing limb of the telescopic arm. The processor is configured to receive data output from the sensor and determine a wear-state of the bearing pad based on the position.

Abstract: A refuse collection vehicle includes a body having a storage compartment and a packer system. The storage compartment includes a floor. The packer system includes an ejector, two or more helical band actuators, and a driver. The helical band actuators each include a drive cylinder base, a helical band drive cylinder, and a drive cylinder receptacle coupled between the helical band drive cylinder and the ejector. The driver is commonly coupled to the helical band actuators and operable to extend and retract the helical band drive cylinders. The helical band actuators are operable to advance the ejector such that refuse is compacted in the storage compartment or ejected from the storage compartment.

Abstract: A refuse collection vehicle includes a grabber that is operable to engage a refuse container, a lift arm coupled to the grabber and operable to raise and lower the grabber, a camera that is arranged to generate video data of a scene external to the refuse collection vehicle, and a semi-transparent display device configured to display the video data generated by the camera, wherein the semi-transparent display is positioned within a forward line of sight of an operator of the refuse collection vehicle.

Abstract: A personal cleansing composition comprising: i) a piroctone compound: ii) a cleansing surfactant comprising amphoteric surfactant and an ethoxylated alkyl sulphate surfactant in which the weight ratio of ethoxylated alkyl sulphate to amphoteric surfactant is from 2:1 to 6:1 iii) a cationic polymer in which the cationic polymer comprises poly quaternium 6.

Abstract: A method of transmitting data across a J1939 network comprises communicating at least one sensor, if not a plurality of sensors or operator interface devices, related to a utility service body data mounted on a chassis across the J1939 network on unassigned PGN/SPN combinations for various uses. Furthermore, at least one controller can evaluate other J1939 data, such as transmission gear and/or engine RPM before permitting operation of at least one function of the utility service body or upfit body with at least some embodiments.

Abstract: A refuse collection vehicle includes a grabber that is operable to engage a refuse container, a lift arm coupled to the grabber and operable to raise and lower the grabber, a camera that is arranged to generate video data of a scene external to the refuse collection vehicle, and a semi-transparent display device configured to display the video data generated by the camera, wherein the semi-transparent display is positioned within a forward line of sight of an operator of the refuse collection vehicle.

Abstract: An extrusion system (100) according to certain aspects includes at least one infrared emitting device (102) arranged in a generally cylindrical shape with a hollow interior. The at least one infrared emitting device (102) is positioned downstream of an outlet of an extrusion die (110) to irradiate a perimeter of wet extrudate material in a uniform manner to form stiffened wet extrudate material (116) before such material is received by an extrudate support channel (118). The at least one infrared emitting device (102) generally uniformly stiffens the skin of the wet extrudate material (116) to resist mechanical deformation of the extrudate material during subsequent handling steps. Such skin stiffening allows for increased tolerance of handling forces and permits extrusion of softer wet extrudate material without compromising the shape of a fired ceramic product.

Abstract: A process for forming a fluidic module (150) with integrated fluid separation includes positioning a first positive passage mold (115A) of a first fluid passage (170) having a tortuous shape within a volume of binder-coated ceramic powder (110A) and positioning a second positive passage mold (115B) of a second fluid passage (175) having a tortuous shape within the volume of ceramic powder (110A) and spaced apart from the first positive passage mold (115A). The process further includes positioning a powder interconnect (120) adjacent to a portion of each of the first (115A) and second positive passage molds (115B) within the volume of ceramic powder (110A), pressing the volume of ceramic powder (110A, HOB) with the first and second positive passage molds (115A, 115B) and the powder interconnect (120) inside to form a pressed body (148), heating the pressed body to remove the first and second positive passage molds (115A, 115B), and sintering the pressed body (148) to form a closed-porosity ceramic body (150).

Abstract: Systems and methods determine alignment between a wire and a laser beam in laser joining. A system for checking alignment of a wire relative to a beam of a laser includes a controller configured to align, by tooling, the beam with a sensor system. A laser generates the beam across the wire, with the beam directed to the sensor system. The sensor system measures light intensity of the beam. A processor computes a feature parameter representative of an alignment between the wire and the beam. The processor determines whether the feature parameter is within the process specifications.

Abstract: A method of transmitting data across a J1939 network comprises communicating at least one sensor, if not a plurality of sensors or operator interface devices, related to a utility service body data mounted on a chassis across the J1939 network on unassigned PGN/SPN combinations for various uses. Furthermore, at least one controller can evaluate other J1939 data, such as transmission gear and/or engine RPM before permitting operation of at least one function of the utility service body or upfit body with at least some embodiments.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for analyzing refuse includes operations of receiving sensor data indicating an operational state of a vehicle body component of a refuse collection vehicle (RCV); analyzing the sensor data to detect a presence of a triggering condition based at least partly on a particular operational state of the vehicle body component, as indicated by the sensor data; in response to detecting the triggering condition, accessing image data indicating a physical state of refuse collected by the RCV; providing the image data as input to at least one contaminant detection model trained, using at least one machine learning (ML) algorithm, to output a classification of the image data, the classification indicating a degree of contamination of the refuse; and storing, in a machine-readable medium, the classification of the image data.

Abstract: A welding setup includes an adjustable material feed system for a consumable welding wire. Speed sensors measure the speed of the wire progressing through the material feed system. A control module controls the material feed system to draw the wire into the material feed system and progress the wire to a working end of the welding setup. Speed data is sampled from the speed sensor during diagnostic duration and wire slip may be determined from the speed data and a reference speed.

Abstract: A scrambling method of data on a J1939 communication system of a vehicle involves at least moving data from one of a PGN and a PGN/SPN location to another PGN or PGN/SPN location at a first controller on the vehicle before transmitting data and then re-ordering the data at a second controller. Some embodiments further comprise encrypting data either before or after shifting, but before transmitting so as to further complicate efforts to interpret meaningful data from the transmission. The second controller may be on the vehicle or may be remotely located.

Abstract: A method and device for positively identifying that a dump event of a refuse container has occurred into a refuse hopper of a refuse vehicle are provided. When used with route software, alerts may be generated if a specific refuse container is missed or if an unexpected dump event occurs during the route.