There is described an online inspection method and system having an illumination system that provides bright-field and dark-field illumination concurrently or sequentially, at varying intensities, in order to acquire images that may be read by an image processing device. The image processing device may obtain measurements of features in the images and evaluate acceptability of the features.

Embodiments of a system and a method for measuring cementitious board during its continuous manufacture can be used online in a continuous manufacturing process to effectively determine the degree to which cementitious slurry has set (e.g., expressed as percent hydration) at a predetermined location, such as, near a cutting station, for example. A compression assembly can be used to compressively engage the cementitious board in a controlled manner as it passes by the compression member along the conveyor between the forming station and the cutting station. A force gauge can be associated with the compression member to measure the resistance force exerted by the cementitious board in response to being compressed by the compression member. The resistance force can be correlated to a set characteristic of the cementitious board, such as a numerical value of percent hydration of the cementitious slurry of that particular portion of the cementitious board.

In-line inspection and control system to in-situ monitor an extrudate during extrusion. A light beam illuminates a line on the outside circumference of the extrudate skin recording the curvature. A master profile of the illuminated defect-free skin is recorded and compared to successive monitoring of the illuminated skin. Differences from the comparison indicate skin and/or shape defects. A real-time feedback to automatically adjust process control hardware reduces or eliminates the skin and shape defects based on the monitoring and comparison.

A method is provided for machining a workpiece. During this machining method, an aperture is formed in the workpiece using a machining system. The machining system includes an ultrasonic machining device, a slurry delivery device and a controller. The forming of the aperture includes delivering a slurry to an interface between the ultrasonic machining device and the workpiece using the slurry delivery device, and transmitting ultrasonic vibrations into the slurry using the ultrasonic machining device. A feedback parameter is monitored during the forming of the aperture using the controller. A slurry delivery parameter for the slurry delivery device is adjusted during the forming of the aperture based on the feedback parameter using the controller.

Apparatus (10) for vertical (72) slip forming of concrete walls and columns (55). The apparatus comprises an attachment portion (23) for a frame with a slipform assembly inside comprising an extrusion form providing side walls defining a cavity and actuators (20) to adjust the position of the side walls forms essentially arranged along the longitudinal axis of the slipform assembly. A concrete supply (45) is connected with the slipform assembly for delivering concrete (52, 53, 54) to that cavity through the top open surface. A mechanism (20) is provided for vertically displacing (72) that slipform assembly incrementally relative to the frame. Thus, a concrete structure (55) having a vertical orientation is continuously cast. The actuators (20) adjust the position of the side walls during the incremental vertical movement (72) of the slipform assembly to create new forms for a column or wall with variable diameter, variable form and/or twisted.

A strongly scattering optoceramic converter material having a density of less than 97% is provided, as well as a method for producing such an optoceramic material. By appropriately choosing in particular the composition, blending method, and sintering conditions, the production method permits to produce converter materials with tailored properties.

A strongly scattering optoceramic converter material having a density of less than 97% is provided, as well as a method for producing such an optoceramic material. By appropriately choosing in particular the composition, blending method, and sintering conditions, the production method permits to produce converter materials with tailored properties.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a stage having a shaping surface on which a shaping material is to be stacked; a dispensing unit configured to dispense the shaping material toward a shaping region on the shaping surface; a position changing unit configured to change a relative position between the dispensing unit and the stage; a first heating unit configured such that a relative position between the first heating unit and the stage changes together with the dispensing unit, configured to cover the shaping region at a position facing the shaping surface when viewed along a stacking direction of the shaping material, and configured to heat the shaping material stacked in the shaping region; and a control unit configured to control the dispensing unit, the first heating unit, and the position changing unit to stack layers of the shaping material in the shaping region and to shape a three-dimensional shaped object. The control unit controls the first heating unit based on a facing distance indicating a distance between the stage and the first heating unit in the stacking direction when the three-dimensional shaped object is shaped.

In an example, a method includes measuring a temperature of a plurality of regions of a layer of build material in an additive manufacturing apparatus to provide initial temperature values. For each of a plurality of regions which comprise build material which is intended to fuse, an average temperature value of a plurality of neighbouring regions may be determined and the initial temperature values may be replaced with the average temperature value. Based on the replacement temperature values, a representative temperature of an area of the layer of build material may be determined and a heat source may be controlled based on the representative temperature.

The invention has for object a method for manufacturing concrete construction blocks (6) for a wind-generator tower made up of at least two consecutive blocks secured to one another by a contact surface of each of the two blocks, the manufacturing method comprising the following steps: pouring concrete into a first cage of reinforcements (10-1) so as to obtain the first concrete construction block comprising a first contact surface (9), and pouring concrete into a second cage of reinforcements (10-2) so as to obtain the second concrete construction block, the second cage of reinforcements being provided in a form (21) arranged such that the first contact surface (9) of the first block (6-1) makes up a wall for delimiting (26) the pouring of the concrete such as to form a contact surface (9) of the second block (6-2).