Automated hardness and moisture control in raw material processing systems

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