Method and system for preparing ceramic raw material

A method for preparing a ceramic raw material, the method comprising:

• operating a production system including a plurality of apparatuses and a robot system including one or more robots for at least one apparatus among the plurality of apparatuses by a computer according to manufacturing method recipe data representing a ceramic manufacturing method recipe, thereby automatically performing at least one or more steps among a plurality of steps for preparation of a ceramic raw material, wherein
• the plurality of steps are five steps below:
• (A) a weighing and mixing step of weighing each of one or more types of ceramic raw materials, a solvent, and a grinding medium, and putting the weighed one or more types of ceramic raw materials, the weighed solvent, and the weighed one or more grinding media into a first container;
• (B) a wet mixing step of wet-mixing the one or more types of ceramic raw materials in a second container containing the one or more types of ceramic raw materials, the solvent, and the one or more grinding media;
• (C) a drying step of drying a slurry obtained by the wet mixing in a third container;
• (D) a dry disintegration step of disintegrating the dried raw material in a fourth container;
• and
• (E) a grinding medium separation step of separating the one or more grinding media from the disintegrated raw material in a fifth container so as to obtain a ceramic powder in a sixth container,
• the second container being the first container or a container different from the first container,
• the second container being a heat-resistant container,
• the third container being the second container,
• the fourth container being the third container or a container different from the third container,
• the fifth container being the fourth container or a container different from the fourth container,
• the sixth container being a container different from the fifth container, and
• in the drying step, the slurry and the grinding media in the heat-resistant container are dried together.

A method for preparing a ceramic raw material, the method comprising:

• operating a production system including a plurality of apparatuses and a robot system including one or more robots for at least one apparatus among the plurality of apparatuses by a computer according to manufacturing method recipe data representing a ceramic manufacturing method recipe, thereby automatically performing one or more steps among a plurality of steps for preparation of a ceramic raw material, wherein
• the plurality of apparatuses include an automatic weighing machine, a wet mixing apparatus, a grinding medium slurry separation apparatus, a dryer, a pulverization apparatus, and a sieving apparatus,
• the plurality of steps are six steps below:
• (a) a weighing and mixing step of setting a first container in the automatic weighing machine by the robot system, weighing each of one or more types of ceramic raw materials, a solvent, and a grinding medium, and putting the weighed one or more types of ceramic raw materials, the weighed solvent, and the weighed one or more grinding media into the first container, by the automatic weighing machine according to one or more parameter values related to weighing and/or mixing included in the manufacturing method recipe, and taking out the first container from the automatic weighing machine by the robot system;
• (b) a wet mixing step of setting a second container containing the one or more types of ceramic raw materials, the solvent, and the one or more grinding media in the wet mixing apparatus by the robot system, wet-mixing the second container containing the one or more types of ceramic raw materials, the solvent, and the one or more grinding media by the wet mixing apparatus according to one or more parameter values related to wet mixing included in the manufacturing method recipe, and taking out the second container from the wet mixing apparatus by the robot system;
• (c) a grinding medium slurry separation step of setting a third container having the one or more grinding medium and a slurry obtained by wet mixing in the grinding medium slurry separation apparatus by the robot system, separating the one or more grinding media from the slurry according to one or more parameter values related to grinding medium slurry separation included in the manufacturing method recipe by the grinding medium slurry separation apparatus so as to obtain the slurry in a fourth container, and taking out the fourth container from the grinding medium slurry separation apparatus by the robot system;
• (d) a drying step of setting a fifth container having the slurry in the dryer by the robot system, drying the slurry in the fifth container according to one or more parameter values related to drying included in the manufacturing method recipe by the dryer, and taking out the fifth container from the dryer by the robot system;
• (e) a pulverization step of setting a sixth container having the dried raw material in the pulverization apparatus by the robot system, pulverizing the dried raw material according to one or more parameter values related to pulverization included in the manufacturing method recipe and a captured image of the raw material in the sixth container by the pulverization apparatus, and taking out the sixth container from the pulverization apparatus by the robot system;
• and
• (f) a sieving step of setting a seventh container in the sieving apparatus by the robot system, and sieving the raw material according to one or more parameter values related to sieving included in the manufacturing method recipe and a captured image of the pulverized raw material so as to obtain a ceramic powder in the seventh container by the sieving apparatus,
• the second container is the first container or a container different from the first container,
• the third container is the second container or a container different from the second container,
• the fourth container is a container different from the third container,
• the fifth container is the fourth container or a container different from the fourth container,
• the sixth container is a container different from the fifth container, and
• the seventh container is a container different from the sixth container.