Monitoring system for three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870219-B2
Application number	US-201715730071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2017
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An inference system for monitoring a cementitious mixture for three-dimensional printing is provided. The inference system includes an ambient condition sensor, a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor and an image capturing device. The inference system also includes a controller coupled to the ambient condition sensor, the temperature sensor, the moisture sensor, and the image capturing device. The controller receives sensed ambient conditions, a temperature signal, and a moisture content signal. The controller receives an image feed of a portion of a cementitious mixture. The controller also receives signals indicative of a motor speed and a motor torque associated with a mixing container. The controller builds a model and determines a material suitability of the cementitious mixture using the model based on the received ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque and determines one or more corrective actions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inference system for monitoring a cementitious mixture for three-dimensional printing, the inference system comprising:
an ambient condition sensor configured to sense ambient conditions associated with a mixing container;
a temperature sensor configured to generate a temperature signal of the cementitious mixture;
a moisture sensor configured to generate a moisture content signal associated with the cementitious mixture;
an image capturing device directed toward an inner portion of the mixing container and configured to generate an image feed of at least a portion of the cementitious mixture within the mixing container;
one or more sensors configured to determine one or more of a motor speed associated with the mixing container or a motor torque associated with the mixing container; and
a controller, coupled to the ambient condition sensor, the temperature sensor, the moisture sensor, and the image capturing device, configured to:
receive data regarding the sensed ambient conditions;
receive the temperature signal;
receive the moisture content signal;
receive the image feed of the portion of the cementitious mixture;
receive one or more signals indicative of the motor speed and the motor torque;
determine a material suitability of the cementitious mixture based on the sensed ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque; and
determine one or more corrective actions based on the material suitability.

2. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is coupled to a display unit and wherein the controller is further configured to provide a notification of the one or more corrective actions through the display unit.

3. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform image analysis on the image feed of the portion of the cementitious mixture to determine a color of the cementitious mixture.

4. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform image analysis on the image feed of the portion of the cementitious mixture to determine a texture of the cementitious mixture.

5. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to monitor the sensed ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque on a real-time basis at a start of a mixing operation.

6. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the ambient conditions include temperature and humidity information.

7. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor and the moisture sensor are positioned within the mixing container such that the temperature sensor and the moisture sensor are in contact with the cementitious mixture during mixing.

8. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the image capturing device is present outside the mixing container and is positioned such that the cementitious mixture within the mixing container lies within a field of view of the image capturing device.

9. The inference system of claim 1 , wherein the material suitability is determined using a predictive regression model or a classification model.

10. A method for monitoring a cementitious mixture, the method comprising:
receiving, via an ambient condition sensor, data regarding sensed ambient conditions associated with a mixing container;
receiving, via a temperature sensor, a temperature signal of the cementitious mixture;
receiving, via a moisture sensor, a moisture content signal associated with the cementitious mixture;
receiving, via an image capturing device directed toward an inner portion of the mixing container, an image feed of at least a portion of the cementitious mixture within the mixing container;
receiving, via one or more sensors configured to determine one or more of a motor speed associated with the mixing container or a motor torque associated with the mixing container, one or more signals indicative of the motor speed and the motor torque;
determining, by a controller coupled to the ambient condition sensor, the temperature sensor, the moisture sensor, and the image capturing device, a material suitability of the cementitious mixture based on the sensed ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque; and
determining, by the controller, one or more corrective actions based on the material suitability.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
providing, by the controller, a notification of the one or more corrective actions through a display unit coupled to the controller.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
performing an image analysis on the image feed of the portion of the cementitious mixture to determine a color of the cementitious mixture.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
performing an image analysis on the image feed of the portion of the cementitious mixture to determine a texture of the cementitious mixture.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
monitoring, by the controller, the sensed ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque on a real-time basis at a start of a mixing operation.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ambient conditions include temperature and humidity information.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature sensor and the moisture sensor are positioned within the mixing container such that the temperature sensor and the moisture sensor are in contact with the cementitious mixture during mixing.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the image capturing device is present outside the mixing container and is positioned such that the cementitious mixture within the mixing container lies within a field of view of the image capturing device.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the material suitability is determined using a predictive regression model or a classification model.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Martinez Daniel
• Sergison Daniel Peter
• Cai Zhijun
• Clar Jean-Jacques
• Reiners Eric Alan
• Hodel Benjamin J
• Naasz Benjamin L

Classifications

• B33Y70/00 Primary

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B01F35/00

  Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application · CPC title

• B28C7/026

  by measuring data of the driving system, e.g. rotational speed, torque, consumed power · CPC title

• B28C7/024

  by measuring properties of the mixture, e.g. moisture, electrical resistivity, density · CPC title

• E04B1/161

  with vertical and horizontal slabs, both being partially cast in situ · CPC title