An extrusion system (100) includes at least one sensor (102, 104) to detect localized presence of oil (701) on an exterior surface (715) or skin of wet extrudate material (714 e.g., ceramic material having a honeycomb cross-sectional shape), and at least one infrared emitting device (106, 108) configured to impinge infrared emissions on at least a portion of the exterior surface responsive to one or more sensor signals. Localized impingement of infrared emissions may reduce presence of oil streaks (701) without undue differential drying of the extrudate skin (715), and avoid surface fissures that would otherwise result in fired ceramic bodies. Separately controllable infrared emitters (502), or at least one controllable infrared blocking or redirecting element (603), may be used to impinge infrared emissions on selected areas. A humidification section (120) arranged downstream of infrared emitters (106, 108) may be used to at least partially rehydrate the wet extrudate material, if necessary.

This invention provides systems and method for monitoring three-dimensional printing of printing material. A system comprises two essentially coplanar and electrically conductive electrodes and a substantially electrically non-conductive substrate, which provides a printing surface. The proximate edges of the electrodes, which are on the surface, are essentially parallel and separate by a distance ranging from 5 mm to 300 mm. Each electrode is substantially smaller in area than the substrate. The system also comprises a plurality of layers, which are formed layer-by-layer by the printing, and are derived from the printing material. The electrodes are electrically oppositely charged, as enabled by an alternating electric current between the two electrodes. The current partly flows in the layers. The two electrodes exhibit between them a capacitance ranging from 0.1 pF to 10 nF. The capacitance is essentially in a direction parallel to the surface and substantially perpendicular to the proximate edges.

An abnormality determination device for an additive manufacturing apparatus for building a part having three-dimensional shape by repeatedly forming a membrane of raw material and forming a cured layer having two-dimensional shape, the membrane formed by a blade in a build area, the raw material including ceramic particles and photocurable resin, the cured layer formed by irradiating the membrane with light in the build area, the abnormality determination device includes a controller configured to perform abnormality determination based on an image captured by an image sensor, the controller is configured to acquire the image of the membrane captured by the image sensor, detect a linear abnormal portion appearing in the membrane as a line extending along a movement direction of the blade based on the acquired image of the membrane, and determine that layering fault has occurred in response to detection of the linear abnormal portion.

Embodiments of a system and a method for evaluating a mat-faced cementitious board specimen can be used to determine a bond strength value for the specimen. A moving assembly is configured to move a pair of non-contact ultrasonic transducers over an X-Y plane relative to the specimen supported in a support fixture such that the specimen is interposed between the transducers. A controller is configured to use ultrasonic signals from the transducers to determine the bond strength for at least one facer of a mat-faced cementitious board specimen. Transducer arrays can be outfitted downstream of the kiln, for example, to provide a system and a method for continuously measuring the bond strength of mat-faced cementitious board during the continuous manufacture thereof.

An extrudate transport apparatus comprises a free floating roller assembly, wherein the roller assembly controls a rotational pitch of a cylindrical green ceramic extrudate as the green ceramic extrudate moves longitudinally from a first location to a second location within the extrudate transport apparatus. The free floating roller assembly has a predetermined effective weight and comprises a contact roller having a deformable outer surface for frictionally contacting an outer surface of the green ceramic extrudate in motion adjacent thereto, while maintaining a constant contact force upon said green ceramic extrudate.

A method performs evaluation of properties of a clay rod, with which a honeycomb structural body is produced. The method mixes raw materials to produce a clay, and extrudes the clay and compresses the extruded clay to produce a clay rod. The method performs NMR to detect at least one of a T1 relaxation time and a T2 relaxation time in each of a normal part and an abnormality part extracted from the clay rod. Each of the T1 relaxation time and the T2 relaxation time corresponds to a relaxation time of nuclear spins of water protons magnetically excited in each of the normal part and the abnormality part. The method performs the evaluation of uniformity of a mixed state and a compression state of the clay rod based on a difference in T1 relaxation time and T2 relaxation time between the normal part and the abnormality part.

A method is provided for providing a set of ingredients for manufacturing of a dental prosthesis covering. The method comprises receiving a background colour value providing information on a colour of a background substrate on which the prosthesis is to be provided, receiving an appearance colour value providing information on an appearance colour of the prosthesis and receiving a thickness value providing information on a thickness of the dental prosthesis covering. In an electronic memory, a first ingredient record is looked up comprising first ingredient value, based on the measured background value and the measured appearance colour value. The first ingredient values are adjusted in an electronic processor adjusted based on the thickness value and through electronic output means, the adjusted ingredient data is provided. By adjusting ingredients for thickness, a more natural appearance may be achieved.

There is provided an inspection apparatus for inspecting a plate-shaped inspection target being conveyed. The inspection apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a linear light beam extending along the thickness direction of the inspection target to irradiate a side surface at a lateral end of the inspection target in a width direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the inspection target, an imager configured to capture the light beam emitted from the light source and irradiating the side surface at the lateral end of the inspection target, an imager driving device configured to move the imager, and an imager controller configured to control the position of the imager. The imager controller is configured to control the position of the imager according to the position of the lateral end of the inspection target.

An automated concrete cube processing system. The system comprises a curing stage including a water tank arranged to facilitate curing of a plurality of concrete cubes for a predetermined period of time; a drying stage arranged to facilitate drying of the plurality of concrete cubes upon completion of curing process; a measurement stage arranged to facilitate measuring of dimensions and a weight of each of the plurality of concrete cubes; a compression stage arranged to facilitate undertaking of a compressive strength test on each of the plurality of concrete cubes; and a transportation module arranged to transfer the plurality of concrete cubes among different stages.

According to one example, there is provided a method, in a three-dimensional printing system (100), of determining the thickness of a layer of build material formed on a build platform (104). The method comprises forming a layer of build material (402) on a base having predetermined color characteristics, measuring color characteristics of the deposited layer of build material, and determining, based on the measured color characteristics, the thickness of at least a portion of the formed layer of build material.