A system for cutting a three-dimensional portion from a foodstuff includes a conveyor for carrying a foodstuff to be portioned, a scanner located adjacent to the conveyor for scanning the foodstuff, a computer coupled to the scanner for receiving scan information to determine one or more cutting paths for the foodstuff, and a cutter for portioning the foodstuff according to the determined cutting path(s). The computer performs generally four steps: (i) receiving scan information from the scanner; (ii) building a three-dimensional map of the foodstuff based on the received scan information; (iii) fitting at least one desired shape, which is stored in the memory of the computer, onto the built three-dimensional map; and (iv) determining one or more cutting paths for portioning the foodstuff to produce one or more portioned foodstuffs corresponding to the at least one desired shape.

High pressure pump systems with reduced pressure ripple for use with waterjet systems and other systems are described herein. A pump system configured in accordance with a particular embodiment includes four reciprocating members operably coupled to a crankshaft at 90 degree phase angles. The reciprocating members can include plungers operably disposed in corresponding cylinders and configured to compress fluid (e.g., water) in the cylinders to pressures suitable for waterjet processing, such as pressures exceeding 30,000 psi.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided to monitor and characterize the dynamics of a phase change region (PCR) created during laser welding, specifically keyhole welding, and other material modification processes, using low-coherence interferometry. By directing a measurement beam to multiple locations within and overlapping with the PCR, the system, apparatus, and method are used to determine, in real time, spatial and temporal characteristics of the weld such as keyhole depth, length, width, shape and whether the keyhole is unstable, closes or collapses. This information is important in determining the quality and material properties of a completed finished weld. It can also be used with feedback to modify the material modification process in real time.

An edge-cutting device performs edge-cutting for cutting away trimmings of a corrugated cardboard sheet toward the front and back when switching between orders is to be performed in a corrugating machine. This edge-cutting device has an edge-cutting knife provided to project from the outer circumference of a cylinder having an axis disposed in the width direction of the corrugating machine; and a control device that, when switching between orders is to be performed, controls the edge-cutting device to perform a first edge-cutting process for edge-cutting trimming of an old order at the first rotation of the edge-cutting knife and a second edge-cutting process for edge-cutting trimming of a new order at the second rotation. The control device includes a calculation device for calculating the order switching time, and a variable control device for variably controlling the time interval between the first edge-cutting process and the second edge-cutting process.

Provided is a wear resistant, sintered body made of a binderless carbide, cermet or cemented carbide, e.g., WC, W2C and/or eta-phase, with a grain size less than 6.0 μm, and less than 6% binder phase (e.g., Co—Ni—Fe). At least some working surfaces of the sintered body are surface treated with a boron yielding method including applying a low viscosity liquid medium having boron or aluminum content and heating at 1200° C. to 1450° C. under a pressure less than atmospheric pressure or a hydrogen containing atmosphere to from a hardness gradient with an increased hardness of the treated working surfaces of at least 50 to 200 HV5 and favorable compressive stresses in a surface zone that gives a tougher working surfaces of the boronized sintered bodies.

A system 10 may be used to carry out methods for portioning substantially uniform food products 12 into a series of intentionally created unique variations of one or more predetermined reference shapes to resemble naturally occurring food product shapes. The method includes scanning the uniform food product and generating digital data based on the results of the scanning. This data is used to generate a series of unique variations of one or more predetermined reference shapes based on one or more specified physical parameters for the unique variation shapes. Cutting paths are generated for cutting the substantially uniform food product 12 into the digitally generated unique variation shapes 44. A control system 30 controls the operation of a cutting apparatus 22 cut the substantially uniform food product 12 along the generated cutting paths thereby portioning the substantially uniform food product into unique variations of naturally occurring food product shapes.

A method for producing a diffusion cooling hole extending between a wall having a first wall surface and a second wall surface includes forming a cooling hole inlet at the first wall surface, forming a cooling hole outlet at the second wall surface, forming a metering section downstream from the inlet and forming a multi-lobed diffusing section between the metering section and the outlet. The inlet, outlet, metering section and multi-lobed diffusing section are formed by laser drilling, particle beam machining, fluid jet guided laser machining, mechanical machining, masking and combinations thereof.

An apparatus for working a sheet material has a supporting frame, a supporting head connected to the supporting frame, a plurality of tools supported on a working device, a waterjet cutter, first and second male fast-couplers, and first and second female fast-couplers disposed on the supporting head. The first male fast-coupler is disposed on the working device. The second male fast-coupler is disposed on the waterjet cutter. The first and second female couplers are configured to alternately couple the first and second male fast-couplers.

This disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for processing and grading food articles. For example, provided herein is a system for grading a portioned food article, in which the system includes: a first conveyor; a first receiving conveyor and a second receiving conveyor, defining a space therebetween; at least one spray-removal robot; and a third receiving conveyor. The spray-removal robot may include at least one valve with a nozzle, in which the valve ejects fluid through the nozzle to impact a food article being moved on the first conveyor toward the third receiving conveyor, such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the impact through the space between the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor, and such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor to the third receiving conveyor.

(i) Smartcards (SC) manufactured from a web of metal inlays (MI; FIGS. 12-14) with the coupling frame (CF) forming the metal card body (MCB) supported by metal struts (struts). In the production of smartcards having a coupling frame (CF) with a slit (S), the slit may form part of graphic elements (FIGS. 10-12). (ii) Printing and coating techniques may be used to camouflage the slit (FIGS. 9A-9D). (iii) Surface currents may be collected from one location in a card body (CB) and transported to another location (FIGS. 15AB). A flexible circuit (FC) may be connected to termination points (TP) across the slit (S), or may couple via a patch antenna (PA) with the slit (S). The flexible circuit may couple, via an antenna structure (AS) with the module antenna (MA) of a transponder chip module (TCM).