An apparatus and method for cleaving a liquid sample are disclosed. The apparatus includes a load lock chamber containing a cleaving module, a cryo-cooler, a vacuum chamber configured to receive the cleaving module from the load lock chamber, and a gate valve between the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber. The cleaving module is configured to cleave a crystalline sample holder and the liquid sample. The liquid sample includes one or more liquid phase materials and is cleavable by the cleaving module when in the solid phase. The cryo-cooler is configured to cool and/or maintain a temperature of the sample holder and the sample below the melting point of each of the liquid phase materials. The gate valve has at least one opening therein configured to (i) allow the cleaving module to enter and exit the vacuum chamber and/or (ii) permit gaseous communication between the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber.

Disclosed herein are plaster boards that include first and second layers of hardened plaster material, a liner attached to the first layer of hardened plaster material, and a first material (e.g., a polymer material such as a viscoelastic polymer) adhered between the liner and the second layer of hardened plaster material. The liner includes one or more structurally weakened regions each extending substantially from a first edge to a second opposing edge of the plaster board. The structurally weakened regions of the liner may facilitate creation of a fissure that propagates substantially within a plane within the plaster board. Methods for making the plaster boards may involve drying wet plaster material while it is in contact with a liner having structurally weakened regions, processing a liner to form its structurally weakened regions while in contact with wet plaster material, or processing a liner to form its structurally weakened regions while in contact with hardened plaster material.

A method and apparatus for replacement of damages display shield (typically glass) covering a display screen on a device, typically a mobile phone. Mobile phones have an electronic display protected by a glass shield. Between the glass and the display is often a plastic polarizing or other intermediary sheet. Removal of a damage glass can be accomplished by cutting thru the polarizer with a moving wire or blade. This separates the glass from the sensitive display and allows replacement of the glass without damaging the more expensive display.

Systems and methods suitable for shaping and cutting materials. Such a system includes first and second carriage units that are independently operable to travel in a travel direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of a table supporting the material. The first and second carriage units have first and second arms, respectively. A cutting device coupled to the first arm forms a slit in the material, and a deburring device coupled to the second arm forcibly removes burrs from the slit. The deburring device is behind the cutting device relative to the travel direction and forcibly removes burrs in the travel direction toward a breakthrough point of the slit. The second carriage unit oscillates parallel to the travel direction so that the deburring device moves toward and away from the breakthrough point of the slit to remove burrs at the breakthrough point.

In some aspects, material processing head can include a body; an antenna disposed within the body; a first tag, associated with a first consumable component, disposed within a flux communication zone of the body at a first distance from the antenna, the first tag having a first resonant frequency; and a second tag, associated with a second consumable component, disposed within the flux communication zone of the body at a second distance from the antenna, the second tag having a second resonant frequency that is different than the first resonant frequency, where the first and second resonant frequencies are tuned based upon at least one of: i) a difference between the first distance and the second distance; or ii) a characteristic (e.g., shape) of the flux communication zone in which the first tag and/or the second tag is disposed.

This disclosure is directed at mechanical property improvement in a metallic alloy that has undergone one or more mechanical property losses as a consequence of forming an edge, such as in the formation of an internal hole or an external edge. Methods are disclosed that provide the ability to improve mechanical properties of metallic alloys that have been formed with one or more edges placed in the metallic alloy by a variety of methods which may otherwise serve as a limiting factor for industrial applications.

An optical fiber cutter includes a base that includes a pair of clamps, a blade member moving base that includes a disk-shaped blade member and is configured to move the blade member and bring an outer circumferential edge of the blade member into contact with a surface of the optical fiber, and a pressing that press-bends a scratched portion of the optical fiber to cut the optical fiber. The blade member is rotatably fixed to the blade member moving base to change a position of the outer circumferential edge to be in contact with the optical fiber. The base further includes a rotating member that is rotatably fixed to the base and configured to rotate to transmit power to rotate the blade member, and power transmission between the blade member and the rotating member is releasable.

A vacuum diverter defined by a housing or hollow body having a first end, a second end, a plurality of sides, and an opening formed in one of the plurality of sides. A valve flap is disposed within the hollow body and moveable between a first position and a second position. The valve flap is supported by a shaft that extends across a cavity defined by the housing and which is rotationally supported by the housing such that the shaft and valve flap can be removed from the housing in a crossing direction relative to an axis of rotation of the shaft. Rotation of the shaft effectuates rotation of the valve flap relative to the cavity to selectively fluidly connect the discrete vacuum flow passages defined by the housing.

Peripheral surfaces of holes formed are fixed in place and processed sheet is obtained in a state where the hole pattern is formed accurately. The apparatus is provided with a die on a surface of which are formed projecting parts corresponding to a hole pattern to be added to a processed sheet, an ultrasonic horn provided facing the die and outputting an ultrasonic wave toward a surface of the die, and a conveyor mechanism superposing over the processed sheet a resin sheet for melt bonding with and recovering pieces of the processed sheet punched out from the holes, passing the sheets between the die and the ultrasonic horn, and separating the resin sheet and the processed sheet after passage.

Peripheral surfaces of holes formed are fixed in place and processed sheet is obtained in a state where the hole pattern is formed accurately. The apparatus is provided with a die on a surface of which are formed projecting parts corresponding to a hole pattern to be added to a processed sheet, an ultrasonic horn provided facing the die and outputting an ultrasonic wave toward a surface of the die, and a conveyor mechanism superposing over the processed sheet a resin sheet for melt bonding with and recovering pieces of the processed sheet punched out from the holes, passing the sheets between the die and the ultrasonic horn, and separating the resin sheet and the processed sheet after passage.