Monitoring system for three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801616-B2
Application number	US-202016951724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2020
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

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. A method for monitoring a cementitious mixture for three-dimensional printing, the method comprising:
receiving, by a controller, an ambient conditions associated with a mixing container from an ambient condition sensor;
receiving, by the controller, a temperature signal of the cementitious mixture from a temperature sensor;
receiving, by the controller, a moisture content signal associated with the cementitious mixture from a moisture sensor;
receiving, by the controller and from a camera directed toward an inner portion of the mixing container, an image feed, wherein the camera is configured to capture the image feed of at least a portion of the cementitious mixture within the mixing container, to determine a material suitability of the cementitious mixture;
receiving, by the controller, signals indicative of a motor speed and a motor torque associated with the mixing container;
executing a model by the controller, the model configured to receive as inputs the ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque;
determining, by the controller, a material suitability of the cementitious mixture, based at least in part on an output of the model; and
determining and outputting, by the controller, one or more corrective actions based at least in part on the material suitability of the cementitious mixture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the corrective actions comprises providing, by the controller, a notification of the one or more corrective actions through a display unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the controller, a color of the cementitious mixture based at least in part on the image feed.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the controller, a texture of the cementitious mixture.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, a start of a mixing operation by the mixing container; and
initiating real-time monitoring, by the controller, of the ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque, based on the start of the mixing operation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the ambient condition includes:
receiving ambient temperature data of an area surrounding the mixing container; and
receiving humidity data of the area surrounding the mixing container.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the material suitability of the cementitious mixture comprises:
receiving, as an output from model, at least one inferred material property of the cementitious mixture; and
comparing the at least one inferred material property to at least one range of suitable values associated with the at least one inferred material property.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one inferred material property includes at least one of:
shear strength;
stiffness;
flowability;
slump;
material cohesion; or
viscosity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the model includes at least one of:
a regression model; or
a classification model.

10. A system comprising a controller, the system configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the controller, an ambient condition associated with a mixing container from an ambient condition sensor;
receiving, by the controller, a temperature signal associated with a cementitious mixture from a temperature sensor;
receiving, by the controller, a moisture content signal associated with the cementitious mixture from a moisture sensor;
receiving, by the controller and from a camera directed toward an inner portion of the mixing container, an image feed, wherein the camera is configured to capture the image feed of at least a portion of the cementitious mixture within the mixing container, to determine a material suitability of the cementitious mixture;
receiving, by the controller, signals indicative of a motor speed and a motor torque associated with the mixing container;
executing a model by the controller, the model configured to receive as inputs the ambient condition, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque;
determining, by the controller, a material suitability of the cementitious mixture, based at least in part on an output of the model; and
determining and outputting, by the controller, one or more corrective actions based at least in part on the material suitability of the cementitious mixture.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein outputting the corrective actions comprises providing, by the controller, a notification of the one or more corrective actions through a display unit.

12. The system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising determining, by the controller, a color of the cementitious mixture based at least in part on the image feed.

13. The system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising determining, by the controller, a texture of the cementitious mixture.

14. The system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
determining, by the controller, a start of a mixing operation by the mixing container; and
initiating real-time monitoring, by the controller, of the ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque, based on the start of the mixing operation.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein receiving the ambient conditions includes:
receiving ambient temperature data of an area surrounding the mixing container; and
receiving humidity data of the area surrounding the mixing container.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the material suitability of the cementitious mixture comprises:
receiving, as an output from model, at least one inferred material property of the cementitious mixture; and
comparing the at least one inferred material property to at least one range of suitable values associated with the at least one inferred material property.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one inferred material property includes at least one of:
shear strength;
stiffness;
flowability;
slump;
material cohesion; or
viscosity.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the model includes at least one of:
a 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 John
• Naasz Benjamin L

Classifications

• B28B17/0081 Primary

  Process control · CPC title

• B01F35/00

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

• B28C7/024

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

• B28C7/026

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

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title