The present invention relates to a portable and 360 degrees operational particle blast system comprising a blast device (35) for blasting particles, comprising a blasting wheel (6), the blasting wheel comprising a rotor (6A), having blades (14) for accelerating the particles to be blasted through an exit mouth (33) of the blast device, a stator (6B) with a control cage (17), the blast device further comprising a control system (10). The latter comprises a controller for controlling the speed and the flow rate of the particles to be blasted. The system further comprises a removable, pre-filled, closed recipient (7), suitable to be operationally connected to the blast device, said recipient containing the particles to be blasted, and further comprising i.a. an actuator, acting upon a movable piston (22), causing the particles to flow against the valve to the blasting wheel and means for communicating upon connection of the recipient to the blast device, to the controller of the blast device, the operational parameters, whereby the speed and the flow rate of the blasted particles are determined by the controller solely as a function of the operational parameters received from the recipient.

A method for machining at least one portion of a surface of a component for a vehicle, which is painted with a layer of clear coat of a given first layer thickness. The component is situated in an inner space of a blasting chamber. An opening of at least one conveying device for a blasting material emerges into the inner space. The inner space of the blasting chamber and the component are placed entirely under a partial vacuum. Blasting material in a carrier air flow generated by the partial vacuum is supplied through the opening of the conveying device to the inner space. The portion of the surface being machined and the opening of the conveying device are moved relative to each other. The blasting material is shot from the opening of the conveying device onto the portion of the surface being machined.

A method for adhering embellishments to a glass substrate. The method provides a depression in the glass matching the shape of the embellishment, allowing for a lower profile and protecting the adhesive from water and solvents, thus reducing the chance of the embellishment falling off of the glass.

Method of manufacturing a watch component (10) for a timepiece, wherein it comprises a first stage of manufacturing a watch component (10) comprising a first surface (1), in which there is arranged at least one recess (20), that is to say a surface recessed from the first surface (1), and wherein it comprises a second finishing stage the watch component, leading to a change in the surface condition, more particularly the roughness, more particularly measured by the parameters Ra and/or Str, and/or the gloss, of the first surface (1) but not of the at least one recess (20) or of a portion exclusively of this at least one recess (20).

A computerized method and apparatus for high pressure grit or sand blasting comprises an upright cabinet through which work pieces, supported by a roller conveyor, can be disposed for blasting. An elongated actuator assembly horizontally extending across the enclosure interior comprises a pair of rigid, spaced-apart, rails upon which a displaceable carriage can move. The carriage supports a sand blasting head and nozzle. An internal tape within the actuator assembly moves the carriage. Tape condition is monitored by software in response to a magnetic sender driven by the tape idler pulley and an adjacent Hall effect sensor that picks up timed pulses. The actuator assembly is braced by buffer wheel assemblies at each end, in contact with vertical guide rails at each cabinet interior end. The hose-fed sand blasting head secured to the carriage directs sand or towards a target work piece be processed. The actuator assembly is vertically displaceable via cables controlled by an overhead servo motor, so that the sand blasting nozzle may be displaced in both horizontal and vertical. A programmable logic controller, armed with suitable software, provides operator menus for initiating various steps used in setup options, executing blast functions, moving the carriage blasting.

Grooves are formed on an exterior surface of a component. The grooves are formed proximate to one another such that the grooves diffract light. The exterior surface is processed to reduce the sharpness of peaks between the grooves, reduce differences between the peaks and valleys of the grooves, and/or roughen the grooves. The processing reduces diffraction caused by the grooves such that light reflected from the grooves is not substantially color-shifted (e.g., is or is near the color of the reflecting surface). In various implementations, the processing may include dry blasting, etching, abrasive blasting, burnishing, grinding, ablation, an/or any other process capable of reducing the sharpness, reducing the differences, and/or roughening the surface. In implementations where dry blasting is used, the dry blasting may use ceramic beads as a blast material.

An electrostatic chuck includes a metal base plate, an electrostatic puck bonded to the metal base plate, and surface features on the surface of the electrostatic puck. The electrostatic puck includes an electrode embedded in the electrostatic puck. A surface of the electrostatic puck has a flatness of below 10 microns. The surface features include mesas and a sealing band around a perimeter of the electrostatic puck. The surface features have an average surface roughness of approximately 2-6 micro-inches. The corners of the surface features are not rounded.

A method for machining at least one portion of a surface of a component for a vehicle, which is painted with a layer of clear coat of a given first layer thickness. The component is situated in an inner space of a blasting chamber. An opening of at least one conveying device for a blasting material emerges into the inner space. The inner space of the blasting chamber and the component are placed entirely under a partial vacuum. Blasting material in a carrier air flow generated by the partial vacuum is supplied through the opening of the conveying device to the inner space. The portion of the surface being machined and the opening of the conveying device are moved relative to each other. The blasting material is shot from the opening of the conveying device onto the portion of the surface being machined.

A method of manufacturing an electrostatic chuck includes bonding an electrostatic puck to a metal base plate, wherein the electrostatic puck has an electrode embedded in the electrostatic puck. The method further includes subsequently polishing a surface of the electrostatic puck to a flatness of below 10 microns and an average surface roughness of approximately 2-6 micro-inches. The method further includes subsequently forming surface features on a surface of the electrostatic puck, the surface features comprising mesas and a sealing band around a perimeter of the electrostatic puck.

A computerized method and apparatus for high pressure grit or sand blasting comprises an upright cabinet through which work pieces, supported by a roller conveyor, can be disposed for blasting. An elongated actuator assembly horizontally extending across the enclosure interior comprises a pair of rigid, spaced-apart, rails upon which a displaceable carriage can move. The carriage supports a sand blasting head and nozzle. An internal tape within the actuator assembly moves the carriage. Tape condition is monitored by software in response to a magnetic sender driven by the tape idler pulley and an adjacent Hall effect sensor that picks up timed pulses. The actuator assembly is braced by buffer wheel assemblies at each end, in contact with vertical guide rails at each cabinet interior end. The hose-fed sand blasting head secured to the carriage directs sand or towards a target work piece be processed. The actuator assembly is vertically displaceable via cables controlled by an overhead servo motor, so that the sand blasting nozzle may be displaced in both horizontal and vertical. A programmable logic controller, armed with suitable software, provides operator menus for initiating various steps used in setup options, executing blast functions, moving the carriage blasting.