Method and system to manufacture ceramic articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12496745-B2
Application number	US-202218550947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2022
Priority date	Mar 18, 2021
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

System for manufacturing ceramic articles, in particular ceramic slabs or tiles, comprising: a compaction device; a conveyor assembly to transport powder material along a given path from an input station to an output station; a digital feeding assembly to feed powder material to the conveyor assembly at the input station so as to generate a layer of powder material, with feeding devices each comprising a plurality of distribution elements along its transverse output mouth, as well as corresponding actuators; a detection unit to detect the height or thickness of the powder material; and a height correction unit, located upstream of the detection unit and of the compaction device, operable to modify the height or thickness of the layer of powder material crosswise to said moving direction, depending on the data detected by said detection unit, so as to make it more uniform.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A system to manufacture ceramic articles (T), said system comprises:
a compaction device, which is arranged at a compaction station and is configured to compact a powder material (CP) comprising ceramic powder in order to obtain a layer of compacted powder (KP); a conveyor assembly to transport said powder material (CP) along a given path (P) from an input station to the compaction station and the layer of compacted powder (KP) from the compaction station to an output station; a feeding assembly, which is configured to feed the powder material (CP) to said conveyor assembly at the input station so as to generate a layer(S) of said powder material (CP); said conveyor assembly is configured to convey said layer(S) of said powder material (CP) from the input station in a moving direction (A); said feeding assembly comprises a plurality of digital feeding devices, each comprising, in turn, at least one container, which is configured to contain a respective type of powder material (CP) and has a respective output mouth, whose longitudinal extension is transverse to the moving direction (A), a plurality of distribution elements, which are arranged in succession along the output mouth, and a plurality of actuators, each configured to move a respective distribution element between a first position and a second position, in which the respective type of powder material (CP) is allowed to pass through the area of the output mouth where the respective distribution element is arranged; the system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) further comprises: a detection unit, which is arranged upstream of the compaction device along said given path (P) and is configured to detect the height of the powder material (CP) in the conveyor assembly; and a height correction unit, which is arranged at a correction station, upstream of the detection unit and of the compaction device along said given path (P), and can be operated so as to change the height of the layer(S) of powder material (CP) crosswise to said moving direction (A), depending on the data detected by the detection unit in order to make the height of the material layer(S) more constant crosswise to said moving direction (A).

2 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 1 , wherein: each one of said distribution elements comprises a blade, which is arranged so as to allow the respective type of powder material (CP) to accumulate on it; and each one of said actuators has at least one vibrating element, which can be caused to vibrate so as to provoke the vibration of the respective distribution element between at least said first position and said second position in order to allow said powder material (CP) accumulated on the blade to come out.

3 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 2 , wherein each one of said actuators comprises piezoelectric material.

4 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 1 , wherein the height correction unit comprises a suction device, which is arranged above said conveyor assembly at the correction station, extends along a further direction (B) transverse to said moving direction (A) and is configured to exert, upon said layer(S) of powder material (CP), a suction action with a variable intensity along said direction (B) so as to suck at least part of said ceramic powder material.

5 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 4 , wherein said suction device is vertically movable relative to said conveyor assembly and can be inclined around a rotation axis parallel to said moving direction (A) in order to adjust the intensity of said suction action along said further direction (B) depending on the data detected by the detection unit.

6 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 1 , wherein: said height correction unit is configured to feed a further type of powder material (CP) to the conveyor assembly and comprises at least one digital correction device arranged above said conveyor assembly at the correction station and comprising, in turn, a further container, which is configured to contain said further type of powder material (CP) and has a further output mouth, whose longitudinal extension extends along a further direction (B) transverse to the moving direction (A), a plurality of distribution elements, which are arranged in succession along said further output mouth, and a plurality of further actuators, each configured to move, depending on the data detected by said detection unit, a respective further distribution element between a first position and a second position, in which said further type of powder material (CP) is allowed to pass through the area of the further output mouth where the respective further distribution element is arranged.

7 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 6 , wherein:
each of said further distribution elements of said digital correction device comprises a blade, which is arranged so as to allow powder material (CP) to accumulate on it; each one of said further actuators has at least one vibrating element, made of piezoelectric material, which can be caused to vibrate so as to provoke the vibration of the respective further distribution element at least between said first position and said second position; and each of one of said further actuators of said digital correction device is configured to change the vibration frequency and/or time of said at least one vibrating element of the respective further distribution element, regardless of the other ones, so as change the quantity of said further type of powder material (CP) fed by the digital correction device along said transverse direction (B).

8 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one digital correction device coincides with one of the digital feeding devices of said feeding assembly.

9 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 1 , wherein said height correction unit comprises a levelling device, which is arranged above said conveyor assembly at the correction station, extends along a further direction (B) transverse to said moving direction (A) and is configured to feed a quantity of a further type of powder material (CP) onto said layer(S) of powder material (CP); said levelling device being configured to change said quantity of said further type of powder material (CP) fed onto said layer(S) of powder material (CP) along said direction (B) depending on the data detected by said detection unit.

10 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 9 , wherein said levelling device comprises, in turn: a feeding channel, which is configured to contain said further type of powder material (CP), at least one bulkhead, which develops along said further direction (B), at an open end of said feeding channel, and is arranged above said conveyor assembly so as to delimit at least one passage between said bulkhead and said conveyor assembly, and an operating device, which is configured to change the height of said passage so as to allow said further type of powder material (CP) to come out from said passage.

11 . The system to manufacture ceramic articles (T) according to claim 1 , wherein:
said conveyor assembly comprises a first conveyor device, which extends along a first segment (PA) of said path (P), a second conveyor device, which is arranged at a lower height than said first conveyor device and extends along a second segment (PB) of said given path (P) downstream of said first segment (PA), and a discharge assembly, which is arranged immediately downstream of said firs

Assignees

• Sacmi

Inventors

• Testi Paolo
• Onorato Angelantonio

Classifications

• B28B17/0081

  Process control · CPC title

• B28B13/0295 Primary

  Treating the surface of the fed layer, e.g. removing material or equalization of the surface · CPC title

• B28B5/027

  the moulding surfaces being of the indefinite length type, e.g. belts, and being continuously fed (feeding B28B13/02) · CPC title

• B28B1/008

  made from two or more materials having different characteristics or properties (casting for producing layered articles B28B1/16; feeding several succesive layers, optionally of different materials B28B13/022; coating B28B11/04; applying material to surfaces to form a permanent layer thereon B28B19/00) · CPC title

• B28B1/005

  Devices or processes for obtaining articles having a marble appearance (producing decorative effects B44C; design of stone surfaces, e.g. marble, B44F9/04) · CPC title