Monitoring system for three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021069932-A1
Application number	US-202016951724-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2020
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Mar 11, 2021
Grant date	—

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, sensed 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, an image feed of at least a portion of the cementitious mixture within the mixing container from an image capturing device; receiving, by the controller, signals indicative of a motor speed and a motor torque associated with the mixing container; building a model and determining, by the controller, 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 determining, by the controller, one or more corrective actions based on the determined material suitability.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising 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 performing, by the controller, image analysis on the image feed of the portion of the cementitious mixture to determine a color of the cementitious mixture.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising performing, by the controller, image analysis on the image feed of the portion of the cementitious mixture to determine a texture of the cementitious mixture.

5 . The method 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 start of a mixing operation.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ambient conditions includes temperature and humidity information.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

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

• E04B1/161

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

• B28B1/001

  Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00) · CPC title