A method includes issuing a state change fluid into an internal passage of an additively manufactured article and causing the state change fluid to change from a first state having a first viscosity to a second state that is either solid or has a second viscosity that is higher than the first viscosity within the internal passage. The method can also include causing the state change fluid to change back from the second state to the first state and flushing the state change fluid from the internal passage to remove residual powder from the additively manufactured article.

A tray supplier which performs supplying and collecting of trays includes a supply-side tray storage unit, a collection-side tray storage unit, a first tray placer and a second tray placer on which the trays are placed, and a first placer mover and a second placer mover which respectively move the tray placers between the supply-side tray storage unit and the collection-side tray storage unit, in which a first movement shaft of the first placer mover and a second movement shaft of the second placer mover are disposed parallel to each other, lifting and lowering units which lift or lower the first tray placer and the second tray placer are provided, and interference between the placer movers does not occur.

A sheet stacker including a sheet conveyor arrangement and a stacking bay, wherein sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks; the stacking bay including a stacker platform. The stacker platform is provided with a vertical lifting and lowering movement with respect to a stationary supporting structure and is controlled to move downwards while a stack of sheets is formed thereon. The stacker platform supports a stack conveyor configured and controlled to perform at least an evacuation motion, to remove a completed stack from the stacking bay. The evacuation motion of the stack conveyor is oriented such that a completed stack is moved from the stacking bay onto an evacuation conveyor arranged under the sheet conveyor arrangement.

A method and device for stacking layers of goods (2) is based on a stacking device (1) that includes a handling mechanism (15) which handles, laterally moves, and stacks loose slip-on receptacles (3). The loose slip-on receptacles (3) are open on the bottom, accommodate a layer of goods (2) in the interior (11) thereof, and carry the layer of goods (2) along as the receptacles (3) are slidingly conveyed. An upward-facing bottom (7) of the slip-on receptacles (3) forms the supporting surface (8) for the subsequent layer of goods (2).

Product can be conveyed on a divider conveyor (16) in the same orientation or perpendicular to the orientation as when transferred from an input conveyor (12) as well as at different locations in the pack pattern to be cased by moving the divider conveyor (16) perpendicular to the conveying direction and/or by varying the conveying speed of the divider conveyor (16). The divider conveyor (16) transfers product onto an upper containment plate (40) moveable to an inoperative position to transfer product to a lower containment plate (36) moveable to an inoperative position to transfer product to a table (28). Product can be compressed between the table (28) and the upper containment plate (40) and can be pushed by a loader plate (32) into a case when the table (28) is in its lower position.

A stacking and palletizing device includes a cassette conveying mechanism, a product transporting and flipping mechanism, a product disc stacking mechanism, and a pallet feeding mechanism. The cassette conveying mechanism is provided thereon with an blank disc receiving station, a product loading station and a product disc stacking station; the product loading station is correspondingly provided with a cassette positioning mechanism; a cassette lifting and partitioning mechanism is disposed below the product disc stacking station; the product disc stacking mechanism includes a screw rod lifting mechanism, which is provided thereon with a palletizing and conveying mechanism; and a gantry truss transplanting mechanism is correspondingly disposed above the screw rod lifting mechanism.

A stacking apparatus and method for product layers, it loads each of the product layers in a box-like and stackable slip-on container, open at the bottom, and stores the product layer with this container in a container stack, and/or removes product layers in slip-on containers from a container stack and unloads the individual product layer from the slip-on container. A handling apparatus having a multi-axially movable handling device for the slip-on containers, wherein the handling device is designed to handle the slip-on containers and wherein the product layers in the container stack are located on a container base of a lower slip-on container and are surrounded laterally and at the top by an upper slip-on container positioned above said lower slip-on container. A row arrangement of a plurality of stacking places, having a movable support which moves the handling device along a first, facing side of the row arrangement.

A palletizing elevator is provided that lowers gradually a pallet thereon from an upper level as it is filled with products, and by providing an empty pallet infeed system that moves empty pallets towards the palletizing elevator simultaneously to the palletizing of products thereon. The empty pallet infeed system includes an empty pallet elevator for raising empty pallets to the upper level and a conveying system between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator for moving the empty pallets of from the empty pallet elevator at the upper level to the palletizing elevator while a pallet is moved by the palletizing elevator during its filling.

A device and conveyance system are provided for packaging elongated items such as firewood pieces. The device includes: an elevated structure having an upper platform for receiving the elongated items from a separate conveyor; a paddlewheel diverter located on or above the platform for changing the direction of movement of the elongated items; and one or more elevator shafts having open bottoms. The elevator shafts are located adjacent to the platform and configured for receiving the elongated items after contact with the diverter and for holding the elongated items on support structures while a stack of elongated items is formed. The release of the stack of elongated items from the elevator shafts occurs via the open bottoms of the elevator shafts. The system includes one or more conveyors having features inducing alignment of the elongated items prior to conveyance to the device.

A taco stacking apparatus comprises a conveyor assembly for supporting and moving taco shells along a predefined pathway. The conveyor assembly defines an opening in the predefined pathway that enables the taco shells to pass through the conveyor assembly. A stacking receptacle defines a channel for receiving taco shells passed through the opening in the predefined pathway of the conveyor assembly. A plunger assembly passes a taco shell through the opening in the predefined pathway of the conveyor assembly to the stacking receptacle.