A method for moving a mold assembly from a mounted position within a concrete products forming machine includes extending an extraction assembly forwardly from a retracted position at a rear of the concrete products machine to an intermediate position so that terminal ends of the extraction assembly are positioned below a carrying surface of the mold assembly. The extraction assembly is raised at the rear portion of the concrete products machine so that the terminal ends of the extraction assembly contact and raise the carrying surface of the mold assembly up off mold mounting surfaces on the concrete products machine. The extraction assembly is then moved to a fully extended position so that the mold assembly is moved forwardly from the mold mounting surfaces to an operative position whereby the mold assembly can be removed from the extraction assembly and replaced with a replacement mold assembly.

A mold transfer assembly comprises a carriage assembly configured to be placed adjacent a concrete products forming machine. The carriage assembly has a track running along a mold-transfer path to the mold-receiving path. Each of at the mold cassette assemblies running within the track are configured to retain a mold assembly, wherein the mold cassette assemblies are configured to move along the track between a retracted position spaced from the mold-receiving path adjacent to the concrete products forming machine, and position(s) intersecting the mold-receiving path including an incoming mold cassette position, and an outgoing mold cassette position.

A mold extractor assembly for use with a concrete products forming machine of a type having mold mount shelves and a feed box assembly mounted behind the mold mount shelves and moveable in a vertical and horizontal direction to dispense concrete into cavities defined within a mold box mounted on the shelves. The mold extractor assembly comprises a guide rail assembly horizontally oriented along and vertically moveable with the feed box assembly. An extractor arm assembly is moveable along the guide rail assembly in a horizontal direction toward the mold mount shelves. An extractor fork assembly is telescopically nested about the extractor arm assembly and configured to extend a horizontal reach of the mold extractor assembly to beyond the mold mount shelves so that the mold box can be lifted off of the mold mount shelves via the extractor fork assembly and carried forwardly to a mold transfer assembly.

An apparatus of the present invention is a continuous extrusion forming apparatus comprising: a screw which carries a forming raw material in the horizontal direction, the screw being built in the screw part; and a mouth piece structure for extrusion forming, which is provided on the downstream side of a screw part, wherein the mouth piece structure has a horizontal channel for extruding the forming raw material flowing in from the screw part in the horizontal direction, an extrusion channel orthogonal to the horizontal channel, and an extrusion port provided at a tip end of the extrusion channel, and wherein a mouth piece structure holder which holds the mouth piece structure is provided with a turning means which freely changes the opening direction of the extrusion port between the horizontal direction and a floor facing direction.

The present invention relates to a method and system for producing concrete products by casting method by means of casting moulds assembled from corresponding outer and inner moulds, having a program-controlled, automated circulation system having a hardening area 420, a program-controlled, automated manufacturing area 100 and a conveying unit 200. The system also has a manually operable mould assembly unit having mould assembly stations M1 to M4 for manually assisted assembly of a casting mould from corresponding outer and inner moulds, wherein the conveying unit comprises a supply conveying section 222 set up to supply a casting mould assembled in the manually operable mould assembly unit to the automated circulation system under program control.

The present invention relates to a method and system for producing concrete products by casting method by means of casting moulds assembled from corresponding outer and inner moulds, having a program-controlled, automated circulation system having a hardening area 420, a program-controlled, automated manufacturing area 100 and a conveying unit 200. The system also has a manually operable mould assembly unit having mould assembly stations M1 to M4 for manually assisted assembly of a casting mould from corresponding outer and inner moulds, wherein the conveying unit comprises a supply conveying section 222 set up to supply a casting mould assembled in the manually operable mould assembly unit to the automated circulation system under program control.

A method of making a component includes forming the component, the component including an internal volume including a first material and an outer surface. The method further includes directly depositing a plurality of fiducial markers on the outer surface, the fiducial markers including a second material that is compatible with the first material. The plurality of fiducial markers form a passive strain indicator, the passive strain indicator including an analysis region, a locator region, and a serial region. At least one of the plurality of fiducial markers is deposited in each of the analysis region, the locator region, and the serial region.

A mold extractor assembly for use with a concrete products forming machine of a type having mold mount shelves and a feed box assembly mounted behind the mold mount shelves and moveable in a vertical and horizontal direction to dispense concrete into cavities defined within a mold box mounted on the shelves. The mold extractor assembly comprises a guide rail assembly horizontally oriented along and vertically moveable with the feed box assembly. An extractor arm assembly is moveable along the guide rail assembly in a horizontal direction toward the mold mount shelves. An extractor fork assembly is telescopically nested about the extractor arm assembly and configured to extend a horizontal reach of the mold extractor assembly to beyond the mold mount shelves so that the mold box can be lifted off of the mold mount shelves via the extractor fork assembly and carried forwardly to a mold transfer assembly.

A mold transfer assembly comprises a carriage assembly configured to be placed adjacent a concrete products forming machine. The carriage assembly has a track running along a mold-transfer path to the mold-receiving path. Each of at the mold cassette assemblies running within the track are configured to retain a mold assembly, wherein the mold cassette assemblies are configured to move along the track between a retracted position spaced from the mold-receiving path adjacent to the concrete products forming machine, and position(s) intersecting the mold-receiving path including an incoming mold cassette position, and an outgoing mold cassette position.

An automated mold change system, for use with a concrete products machine of a type having a products forming section and a feedbox assembly section, includes a mold exchange assembly coupled to an underside of the feedbox assembly section and vertically moveable therewith, a mold transfer assembly on an opposed side of the products forming section from the feedbox assembly section, and mounts on the products forming section configured to retain a mold assembly thereon. A mold exchange path runs axially between the mold exchange assembly and the mounts on the products forming section and intersects a mold transfer path of the mold transfer assembly at a load-unload position, wherein the mold exchange assembly is configured to lift a mold off of the mounts and onto the mold transfer assembly at the load-unload position.