Abstract: A heating device used in a bonding apparatus including a cover which is provided on a heating body so as to cover a guide groove which guides lead frames; and gas grooves are formed in the heating body so as to run along the guide groove, and an inert gas is supplied into the gas grooves so that the inert gas prevents the entry of air from the joining surfaces of the heating body and cover.

Abstract: Moistened powder and granular materials, such as produced by an extrusion granulator, are disintegrated into uniformly sized and shaped granules by an apparatus having a cylindrical housing and a working plate rotatably disposed in the housing in coaxial alignment with said housing, with an opening at the center of the working plate. A working fluid is introduced into the interior of the housing above the working plate through a wall of the housing and moistened powder and/or granular raw materials are supplied into the housing onto the working plate. The treated materials are discharged through the central opening in the working plate.

Abstract: In the operation of a granulating or coating apparatus wherein a particulate material is processed in a granulation chamber into granules, the material may be photographed during the course of carrying out the granulation process by utilizing a photography probe wherein a bundle of optical fibers are utilized to project a source of stroboscopic illuminating light in the form of a generally flat beam through a portion of the granulating chamber and a photographic camera is focused within the projected light beam along an optical line of sight oriented generally perpendicular to the projected light beam to produce an image of granules within the beam against a relatively dark background.

Abstract: Uniform spherical granules are produced from powder raw material without utilizing an agglomerating liquid by repeatedly and alternately compacting a dry powder raw material within a granulating vessel to cohesively form agglomerates of the material and fluidizing the powder material within the vessel to break up and form the agglomerates gradually into a uniform spherical shape.

Abstract: A granulating apparatus particularly adapted for advanced ceramic materials having a granulation vessel with a cylindrical main body in which are coaxially-mounted rotatably an annular cage-like stirring rotor having peripheral stirring blades and a central impulse rotor having impulse blades and pins. The stirring blades are mounted in diverging pairs relative to their rotational direction to channel charge material axially centrally within the container, while the impulse blades are V-shaped convergingly in their rotational direction to impel charge material both radially and axially outwardly within the vessel, for enhanced charge material circulation. Nozzles mounted on the end cover of the vessel inject agglomerating liquid axially into the open granulation area between the rotors for direct impingement of liquid essentially only onto the charge material.