A method of making a spherical sport ball includes forming a casing having a first and a second substantially hemispherical panel component. The first panel component is a first unitary structure and has a first central panel, a first plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the first central panel and having a first plurality of edges, and a plurality of flange areas extending from the first plurality of edges. The second panel component is a second unitary structure and has a second central panel and a second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the second central panel. The method includes joining together the first panel component and the second panel component at a non-linear, circumferential seam between the first and second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels. The method also includes forming a vertex between adjacent ones of the plurality of flange areas.

A laser welding apparatus is provides that includes: a support member including a heat generation portion which has a size that is limited to correspond to a size of a welding area of a plurality of plastic components and is made from a material that absorbs a laser beam and generates heat, and which generates heat of a temperature that is equal to or greater than a melting temperature of the plastic components; a laser beam irradiation unit for converging a laser beam to be transmitted through the plurality of plastic components, and irradiating the laser beam toward the heat generation portion through the plurality of plastic components; and a welding controller for causing a laser beam to be irradiated at the heat generation portion using the laser beam irradiation unit to thereby cause the heat generation portion to generate heat, and welding abutting faces of a welding area of the plurality of plastic components with heat that is generated.

Packaging apparatus comprises two counter-rotatable sealing dies for pressing together two tissue webs to produce pockets for containing a substance for preparing beverages and to seal around said pockets, and two heating drums for heating the sealing dies and each being positioned inside a respective sealing die, wherein a first heating zone of each heating drum comprises a first plurality of circumferentially distributed infrared heating elements, and a second heating zone of each heating drum comprises a second plurality of circumferentially distributed infrared heating elements.

A test piece configured for the implementation of a method for evaluating an assembly by welding of parts made of thermoplastic materials, wherein the test piece includes at least two parts based on thermoplastic materials having surfaces to be welded that are at least partially placed opposite one another and respective free surfaces, wherein at least one of the parts is a perforated reference part including at least one perforation.

A cooking apparatus includes a non-ferrous cooking vessel configured to receive food. The cooking apparatus also includes a ferrous cooking vessel cover that is configured for placement over a top of the non-ferrous cooking vessel. The cooking apparatus also includes one or more induction heating elements suspended from the ferrous cooking vessel cover, and a radiation source. The radiation source is configured to deliver electromagnetic radiation to the ferrous cooking vessel cover and the one or more induction heating elements such that the ferrous cooking vessel cover and the one or more induction heating elements are heated.

A microchannel heat exchanger (800) is manufactured by bonding a first sheet (802a) of material and a second sheet (802b) of material in a first connection pattern for integral formation of a core portion (801) and a manifold portion (808) for the first and second sheets (802a, 802b) of material. A third sheet (802c) of material is then superposed on to the second sheet (802b) of material and bonded in a second connection pattern to the second sheet of material for integral formation of the core portion (801) and the manifold portion (808) for the second and third sheets (802b, 802c) of material. The second and third sheets (802b, 802c) of material are bonded without bonding the second sheet (802b) of the material to the first sheet (802a) of material. The core portion (801) and the manifold portion (808) of the heat exchanger (800) are thus integrally created. The interstices between the first, second, and third sheets (802a, 802b, 802c) of material are then expanded to create fluid flow channels (806). This method can also be used to create a heat sink. The bonding method may be a form of laser welding where an opaque sheet absorbs the laser energy and the heat conducts through the top sheet to the sheet immediately below, but does not cause bonding with subsequent sheets below.

A cooking apparatus includes a non-ferrous cooking vessel configured to receive food. The cooking apparatus also includes a ferrous cooking vessel cover that is configured for placement over a top of the non-ferrous cooking vessel. The cooking apparatus also includes one or more induction heating elements suspended from the ferrous cooking vessel cover, and a radiation source. The radiation source is configured to deliver electromagnetic radiation to the ferrous cooking vessel cover and the one or more induction heating elements such that the ferrous cooking vessel cover and the one or more induction heating elements are heated.

A method of making a spherical sport ball includes forming a casing having a first and a second substantially hemispherical panel component. The first panel component is a first unitary structure and has a first central panel, a first plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the first central panel and having a first plurality of edges, and a plurality of flange areas extending from the first plurality of edges. The second panel component is a second unitary structure and has a second central panel and a second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the second central panel. The method includes joining together the first panel component and the second panel component at a non-linear, circumferential seam between the first and second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels. The method also includes forming a vertex between adjacent ones of the plurality of flange areas.

A cooking apparatus includes a non-ferrous cooking vessel configured to receive food. The cooking apparatus also includes a ferrous cooking vessel cover that is configured for placement over a top of the non-ferrous cooking vessel. The cooking apparatus also includes one or more induction heating elements suspended from the ferrous cooking vessel cover, and a radiation source. The radiation source is configured to deliver electromagnetic radiation to the ferrous cooking vessel cover and the one or more induction heating elements such that the ferrous cooking vessel cover and the one or more induction heating elements are heated.

A spherical sport ball may include a casing that includes first and second substantially hemispherical panel components. Each substantially hemispherical panel component may be a unitary structure having a central panel and a plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the central panel. In addition, the first substantially hemispherical panel component may be joined with the second substantially hemispherical panel component at a non-linear, circumferential seam between peripheral panels of the first hemispherical panel component and peripheral panels of the second hemispherical panel component.