A system and process for detecting dynamic segregation in concrete rotated within a mixer drum, such as mounted on a delivery truck. A system processor is programmed to monitor an instantaneous and averaged rheology parameter (e.g., instantaneous and averaged slump values) and to deploy one or more protocols for detecting the occurrence of segregation. A first protocol comprises monitoring the averaged slump or other rheology value of concrete during and immediately after a jump in drum speed of at least plus or minus four rotations per minute and detecting when a change in the averaged slump value meets or exceeds a threshold limit pre-selected by the user or the system processor; and an optional second protocol comprises monitoring the instantaneous slump or other rheology value of the concrete when the mixer drum is rotating at a constant speed for at least three (and more preferably for at least five) successive rotations and detecting when the instantaneous slump value meets or exceeds a threshold limit pre-selected by the user or processor. Preferably, both protocols are used, in any sequence, to confirm segregation within the rotating drum. Once segregation is detected, one or more operations can be initiated, such as sending an alarm or signal to the operator to confirm dynamic segregation is detected, introducing an admixture to mitigate the segregation, sending data to the batch plant for adjusting the mix design for subsequent deliveries, or other operations.

An inference system for monitoring a cementitious mixture for three-dimensional printing is provided. The inference system includes an ambient condition sensor, a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor and an image capturing device. The inference system also includes a controller coupled to the ambient condition sensor, the temperature sensor, the moisture sensor, and the image capturing device. The controller receives sensed ambient conditions, a temperature signal, and a moisture content signal. The controller receives an image feed of a portion of a cementitious mixture. The controller also receives signals indicative of a motor speed and a motor torque associated with a mixing container. The controller builds a model and determines a material suitability of the cementitious mixture using the model based on the received ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque and determines one or more corrective actions.

A manufacturing method includes: a dry mixing step of dry mixing a raw material by batch processing; a wet mixing step of adding liquid to a dry mixture obtained at the dry mixing step, the liquid including at least one type of water, surfactant, lubricant and plasticizer, while wet mixing; a kneading step of kneading a wet mixture obtained at the wet mixing step; and a forming step of extruding a kneaded mixture (forming raw material) obtained at the kneading step to make a ceramic formed body. In the kneading step, the liquid is further added during kneading of the wet mixture.

A system and process for detecting dynamic segregation in concrete rotated within a mixer drum, such as mounted on a delivery truck. A system processor is programmed to monitor an instantaneous and averaged rheology parameter and to deploy protocols for detecting segregation. A first protocol comprises monitoring the averaged slump during and immediately after a jump in drum speed of at least plus or minus four rotations per minute and detecting when a change in the averaged slump value meets or exceeds a threshold; and a second protocol comprises monitoring the instantaneous slump when the mixer drum is rotating at a constant speed for at least three successive rotations and detecting when the instantaneous slump value meets or exceeds a threshold limit. Once segregation is detected, one or more operations can be initiated, such as initiating an alarm or adjusting the mix.

A device for producing a concrete includes a cement premixer for mixing a cement suspension, the cement premixer having an ultrasonic probe for preparing a cement suspension, a crystallization tank arrangement with the first crystallization tank, for increasing the early strengths of the concrete, and a concrete mixer for producing a concrete mixture from the premixed cement suspension, in particular with the addition of aggregates.

A manufacturing method of a honeycomb structure including: a dry mixing step of dry-mixing raw materials to form the honeycomb structure by a batch treatment, a wet mixing step of adding a liquid including at least one selected from the group consisting of water, a surfactant, a lubricant and a plasticizer to a dry mixture obtained in the dry mixing step, to perform wet mixing, a kneading step of kneading a wet mixture obtained in the wet mixing step, and a forming step of extruding a forming material prepared in the kneading step, wherein in the dry mixing step, a used forming material passed through the forming step is added as a part of the raw material, to perform dry mixing, and the kneading step includes a liquid re-adding step of further adding the liquid in a process of kneading the wet mixture.

A mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a sensor, and a controller. The mixer drum is configured to rotate to mix a material within the mixer drum. The sensor is configured to obtain values of one or more properties of the material within the mixer drum. The controller is configured to receive the one or more properties of the material, and receive a user request to discharge the material within the mixer drum. The controller is configured to determine if the material requires additional mixing to obtain accurate values of the one or more properties of the material or to sufficiently mix the material, and limit discharge of the material from the mixer drum in response to a determination that the material requires additional mixing to obtain accurate values of the one or more properties of the material or to sufficiently mix the material.

A concrete mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a chute, and a controller. The mixer drum has an inner volume configured to hold a mixture for transportation and placement. The chute is configured to receive mixture exiting the mixer drum and direct the mixture. The controller is configured to receive a selected mode of operation of the mixer drum and the chute. The selected mode of operation is selected from a set of multiple modes of operation of the mixer drum and the chute. The controller is configured to adjust an operation of at least one of the mixer drum or the chute to cause at least one of the mixer drum or the chute to operate according to the selected mode of operation.

A three-dimensional printing head including a dynamic mixer comprising a mixer casing, which delimits a mixing chamber, a supply inlet configured to supply the mixing chamber with a mineral composition and a discharge outlet; and an injector for injecting a building material admixture in the mixing chamber. The injector includes a tubular injecting member being flexible and having an injection outlet, the tubular injecting member being elastically deformable between a first state in which the tubular injecting member is configured to allow a flow of the building material admixture through the tubular injecting member and towards the injection outlet, and a second state in which the tubular injecting member is configured to prevent a flow of the mineral composition from the mixing chamber and through the tubular injecting member.

A method and system for concrete monitoring calibration using truck-mounted mixer drum jump speed data selectively assimilated from previous deliveries. In preferred embodiments, the invention surprisingly employs data obtained using different concrete mix designs, as well as jump speed data obtained from high speed mixing after the trucks arrive at the construction delivery site and before pouring the concrete into place at the site. The method involves measuring energy (E) in terms of pressure or force associated with mixing the concrete (E1) at a first drum speed (V1) and measuring energy (E2) after a speed jump of +/2.5 RPM or more to a second drum speed (V2). Slump is calculated using low speed energy/speed/slump curve data, or pre-stored equation wherein slump(S) is derived as a function of slope of the line defined by E1, V1 and E2, V2 and intercept of the plotted relationship (at E axis where V is zero). The E/V/S relationship in the provided concrete is compared to at least two pre-stored data curves across drum speed ranges of 0.5 RPM-6 RPM and 6 RPM-20 RPM, to ascertain whether the provided concrete matches any of the stored curve data (i.e., previous concrete E/V/S profiles); and either activating the monitoring system for all drum speed ranges where a match is confirmed or allowing the monitoring system to calculate slump only at low drum speeds (below 6 RPM) and alerting a system user or operator that the system is only active for low speed monitoring.