A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.

A transaction card for dual interface communication of a transaction includes a card body, a chip opening, a discontinuity, and a transponder chip. The card body includes a first metal layer having an outer peripheral edge, a first metal face, and a second metal face. The chip opening includes a first chip hole transversely extending from the first metal face toward the second metal face thereby defining a first metal edge surrounding a predetermined hole shape. The discontinuity extends from the outer peripheral edge to the first metal edge. The transponder chip module has a module antenna and is configured to be received within the chip opening. The module antenna defines an outer antenna edge surrounding a predetermined antenna shape such that the predetermined antenna shape is the same as the predetermined hole shape for improved inductive coupling via the discontinuity during use.

A system includes a rod, a nozzle, a camera, and a pressure control system. The rod has a conduit extending along a rod axis. The rod is disposed adjacent to the barrier within the orifice. The nozzle is connected to the rod and is in hydraulic communication with the conduit and the orifice. The camera is also connected to the rod. The nozzle and the camera are configured to protrude from the rod and rotate about the rod axis. The pressure control system is connected to the tubular body and is disposed around the rod. The nozzle is configured to cut away the portion of the barrier upon pumping of a cutting fluid through a conduit of the rod and out of the nozzle towards the barrier. The portion of the barrier is removable from the orifice of the tubular body once cut away.

The invention concerns a process for treating a workpiece, preferably for shaping a workpiece by ablating material, by a liquid jet guided laser beam. The process comprises the following steps: Production of a liquid jet by a nozzle; impinging the liquid jet on a reference surface allocated to the workpiece, whereby an intersection of the liquid jet with the reference surface defines a liquid jet-footprint; effecting a displacement between the liquid jet and the reference surface, whereby the liquid jet-footprint evolves to a trace along a trajectory associated with the trace during the time frame, wherein the trace covers a trace-area; irradiating the workpiece at least during part of the time frame with a laser beam coupled into the liquid jet, preferably for ablating material such that the trace has at least one overlap-area, wherein each of the at least one overlap-areas is defined by an associated common area of an associated second length-section of the trace and an associated first length-section of the trace and wherein the workpiece is irradiated by the laser beam along at least one of the length-sections. It concerns further a computerized numerical control (CNC) program for controlling a liquid jet guided laser machining device and a computer readable medium containing such a CNC program. Further, it contains a computer program for generating the above mentioned CNC program. Finally the invention concerns a liquid jet guided laser machining device to perform the above mentioned process.

Fluid jet cutting systems, components and related methods for generating relatively low load abrasive fluid jets that are particularly well suited for cutting fragile, brittle or otherwise sensitive materials are provided. An example method includes supplying fluid at an operating pressure of at least 60,000 psi to an orifice having a circular cross-sectional profile with a diameter that is less than or equal to 0.010 inches to create a fluid jet that leaves a fluid jet cutting head through a jet passageway having a circular cross-sectional profile with a diameter that is less than or equal to 0.015 inches.

A conveyance system 14 carries food products 12 past the scanning system 16 for scanning the food products and generating data pertaining to various parameters of the food products. Thereafter, the food products 12 are transported past a processing station 18 for cutting, trimming, portioning, etc. using a cutting apparatus 20 in the form of a robotic actuator 22 onto which is mounted a dual headed cutter assembly 24 capable of independently and simultaneously cutting/trimming/portioning two separate food products 12, for example, located in side-by-side lanes on the conveyance system or capable of independently and simultaneously cutting/trimming the opposite sides of the same food product.

A check valve assembly for use with a liquid jet cutting system can include a check valve body a high-pressure fluid inlet on one end and a high-pressure fluid outlet on the other end along a central axis of the check valve body. The check valve body can have a first metallic seal surface on an outer surface of the check valve shaped to engage an endcap of the liquid jet cutting system to form a first seal. The assembly can include an annular low-pressure fluid chamber surrounding a portion of the check valve body and defined at least in part by an annular gasket, the check valve body, the first seal, and the endcap. The check valve body can include a low-pressure fluid channel, and a check valve positioned between the low-pressure fluid channel and a high-pressure fluid chamber.

A conveyance system 14 carries food products 12 past the scanning system 16 for scanning the food products and generating data pertaining to various parameters of the food products. Thereafter, the food products 12 are transported past a processing station 18 for cutting, trimming, portioning, etc. using a cutting apparatus 20 in the form of a robotic actuator 22 onto which is mounted a dual headed cutter assembly 24 capable of independently and simultaneously cutting/trimming/portioning two separate food products 12, for example, located in side-by-side lanes on the conveyance system or capable of independently and simultaneously cutting/trimming the opposite sides of the same food product.

Hydraulic fast-coupling assembly for coupling a water jet cutting system with a supporting head of a machine. The fast-coupling assembly has a coupling element suitable for being integral with the water jet cutting system and for being coupled with the supporting head. The coupling element has a central duct. A mobile stem has an internal duct and is suitable for being slidably mounted inside a seat obtained on the supporting head. The peculiarity of the hydraulic fast-coupling assembly is that it has at least one coupling removably connected to the mobile stem and/or to the coupling element. The at least one coupling has an axial duct that puts in communication the internal duct and the central duct.

The invention relates to machines and methods for separative machining of plate-shaped workpieces by a processing beam. The machines include a first movement unit configured to move the workpiece in a first direction and a second movement unit including a machining head configured to emit the processing beam. The second movement unit is configured to move the machining head in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to direct the processing beam onto the workpiece. The machines include a first workpiece support unit including a first workpiece-bearing face and a second workpiece support unit including a second workpiece-bearing face spaced apart by a gap from the first workpiece support unit and the first workpiece-bearing face. The gap extends along the second direction. The machines include at least one support slide arranged to move in the second direction within the gap and including a support slide bearing face.