An apparatus for the preparation of comestible-containing sandwich products comprises a sandwich product assembly station and corresponding means for the fabrication and assembly of a sandwich product in the vertical direction. The apparatus includes an extruder nozzle, wafer trays and corresponding components for the location of wafers on opposite sides of the extruded product, an indexing wheel for receiving the assembled sandwich product, and sandwich transporting means for moving the sandwich to a wrapping assembly and from there to a discharge end, wherein all of the components of the apparatus are mounted in cantilevered fashion on a vertical support or base member. Each element is powered individually by a servo motor or actuator and controlled by a controller allowing the variability of throughput for each station.

An automated production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses comprises: a production line front end (1) comprising: a first injection-molding machine (10) and a second injection-molding machine (12) a casting module (14) comprising a filling station (144) and a capping station (145); a stacking module (15) and a curing module (16); a destacking module (17) and a demolding and delensing module a production line back end (2) comprising: an inspection module (21);
Wherein the inspection module comprising a rail system in which self-driving shuttles carrying the inspection cuvettes are arranged on a closed-loop rail, wherein the rail system can be adapted to the available space in the production plant/hall using curves and straight portions in the manner known from a model railway.

An automated production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses comprises:

a production line front end comprising: a first and a second injection-molding machine, a casting module, a filling station and a capping station, a stacking module and a curing module, a destacking module and a demolding and delensing module

a production line back end comprising:

a treatment module,

an inspection module,

wherein self-driving shuttles in the inspection module can form a queue and act as a buffer for the primary packaging module if an interruption of the primary packaging module and variations of the cycle time in the primary packaging module are buffered so that the extraction module is able to operate largely independently from the upstream and downstream components of the manufacturing line.

A package for products comprises: at least two flexible adjoined layers configured to provide a cavity extending therebetween for containing a product. The at least two flexible adjoined layers are moveable between: a first closed configuration in which the flexible adjoined layers are sealed around the entire periphery thereof to isolate the cavity from an external environment; and a second open configuration in which the flexible adjoined layers extend in a substantially cone shaped configuration, and in which the base of the substantially cone shaped configuration provides an opening extending into the cavity.

A package has a plurality of seamless compartments coupled together. A different one of the plurality compartments each includes a different respective one of a plurality of respective void spaces and a different respective one of a plurality of respective void space delimiting surfaces. A different one of a plurality of fill entries each forms a fluent entry into a different respective compartment's void space. At least one fill entry of said plurality is in an elastomeric portion of said package, and the at least one fill entry has a largest cross sectional area which is equal to or less than 25% of a largest cross sectional area of the compartment having the respective void space for which the fill entry forms the fluent entry. Each void space delimiting surface follows an outline of a separate 3D pill shape.

A container assembly includes a container defining a sealed chamber, a solid state electrolyte disposed in the chamber, and a hydrophobic substance protecting the solid state electrolyte. A method for preparing a solid state electrolyte includes positioning a solid state electrolyte in a chamber of a container, protecting the solid state electrolyte using a hydrophobic substance, and sealing the chamber. A method for extracting a solid state electrolyte includes positioning the container assembly of in a dry atmosphere, unsealing the chamber, and removing the solid state electrolyte from the chamber to the dry atmosphere.

A container assembly includes a container defining a sealed chamber, a solid state electrolyte disposed in the chamber, and a hydrophobic substance protecting the solid state electrolyte. A method for preparing a solid state electrolyte includes positioning a solid state electrolyte in a chamber of a container, protecting the solid state electrolyte using a hydrophobic substance, and sealing the chamber. A method for extracting a solid state electrolyte includes positioning the container assembly of in a dry atmosphere, unsealing the chamber, and removing the solid state electrolyte from the chamber to the dry atmosphere.

Automated meal preparation apparatus for continuous preparation of meals, comprising a closed-loop conveyor rail configured to support a plurality of cooking pots, driving means configured to simultaneously convey the cooking pots in a conveying direction along the closed-loop conveyor rail to a plurality of separate stations sequentially located along the closed-loop conveyor rail and being stationary with respect thereto, the plurality of stations comprising an ingredient dispensing station comprising an ingredient dispenser configured to dispense ingredients in a cooking pot, a preparation station, located downstream from the ingredient dispensing station in the conveying direction, and comprising a heating element, a serving station, located downstream from the preparation station, and comprising a dispensing mechanism, and a cleaning station, located downstream from the serving station and upstream from the ingredient dispensing station in the conveying direction, and comprising a cleaning unit configured to clean a cooking pot.

A method for the production and filling of containers designed to contain food, includes the steps of shaping a sheet made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in order to provide accommodation receptacles provided with at least one access inlet; filling, through the access inlet, the accommodation receptacles with at least one food; sealing the access inlet using a closure film; and providing a weakened portion at a connecting edge between at least two adjacent accommodation receptacles.

The final degree of crystallinity at the weakened portion is lower than, equal to, or greater than, at most by a percentage equal to 3%, the degree of crystallinity of portions of the connecting edge not affected by modifications occurring as a consequence of the step of emission of laser radiation and of the sealing step.

A hybrid nitrogen gas generation system includes a membrane nitrogen gas generator and a pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. A gas comprising nitrogen is purified to a first nitrogen purity using one of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. The gas is either bypassed around the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator to provide the gas having the first nitrogen purity or the gas is purified to a second nitrogen purity using the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator.