Method comprising: supplying electricity to at least one wave transducer (25) for synthesising an ultrasonic surface wave propagating in a medium (10) to a body (15) arranged on one side of the medium, at least one portion of the electrical supply energy being converted into heat by the transducer, the electrical energy supplied to the transducer being sufficient for the heat and the energy of the ultrasonic surface wave to cause: —the body to melt when the body is in the solid state, and/or—the body to be maintained in the liquid state when the temperature of the medium is below the solidification temperature of the body.

A machine and a method for treating cakes from additive manufacturing processes, wherein the cake contains residual powders and sintered pieces is disclosed. The machine includes a cylindrical vibrating body which is placed in a position above a vibratory finishing or tumbling or vibro-blasting machine and is separated from the vibratory finishing or tumbling or vibro-blasting machine by a remotely operable door and the cylindrical vibrating body obtains its vibration from the machine below. The machine includes means for destructuring the cake in order to obtain the separation of the non-sintered powder from the sintered pieces present in the cake and means for recovering the powder resulting from the destructuring of the cake.

A machine and a method for treating cakes from additive manufacturing processes, wherein the cake contains residual powders and sintered pieces is disclosed. The machine includes a cylindrical vibrating body which is placed in a position above a vibratory finishing or tumbling or vibro-blasting machine and is separated from the vibratory finishing or tumbling or vibro-blasting machine by a remotely operable door and the cylindrical vibrating body obtains its vibration from the machine below. The machine includes means for destructuring the cake in order to obtain the separation of the non-sintered powder from the sintered pieces present in the cake and means for recovering the powder resulting from the destructuring of the cake.

An additive manufacturing process which comprises carrying out an additive manufacturing build process to create a build cake. The build cake comprises a build object and non-solidified build material and the build object is built in a build location within the build cake. The build cake is supported on a tray which comprises a mesh having openings therethrough. The tray also includes an object region and a restraining feature to restrain a build object within the object region. The process comprises performing a decake operation in which non-solidified build material from the build cake passes through the openings of the mesh and the object moves into contact with the tray in the object region so that the object is restrained within the object region of the tray by the restraining feature.

A method of manufacturing a cold plate includes forming a fluid circuit on a build surface in a layer-by-layer fashion from a build material. The fluid circuit includes a plurality of peripheral walls, each of the plurality of peripheral walls at least partially defining a primary channel, a longitudinally one of the peripheral walls being formed to include apertures configured to permit excess build material to pass therethrough. A central wall of the fluid circuit at least partially defines the primary channel and a plurality of secondary channels fluidly connected to the primary channel. The method further includes removing excess build material through the apertures.

Devices and methods for cleaning an array of solar panels in side-by-side relation employ one or more elongated flexible elements, preferably implemented as translucent strips (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), anchored at their ends relative to the array of solar panels (12). Each strip spans two or more solar panels, and is wind-displaceable so as to contribute to cleaning of at least two of the solar panels (12).

Devices and methods for cleaning an array of solar panels in side-by-side relation employ one or more elongated flexible elements, preferably implemented as translucent strips (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), anchored at their ends relative to the array of solar panels (12). Each strip spans two or more solar panels, and is wind-displaceable so as to contribute to cleaning of at least two of the solar panels (12).

A vibration device includes a light-transmissive body defining a cover that includes a detection region of an imaging element as an optical detection element, a tubular support body which includes an interior space that includes the imaging element and is connected to the light-transmissive body, a vibrating body which is coupled to the support body and vibrates the light-transmissive body with the support body provided therebetween, and a drive circuit which drives the vibrating body.

A vibration device includes a light-transmissive body defining a cover that includes a detection region of an imaging element as an optical detection element, a tubular support body which includes an interior space that includes the imaging element and is connected to the light-transmissive body, a vibrating body which is coupled to the support body and vibrates the light-transmissive body with the support body provided therebetween, and a drive circuit which drives the vibrating body.

According to an example, a device comprises a sidewall and a base. The sidewall and the base define a chamber for receipt of a volume of build material comprising loose build material and a solid object generated from the build material in an additive manufacturing process. The base is not permeable to build material but permeable to a gas to allow an influx of a gas into the chamber to fluidize loose build material around the solid object in the volume of build material in the chamber to facilitate the removal of the solid object from the loose build material.