A unique sequence of steps is provided to reduce contaminants along one or more surfaces and faces of gold evaporative sources without deleteriously impacting the structure of the gold evaporative sources. Edges are deburred; contaminants are successfully removed therealong; and surface smoothness is substantially retained. The resultant gold evaporative source is suitable for use in evaporative processes as a precursor to gold film deposition without the occurrence or a substantial reduction in the likelihood of spitting by virtue of significantly reduced levels of contaminants, in comparison to gold evaporative sources subject to a standard cleaning protocol.

A workpiece holding jig is a vibratory barreling jig which holds a flat workpiece when the workpiece is polished by a vibratory barreling device using polishing media. The workpiece holding jig includes disk-shaped guard members and each having an outer shape larger than the workpiece and disposed so as to face each other and a holding member holding the workpiece inside a housing space so that the entire workpiece is located inside the columnar housing space. The guard members and are respectively provided with window portions communicating with the housing space. The window portions and the annular imaginary curved surface extending to connect the peripheral edges of the guard members are configured to allow the polishing media to pass between the inside and outside of the housing space.

A masking tool system includes a first masking body and a second masking body. The first masking body includes a bore passing through a portion of the first masking body and a first sealing element disposed on a first end of the first masking body. The second masking body includes a bore passing through the second masking body and a second sealing element disposed on a first end of the second masking body. The system may also include a rod configured to pass through the bores of the first and second masking bodies and to secure the first and second masking bodies to a metallic article placed therebetween. A diagonal length of the masking tool system induces a wobbling rotation during processing.

An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000 Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700 Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

A fixture assembly includes a frame with a tip rail displaced from a main body. A method of polishing a gas turbine engine component includes restricting a flow of media adjacent to a tip of a component with an airfoil to be generally equal to a flow of media adjacent to a sidewall of the airfoil.

An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000 Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700 Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000 Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700 Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

The polishing system includes a power supply. The polishing system also includes a container including an interior portion. The interior portion includes a conductive material thereon. The conductive material is electrically coupled to the power supply. The polishing system also includes an electrolytic solution disposed within the container. The electrolytic solution includes a plurality of abrasive particles. The polishing system further includes a flexible media disposed within the container. The container is configured to contain an object. The power supply configured to electrically couple to the object. Each of the electrolytic solution, the flexible media, and the abrasive particles is configured to partially polish the object substantially simultaneously.

A robotic processing system and method are disclosed for processing materials using a series of containers stored in an automated storage and picking system. Each of the containers performs a specific function on the materials stored therein. The materials are passed from bin to bin via a suitable dispensing and transferring system. For example, a system is disclosed for delivering ingredients to a micro-brewery, as are methods for brewing small or test batches of beer according to customers' individual requirements.

A robotic processing system and method are disclosed for processing materials using a series of containers stored in an automated storage and picking system. Each of the containers performs a specific function on the materials stored therein. The materials are passed from bin to bin via a suitable dispensing and transferring system. For example, a system is disclosed for delivering ingredients to a micro-brewery, as are methods for brewing small or test batches of beer according to customers' individual requirements.