# US 10,870,219 B2 · Monitoring system for three-dimensional printing

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- Number: US 10,870,219 B2
- Document ID: US10870219B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/730,071
- Filed: 2017-10-11
- Published: 2019-04-11
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-11
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: Daniel Martinez; Daniel Peter Sergison; Zhijun Cai; Jean-Jacques Clar; Eric Alan Reiners; Benjamin J. Hodel; Benjamin L. Naasz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870219B2

## CPC

- B28B 17/0081: {Process control}
- B01F 35/00: Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
- B28C 7/024: {by measuring properties of the mixture, e.g. moisture, electrical resistivity, density}
- B28C 7/026: {by measuring data of the driving system, e.g. rotational speed, torque, consumed power}
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
- B28B 1/001: {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)}
- E04B 1/161: {with vertical and horizontal slabs, both being partially cast in situ}
- E04B 2103/02: of ceramics, concrete or other stone-like material
- B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B)
- B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06)
- B28C: PREPARING CLAY; PRODUCING MIXTURES CONTAINING CLAY OR CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (preparing material for foundry moulds B22C5/00)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

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.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

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.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

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.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

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

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

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.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

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.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

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