System and method for automatically setting parameters for foam production

A method for automatically setting machine parameters of a foam production machine, the foam production machine comprising:

• a mixing head configured to mix precursor reagents for forming a reactive mixture,
• an intermediate conveyance unit configured to receive the reactive mixture from the mixing head,
• a plurality of fall plates, wherein a proximate end of a first fall plate is configured to receive the reactive mixture from the intermediate conveyance unit and wherein each fall plate has vertically adjustable ends, and
• a conveyor configured to receive the reactive mixture from a last fall plate, the reactive mixture forming a foam on the conveyor, the method comprising:
• executing software by a computer system, the computer system comprising at least one processor, wherein executing the software comprises:
• importing, from a database, characteristics of the foam production machine, the characteristics comprising one or more of:
• at least one dimension of the intermediate conveyance unit,
• a range of conveyor speeds,
• a number of fall plates, or
• a range of vertical positions for the vertically adjustable ends of the fall plates;
• importing, from the database, a rise profile for the reactive mixture of the precursor reagents, the rise profile comprising a height of the mixture as a function of time as the precursor reagents react;
• determining a conveyor speed from the range of conveyor speeds based on the rise profile;
• determining a position of a creaming line and/or a position of a full rise line based on the rise profile and the determined conveyor speed;
• determining a value for the at least one dimension of the intermediate conveyance unit and a flow rate of the reactive mixture to the first fall plate based on at least one of the following:
• the determined conveyor speed, determined position of the creaming line, determined position of the full rise line and/or a predefined target height hr of the foam;
• iteratively repeating the determining for providing a final flow rate, a final value for the at least one dimension of the intermediate conveyance unit, a final conveyor speed and a final position of the creaming line and/or a final position of the full rise line;
• and
• determining, based on the rise profile and the final conveyor speed, vertical positions for the ends of each fall plate resulting in a predefined predicted profile of the reactive mixture on the plurality of fall plates as the reactive mixture is transported along the plurality of fall plates by the conveyor moving at the final conveyor speed.