A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for the unsupervised, non-intrusive monitoring of motorized machines on a shop floor. A statistical algorithm is used to train itself to distinguish between an inactive and an active state of each monitored machine. The systems and methods use inexpensive sensors, do not intervene in the operation of the machines upon installation, would not adversely affect the operation of the machines, if the monitoring system would fail, do give reliable reports, and do not require any more than negligible human training.

A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

A sensor apparatus for detecting a target object influenced by a process or formed in the process includes a sensor unit and an evaluation device. The sensor unit detects the target object in a detection zone of the sensor unit and generates a sensor signal that can be influenced by the target object. The evaluation device processes the sensor signal as a first input variable and generates an output signal, which indicates the detection of the target object, in dependence on the sensor signal. The evaluation device further processes a process parameter of the process, which acts on the target object, or a target object parameter, which characterizes the target object and is influenced by the process, as a respective further input variable and to generate the output signal in dependence on the process parameter and/or the target object parameter.

A production planning system (6) for a raw materials industry plant (ANL), which determines the production planning data (Pi) thereof and specifies said data to the automation system (1) of the plant (ANL). A state monitoring system (7) determines previous and future anticipated states (Z1) of components of the plant (ANL). A quality determination system (8) determines states (Z2) of output products (Ai) produced and still to be produced by the plant (ANL) and/or past and future states (Z3) of the plant (ANL) as a whole. A maintenance planning system (9) and/or the production planning system (6) receive, from the state monitoring system (7), the states (Z1) of the components of the plant (ANL), determined by the state monitoring system (7) and, from the quality determination system (8), the states (Z2 and Z3) of the output products (Ai) and/or of the plant (ANL) as a whole, determined by the quality determination system (8). They consider the data received from the state monitoring system (7) and from the quality determination system (8) in the determination of maintenance planning data (W) and/or the production planning data (Pi).

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. Improved chamber designs, multiple chambers, powder handling and re-use systems, and powder characterization methods are disclosed.

A system and method for monitoring manufacturing machines that includes a sensor system that monitors a plurality of machines, wherein the sensor system is comprised of a set of current transformers, and wherein the set of current transformers transform electric currents to the plurality of machines into electric signals; an activity processing engine, wherein the activity processing engine generates diagnostic metrics from the electric signals for each machine from the plurality of machines; and a management platform configured to provide access to diagnostic metrics of the plurality of machines.

Multiple component mounters that configure multiple user-side component mounting lines and a support-side information server are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network. The support-side information server includes an information registration section collecting and registering failure information generated in the multiple user-side production devices and updating and registering failure avoidance information as a failure avoidance method becomes apparent, and an information distribution section distributing the failure information and the failure avoidance information to the user-side production devices. Each user-side production device includes an information receiving section receiving the failure information and the failure avoidance information from the support-side information server, and an information transmitting section transmitting to a user-side production manager the failure information and the failure avoidance information related to a failure that may occur at a production device managed by the production manager.

Additive manufacturing can involve dispensing a powdered material to form a layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform. A portion of the layer of the powder bed may be selectively melted or fused to form one or more temporary walls out of the fused portion of the layer of the powder bed to contain another portion of the layer of the powder bed on the build platform

An automated, computer-controlled, cooking system for use with user selectable ones of a plurality of different pre-sealed computerized cooking containers containing dry contents (PSCCCCDC) useful in preparing corresponding different food products, the system including a microwave radiation generator, a PSCCCCDC support for supporting a user-selected one of the plurality of different PSCCCCDCs during cooking, a computer-controlled liquid supply subsystem for supplying liquid to the selected PSCCCCDC, a computer-controlled stirrer subsystem for producing stirring of the dry contents of the PSCCCCDC together with the liquid, a cooking instructions input interface for receiving PSCCCCDC specific cooking instructions and a computer controller operative to control operation of at least the computer-controlled liquid supply subsystem, the computer-controlled stirrer subsystem and the microwave radiation generator in a predetermined sequence corresponding to and specifically adapted for cooking the contents of the selected PSCCC-CDC in accordance with the PSCCCCDC specific cooking instructions.