Method and apparatus for delivery of cementitious material
AssigneeLoughborough University
InventorsSimon Austin, Richard Andrew Buswell, Sungwoo Lim, John Webster
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus (100) for performing a multi-layer construction method using cementitious material has a reservoir (4) for containing cementitious material. The reservoir (4) is coupled to a print head (6) with a delivery nozzle (13). The delivery nozzle (13) can be moved by a robotic arm assembly (1) to index the nozzle (13) along a predetermined path. Flow of the cementitious material from the reservoir (4) to the nozzle (13) and to extrude the material out of the nozzle (13) is controlled in conjunction with indexing of the nozzle (13). A support material, an accelerating agent and a cartilage material may also be deposited from the print head (6).
Claims23
A multi-layer construction method is characterised in that construction of each layer comprises the steps of:
- providing a cementitious material;
- delivering said cementitious material to a nozzle;
- indexing said nozzle along a pre-determined path;
- and
- applying said cementitious material to a work surface by extrusion through said nozzle;
- these steps being repeated for each additional layer of construction required.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein said stabilised cementitious material is also agitated, through vibration, stirring, mixing or any other commonly known method.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein said indexing of said nozzle along said predetermined path is computer controlled.
A method according to any preceding claim further comprises the use of one or more cameras to capture real-time information relating to surface texture and/or deformation of the work surface, said information being used to determine application conditions necessary for the current layer being applied.
Apparatus for performing a multi-layer construction method according to any preceding claim comprises a reservoir of a cementitious material, said reservoir being functionally connected to a nozzle, means for indexing said nozzle along a pre-determined path, means for controlling the flow of said cementitious material from said reservoir to said nozzle and extruding said material out of said nozzle.
Apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprises one or more cameras, said one or more cameras being either static, mounted to said robotic arm or independently indexable to track said extrusion nozzle, said cameras being capable of capturing information relating to texture, shape or form, said one or more cameras being capable of transferring said information to said computer control unit, said computer control unit being capable of interpreting said information and subsequently using said information to inform control of said one or more extrusion nozzles and the flow of said one or more materials from said one or more reservoirs to said one or more nozzles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.