Automated hardness and moisture control in raw material processing systems

A system for controlling the properties of an extrusion from a production line comprising a raw material feed, a mixer, and an extruder, said system comprising:

• a scale configured to provide a signal representing the weight of packets of raw material in the raw material feed at a position upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• a moisture detector positioned to provide signals representing the moisture content of said packets of raw material in the raw material feed at a position upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• a production monitor configured to provide data representing the position of said packets along said production line;
• a water supply positioned to increase the moisture content of said packets of raw material in said raw material feed upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• and
• a controller in communication with said scale, said moisture detector, said production monitor, and said water supply, said controller programmed to
• determine respective amounts of makeup water to be added to individual ones of said respective packets of raw material from moisture content signals for each of said packets, and
• control said water supply to add said respective amounts of makeup water to corresponding ones of said respective packets of raw material when said positional data provided by said production monitor indicates that respective packets of interest are in positional registration with said water supply.

A system for controlling the properties of an extrusion from a production line comprising a raw material feed, a mixer, and an extruder, said system comprising:

• a scale configured to provide a signal representing the weight of raw material in the raw material feed at a position upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• a moisture detector positioned to provide signals representing the moisture content of said packets of raw material in the raw material feed at a position upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• a water supply positioned to increase the moisture content of said raw material in said raw material feed upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• at least one ammeter electrically coupled to an electrically driven mixing motor of said mixer so as to provide an output signal indicative of the load amperes IM of said mixing motor;
• and
• a controller in communication with said scale, said moisture detector, said water supply, and said ammeter, said controller programmed to
• determine respective amounts of makeup water to be added to said raw material feed from said moisture content signals,
• control said water supply to add said respective amounts of makeup water to said raw material feed,
• determine whether said load amperes IM of said mixing motor vary from a target value to an extent sufficient to warrant modification of an operating parameter of said production line, and
• modify said operating parameter of said production line when warranted to at least partially account for said variation of said load amperes IM of said mixing motor from said target value.

A method of controlling the properties of an extrusion from a production line comprising a raw material feed, a mixer, and an extruder, said method comprising:

• utilizing a scale to provide a signal representing the weight of raw material in the raw material feed at a position upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• utilizing a moisture detector to provide signals representing the moisture content of said packets of raw material in the raw material feed at a position upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• utilizing a water supply to increase the moisture content of said raw material in said raw material feed upstream from said mixer and said extruder;
• utilizing at least one ammeter electrically coupled to an electrically driven mixing motor of said mixer to provide an output signal indicative of the load amperes IM of said mixing motor;
• determining respective amounts of makeup water to be added to said raw material feed from said moisture content signals;
• controlling said water supply to add said respective amounts of makeup water to said raw material feed;
• determining whether said load amperes IM of said mixing motor vary from a target value to an extent sufficient to warrant modification of an operating parameter of said production line;
• and
• modifying said operating parameter of said production line when warranted to at least partially account for said variation of said load amperes IM of said mixing motor from said target value.