SYSTEM AND PROCEDURE FOR QUALITY INSPECTION OF GYPSUM BOARDS DURING THEIR MANUFACTURE

Description

BE2024 / 5969 2 minerals,resins,and / orfibers,forincorporationintotheslurry.Theslurryisthenpoured ontoacontinuoussheetofpaperorfiberglass,whichformstheboard'sfacinglayer. Asecondsheetofpaperorfiberglassisappliedontop,sandwichingtheslurry.The layeredmaterialispressedandshapedtoachievethedesiredthicknessand dimensions.5 Thecontinuoussheetofwetplasterboardisthencutintostandard lengthsandpassedthroughadryingkiln.Thedryingprocessiscritical,asitremoves excessmoistureandallowsthegypsumtosetandharden.Controlledtemperature andhumidityensureuniformdryingandpreventwarpingordefects.Oncedried,the10 boardsaretrimmedtoprecisedimensions,andtheiredgesmaybeshaped,e.g., tapered,foreasierjoiningduringinstallation. Qualitycontrolisanintegralpartofthemanufacturingprocess. Advancedinspectionsystemsmonitortheboardsatvariousstagestodetect15 deviationssuchasthicknessvariations,surfacedefects,orstructuralinconsistencies. Thefinishedboardsarethenstacked,packaged,andpreparedfortransportto constructionsitesordistributors. DocumentEP1555099B1describesanapparatusforproducing20 plasterboardwithaqualityinspectionfordefectdetection,enhancingproduct quality.Thequalityinspectionsystemmonitorstheslurrydensityandevaluatesthe qualityofgypsumboardspost-production.Everyhour,onegypsumboardis randomlyselectedfromtheproductionlineforsampling.Thesampledboard undergoesahardnesstestatthesideedgesandanadhesivenesstesttoassessits25 quality.Adisadvantageofthisqualityinspectionsystemisitsrelianceonperiodic sampling,whichmayfailtodetectdefectsinboardsproducedbetweensampling intervals,potentiallyallowingsubstandardproductstogounnoticedandreachthe market. DocumentEP3268332B1describeshydrophobicfinishcompositions30 designedforapplicationtobuildingproducts,suchasboards,toenhancetheir waterresistance.Theproductionprocessinvolvesapplyingthesecompositionstothe surfaceofboardsduringmanufacturing,ensuringuniformcoveragetoachievethe desiredhydrophobicproperties.Qualityinspectionproceduresareintegratedinto theproductionlinetomonitortheapplicationprocess,verifyingthatthefinishmeets35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 3 specifiedstandardsforthicknessanduniformity.Forexample,themixture temperatureandviscosityoftheslurryismonitoredfortwohours.Adisadvantageof monitoringthemixturetemperatureandviscosityoftheslurryforonlytwohoursis thatitprovidesalimitedwindowforqualitycontrol,potentiallymissingvariationsor inconsistenciesthatcouldoccurlaterintheproductionprocess,leadingtonon-5 uniformproductquality. DocumentEP2355976B1outlinesamethodformanufacturinggypsum boardswithenhancedproperties.Theprocessinvolvesformingagypsumslurry, whichisthenspreadontoamovingconveyortoshapetheboard.Anaspectofthis10 methodistheincorporationofspecificadditivesintotheslurrytoimprovetheboard's characteristics,suchasstrengthandmoistureresistance.Oncetheslurryisshaped,itundergoessettinganddryingstagestosolidifytheboard.Qualityinspection proceduresareintegratedintotheproductionlinetoensurethattheboardsmeet thedesiredspecifications.Theseinspectionstypicallyincludemonitoringthe15 consistencyoftheslurry,checkingtheuniformityoftheboard'sthickness,and assessingthesurfacefinish.Additionally,mechanicaltestsmaybeconductedto evaluatetheboard'sstrengthanddurability,ensuringthateachproductadheresto industrystandardsandperformancerequirements.Thesetestsareconductedpost- production,meaningtheyevaluatethequalityoftheproductonlyafterithasbeen20 manufactured.Thisapproachhaslimitations,asitdoesnotallowforreal-time detectionandcorrectionofdefectsduringtheproductionprocess.Consequently, anyissuesidentifiedduringthesepost-productiontestsmayresultinwasted materials,increasedcosts,anddelaysinaddressingproductioninefficiencies. 25 Thereisthereforeaclearneedforaqualityinspectionsystem integrateddirectlyintothemanufacturingprocesstoaddresstheaforementioned andotherdisadvantages.Suchasystemwouldenablereal-timemonitoringand immediateidentificationofdefectsorinconsistencies,allowingforcorrectiveactions tobetakenpromptly.Thisproactiveapproachcouldimproveproductionefficiency,30 reducematerialwaste,andensureconsistentproductquality,ultimatelylowering costsandminimizingdelaysassociatedwithpost-productionqualitycontrol methods. 35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 4 Briefsummaryoftheinvention Itistheobjectiveoftheinventiontoprovideaqualitysystemthat effectivelyaddressestheaboveidentifiedneedsandovercomestheexisting limitations.5 Accordingtotheinvention,thisobjectissolvedbythesystemofthe firstclaimformanufacturingplasterboardinaproductionprocessatanindustrial environmentbasedonpredefinedqualityparameterscomprising: -amixerformixingafirstcombinationofcalcinedgypsum,water,and10 hardness-enhancingadditivesselectedfromagroupcomprisingpolymer- basedcompounds,minerals,resins,and / orfibres,toformaslurry,whereinthe firstcombinationleadstoafirstpredefinedhardness; -aninputunitconfiguredtoreceivedatapertainingtothemixer; -aproductionlinecommencingatthemixerforperformingthestepsof:15 odispensingtheslurryontoafirstfacingsheetandencapsulatingitwith asecondfacingsheet; oshapingandhardeningtheencapsulatedslurrytoformahardened plasterboard; -adurometerpositionedatafirstintervalfromthemixeralongtheproduction20 lineconfiguredtomeasurethehardenedplasterboard’shardnessby applyingapredeterminedforceontothedurometer’sindenterthereby pressingitintothesurfaceofthehardenedplasterboardwhileconveying alongtheproductionline; -aprocessingunitoperativelyconnectedtothedurometer,andtotheinput25 unit,whereintheprocessingunitisconfiguredtoinstructthedurometertolimit thepredeterminedforcetoapredefinedthresholdbasedonthefirst combinationandthefirstinterval,andfurtherconfiguredtocalculatea deviationbetweenthefirstpredefinedhardnessandthemeasuredhardness; -anoutputunitoperativelyconnectedtotheprocessingunitforpresenting30 thedeviationand / orenablingfurtherprocessing. Themixerisdesignedtoblendacombinationofcalcinedgypsum, water,andhardness-enhancingadditivestoproduceaslurry.Theseadditivesare selectedfromagroupcomprisingpolymer-basedcompounds,minerals,resins,35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 5 and / orfibres.Theresultingslurryisformulatedtoachieveapredefinedlevelof hardness,ensuringthatthefinalproductmeetsspecificperformancecriteria.This precisecontroloverthemixingprocessandingredientselectionallowsforconsistent qualityandtailoredmechanicalpropertiesinthefinishedmaterial. 5 Hardeningreferstotheprocesswherebytheaqueousgypsumslurry transitionsfromapliablestatetoarigid,mechanicallystablestructure.This transformationoccursthroughthehydrationofcalciumsulfatehemihydrate (CaSO₄·½H₂O),commonlyknownascalcinedgypsum,intocalciumsulfate dihydrate(CaSO₄·2H₂O).Duringthisprocess,watermoleculeschemicallybondwith10 thegypsum,formingacrystallinematrixthatimpartsstructuralintegritytotheboard. Thehardeningphaseistypicallycontrolledtoensureuniformityandstrengthinthe finalproduct,ofteninvolvingspecificenvironmentalconditionssuchasregulated temperatureandhumidity.However,asiswellknowntothoseskilledintheart,even whentheslurryispreparedwiththeoptimalcombinationofcomponents,various15 externalfactorscanstillaffectthequalityofthefinalhardenedproduct.Examples ofsuchfactorsincludeambienthumidityandtemperature,theinherentqualityof therawmaterialsused,andotherenvironmentalinfluences. Thesystemfurthercomprisesaninputunitdesignedtoacquiredata20 relatedtothemixer.Thisdataisrelatedtotheslurrycompositionandcanbeutilized byaprocessingunitforsubsequentoperationswithinthesystem,aswillbefurther detailed.Thedataalsoincludesatimestampindicatingwhenthemixerproduces thespecifiedcomposition. 25 Thesystemfurthercomprisesaproductionlinethatbeginsatthemixer andisdesignedtostreamlinethemanufacturingprocessofplasterboard.The productionlinecarriesoutkeystepstoensureconsistentproductqualityand efficiency.First,theslurrypreparedinthemixerisdispensedontoafirstfacingsheet, servingasthefoundationallayer.Asecondfacingsheetisthenappliedto30 encapsulatetheslurry,creatingasandwich-likestructure.Thisencapsulatedmaterial issubsequentlyshapedtoachievethedesireddimensionsandsurfacefinish.Finally, theencapsulatedslurryundergoesacontrolledhardeningprocess,allowingitto hardenintoadurableplasterboard.Theintegratedproductionlineminimizes 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 6 manualintervention,ensuringuniformityandprecisioninthefinalproductwhile optimizingproductionspeed. Accordingtoanewandinnovativeaspect,thesystemfurther comprisesadurometerintegratedintotheproductionprocess.Thedurometeris5 positionedatanintervalfromthemixeralongtheproductionline.Inthecontextof thisdisclosure,anintervalreferstothespacingand / ortimingbetweensuccessive operations,components,orstagesintheproductionprocess.Itaccountsforboth thephysicaldistancealongthelineandthetimerequiredforthelinetotransport itemsbetweenthesepoints,whichisinfluencedbytheproductionline'sspeed.Both10 spatialandtemporalfactorsdeterminetheinterval.However,itshouldbeclearthat thedurometerispositionedaftertheshapingandhardeningstepofthe encapsulatedslurrytoformthehardenedplasterboard. Adurometerisaspecializedinstrumentusedtomeasurethehardness15 ofplasterboard,providingapreciseassessmentofitsmechanicalproperties.This deviceoperatesbyapplyingastandardizedforceontotheplasterboardsurface throughanindenter,whichpenetratestoadegreedeterminedbythematerial's resistance.Thedurometer'sreadingsarecrucialforevaluatingtheconsistencyand qualityofplasterboards,ensuringtheymeetpredefinedspecificationsforstrength20 anddurability.Bydetectingvariationsinhardness,thedurometerhelpsidentify potentialproductioninconsistencies,enablingmanufacturerstomakenecessary adjustmentstomaintainproductstandards. Incontrasttothepriorart,whereadurometerisusedpost-production,25 theinventorsidentifiedthatitisanadvantagetouseadurometerintheproduction processitself.Thiswaythereisafasteridentificationofdefects,whichsignificantly reduceswastebyallowingimmediatecorrectiveactionstobetakenduringthe productionprocess.Earlydetectionminimizestheproductionofnon-compliant plasterboards,ensuringthatresourcessuchasrawmaterialsandenergyareutilized30 moreefficiently.Additionally,thisproactivequalitycontrolenhancesoverall productionefficiency,reducesdowntimeassociatedwithaddressingdefects,and contributestomoresustainablemanufacturingpracticesbyloweringthe environmentalimpactofwastedisposal. 35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 7 Tothisend,thesystemfurthercomprisesaprocessingunitoperatively connectedtotheinputunit,tothedurometer,andtoanoutputunitaswillbefurther discussed. Theprocessingunitservesmultiplecriticalfunctionswithinthesystem5 andthustheproductionprocess,actingasthecentralhubfordataanalysis,control, anddecision-making.Itprocessesinputdataoriginatingfromtheinputunitandthus, whetherindirectlyornot,fromthemixerandthereforetheslurrycomposition,but alsoproductionspeed.Iffurthercontrolsthedurometer,andmoreinparticularthe predeterminedforceoftheindenterthatpushesontotheplasterboard’ssurface.10 Theprocessingunitregulatesandlimitstheappliedforcetoensurepreciseand consistentoperationofthedurometer.Bymaintainingtheforcewithinpredefined thresholds,itpreventsdamagetotheplasterboard’ssurfaceandensuresuniformity intheprocess.Furthermore,thesystemenhancestheaccuracyandspeedof hardnessmeasurementsbyincorporatingananticipatorymechanismthatpredicts15 theexpectedhardnessvalue.Thispredictivecapabilityallowsthesystemto comparereal-timemeasurementsagainstpredefinedbenchmarks,streamliningthe evaluationprocessandreducingthemarginoferror.Byaligningmeasurementswith anticipatedvalues,itenablesquickeridentificationofinconsistenciesordeviations, ensuringahigherlevelofqualitycontrol.Additionally,thisapproachminimizesthe20 needformanualadjustments,increasesefficiencyintheinspectionprocess,and supportsconsistentproductionstandardsbyprovidingactionableinsightstorefine themanufacturingparameters. Todeterminethethresholdorlimitofthepredeterminedforce,the25 processingunitusesthedatarelatedtothecombination,andthusthecomposition ofthehardenedplasterboard,combinedwiththeinterval.Thecombination determinesanexpectedhardnessofthefinalproductbyconsideringfactorssuch asthecompositionoftheslurry,thespecificadditivesused,andtheprocessing parameters.Thisexpectedhardnessservesasabenchmarkforevaluatingthe30 qualityandperformanceofthefinishedproduct.Meanwhile,theintervaldetermines thehardnessofanintermediateproduct,offeringasnapshotoftheplasterboard's progressduringthemanufacturingprocess.Thus,insteadofwaitinguntiltheproduct isfinished,onecanmeasureattheintermediateproductthatalignswithpredefined expectations,ultimatelycontributingtotheconsistencyandreliabilityofthefinal35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 8 product.Thisapproachenhancestheoverallcontrolandprecisionoftheproduction process,reducingwasteandimprovingefficiency. Finally,adeviationiscalculatedasthedifferencebetweenthe expectedhardnessandthemeasuredhardness,providingaclearmetrictoassess5 theconsistencyoftheplasterboard.Thisdeviationisthenpresentedbyanoutput unit,suchasascreen,forimmediatevisibility,andisalsomadeavailableforfurther processingwithinthesystem,aswillbefurtherdiscussed.Bydisplayingthisinformation inauser-friendlymanner,operatorscanquicklyidentifydiscrepanciesandtake correctiveactionwhennecessary,suchasadjustingtheslurrycomposition,mixer10 settings,orproductionparameters.Additionally,thesystemcantriggerautomated responsesbasedonpredefinedthresholdsforacceptabledeviations,further enhancingefficiencyandminimizingtheriskofdefects.Thisdualfunctionality— manualinterventionandautomatedcontrol—ensuresarobustqualitycontrol processthatmaintainshighstandardsthroughoutproduction,reducingwasteand15 improvingoveralloperationaleffectiveness. Themeasuringstepis,forexample,conductedatapredefined frequency,ensuringconsistencyandprecisioninthemeasurementprocess.The predefinedfrequencyisspecificallydeterminedbasedonthefirstcombinationand20 thefirstinterval,allowingforoptimizedmeasurementtimingtailoredtothespecific application.Thisapproachensuresthatthemeasurementsalignwiththedesired operationalparameters,providingaccurateandreliabledataforfurtheranalysisor control.Bysystematicallydefiningtheintervalsandfrequency,theprocessachieves abalancebetweenefficiencyandaccuracy,enhancingtheoveralleffectiveness25 ofthemeasurementsystem. Accordingtoanembodiment,thesystemfurthercomprises interruptingmeansoperativelyconnectedtotheprocessingunitandconfiguredfor interruptingtheproductionprocesswhenthedeviationexceedsapredetermined30 threshold. Thesystemfurthercomprisesinterruptingmeansoperatively connectedtotheprocessingunit,designedtohalttheproductionprocesswhena detecteddeviationexceedsapredeterminedthreshold.Thismechanismactsasa35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 9 safeguardtopreventtheproductionofdefectiveplasterboardsbyimmediately pausingoperationswhenqualitycontrolparametersareviolated.Byintegratingwith theprocessingunit,theinterruptingmeanscanrespondinreal-timetodeviations calculatedduringthemanufacturingprocess,ensuringthatout-of-specification productsarenotcompletedoradvancedfurtheralongtheproductionline.This5 functionalitynotonlyreducesmaterialwasteandminimizesthecostsassociatedwith reworkordiscardingdefectiveitemsbutalsoallowsoperatorstoinvestigateand addresstherootcauseoftheissuebeforeresumingproduction.Theinterrupting meansisacriticalcomponentofthequalityassurancesystem,promotingconsistent adherencetoproductspecificationsandenhancingoverallproductionefficiency.10 Accordingtoanembodiment,themixerisfurtherconfiguredfor adaptingthemixingtoasecondcombinationthatleadstoasecondpredefined hardness,andwhereintheprocessingunitisfurtherconfiguredtolimitthe predeterminedforcetoasecondpredefinedthresholdbasedonthesecond15 combinationandthefirstintervalafterapredefinedfirsttimeperiodfollowingthe adaptingstep,whereinthepredefinedfirsttimeperiodisbasedonthesecond combinationandthefirstinterval. Itshouldbeunderstoodthatthesystemoperatesinasimilarmanner20 forthesecondcombinationasitdoesforthefirstcombination,ensuringconsistent functionalityacrossdifferentstagesoftheprocess.Thisuniformityinoperationallows thesystemtoseamlesslyadapttochangesinmaterialcomposition,maintaining reliabilityandprecision.Byapplyingthesameprinciplesandmechanismstoboth combinations,thesystemensuresthatqualitycontrol,parameteradjustments,and25 measurementsareconsistentlymanaged,regardlessofthedesiredhardness involved.Notehoweverthatonlyafterapredefinedfirsttimeperiodfollowingthe adaptingstep,thesystemreassessestheprocessparameterstoensurethatthe desiredchangeshaveachievedtheirintendedeffect.Thispredefinedfirsttime periodiscalculatedbasedonthecharacteristicsofthesecondcombinationof30 materialsandthefirstintervalintheproductionprocess.Bytailoringthetimingtothe specificpropertiesofthematerialsandtheprocessdynamics,thesystemallows sufficienttimefortheadjustmentstoinfluencetheproductionoutcome meaningfully.Thisapproachensuresthatsubsequentmeasurementsand evaluationsreflecttheimpactofthechangesaccurately,enablingprecisequality35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 10 controlandoptimizationofthefinalproduct.Thepredefinedfirsttimeperiodserves asacriticalbuffer,aligningprocessadjustmentswiththematerialresponseand maintainingtheefficiencyandreliabilityoftheoverallmanufacturingsystem.This wayfalsepositivesareavoidedensuringthatdeviationsinqualitymetricsare accuratelyidentifiedwithoutincorrectlysignallingdefects.5 Accordingtoanembodiment,thesystemfurthercomprisesa temperaturesensoroperativelyconnectedtotheprocessingunitpositionedata secondintervalfromthemixeralongtheproduction,thesecondintervalbeing smallerthanthefirstinterval,thetemperaturesensorconfiguredtomeasurethe10 surfacetemperatureoftheplasterboard,andwhereintheprocessingunitisfurther configuredtolimitthepredeterminedforcebasedonthemeasuredtemperature. Thesystemmayfurthercompriseatemperaturesensorstrategically positionedbetweenthemixerandthedurometertomeasuretheplasterboard’s15 surfacetemperatureduringproduction.Bycapturingreal-timetemperaturedata, thesensorenablesthesystemtoassesswhethertheplasterboardhasbeen adequatelyprocessedbeforehardnesstesting.Thisinformationisintegratedintothe qualitycontrolworkflowbytheprocessingunit,allowingforadjustmentstohardening orprocessingparametersifdeviationsfromtheoptimaltemperaturerangeare20 detected.Theinclusionofthistemperaturesensorenhancestheprecisionand reliabilityofthemanufacturingprocess,ensuringconsistentproductperformance andreducingthelikelihoodofdefectscausedbythermalinconsistencies. Furthermore,ifdeviationsaredetected,theprocessingunitwillfurtherlimitthe predeterminedforcebasedonthemeasuredtemperature,whilestilltakinginto25 accountthedatarelatedtothefirstorsecondcombination. Accordingtoanembodiment,thesystemfurthercomprisessawing meansalongtheproductionlineatathirdintervalafterthedurometerconfigured tocuttheplasterboardtopredetermineddimensionsinaccordancewith30 predefinedproductparameters,whereintheprocessingunitisfurtherconfiguredto temporarilyinstructthesawingmeanstocuttheplasterboardduringasecond predefinedtimeperiodintopiecessuitableforremovingfromtheproduction process,thesecondpredefinedtimeperiodbasedonandinitiatedbytheadapting step.35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 11 Thesystemcomprisessawingmeansdesignedtocuttheplasterboard intopredetermineddimensions,ensuringthefinalproductadherestopredefined specifications.Thesesawingmeansareoperativelyconnectedtotheprocessingunit andinnormaloperationsconditions,thuswhennodeviationsaredetected,the sawingmeanssawtheplasterboardasjustexplained.Thesawingmeansare5 thereforealsopresentintheset-upaccordingtothefirstclaim.Sincethesawing meansareoperativelyconnectedtotheprocessingunit,itcanalsointervenewhen thequalitymeasurements—suchashardnessandsurfacetemperature—falloutside theexpectedranges,inotherwordswhenadeviationisdetected.Whensucha deviationisdetected,thesawingmeanscuttheplasterboardintopiecessuitable10 forremovingfromtheproductionprocess.Thisway,theycaneasilyberemovedby anoperator. Accordingtoasecondaspectoftheinventionamethodisdisclosed formanufacturingplasterboardinaproductionprocessatanindustrialenvironment15 basedonpredefinedqualityparametersalongaproductionlineata predeterminedspeed,themethodcomprisingthestepsof: -mixingafirstcombinationofcalcinedgypsum,water,andhardness- enhancingadditivesselectedfromagroupcomprisingpolymer-based compounds,minerals,resins,and / orfibres,toformaslurry,whereinthefirst20 combinationleadstoafirstpredefinedhardness; -dispensingtheslurryontoafirstfacingsheetandencapsulatingitwitha secondfacingsheet; -shapingandhardeningtheencapsulatedslurrytoformahardened plasterboard;25 -measuringthehardenedplasterboard’shardnessbyadurometerpositioned atafirstintervalfromthemixerbyapplyingapredeterminedforceontothe durometer’sindentertherebypressingitintothesurfaceofthehardened plasterboardwhileconveyingalongtheproductionline,wherebythe predeterminedforceislimitedtoapredefinedthresholdbasedonthefirst30 combinationandthefirstinterval; -calculatingadeviationbetweenthefirstpredefinedhardnessandthe measuredhardness; -providingdeviation-relateddataforfurtheruse. 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 12 Themethodisdesignedtocorrespondwiththesystemdescribedin thefirstaspect,ensuringseamlessintegrationandfunctionality.Thisalignmentallows themethodtoleveragethesystem’sfeatures,suchasreal-timequalitycontrol,data processing,andautomatedadjustments,toperformitsoperationseffectively. 5 Accordingtoanembodiment,themeasuringstepisperformedata predefinedfrequencybasedonthefirstcombinationandthefirstinterval. Inaccordancewithanembodiment,themethodfurthercomprises thestepof:10 -interruptingtheproductionprocesswhenthedeviationexceedsa predeterminedthreshold. Inaccordancewithafurtherembodiment,themethodfurther comprisesthestepof:15 -adaptingthemixingtoasecondcombinationthatleadstoasecond predefinedhardness; -limitingthepredeterminedforcetoasecondpredefinedthresholdbasedon thesecondcombinationandthefirstintervalafterapredefinedfirsttime periodfollowingtheadaptingstep,whereinthepredefinedfirsttimeperiodis20 basedonthesecondcombinationandthefirstinterval. Inaccordancewithafurtherembodiment,themethodfurther comprisesthestepof: -measuringthesurfacetemperatureoftheplasterboardatasecondinterval25 fromthemixeralongtheproduction,thesecondintervalbeingsmallerthan thefirstinterval; -limitingthepredeterminedforcebasedonthemeasuredtemperature. Inaccordancewithafurtherembodiment,themethodfurther30 comprisesthestepof: -measuringthesurfacetemperatureoftheplasterboardatasecondinterval fromthemixeralongtheproduction,thesecondintervalbeingsmallerthan thefirstinterval; -limitingthepredeterminedforcebasedonthemeasuredtemperature.35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 13 Accordingtoathirdaspectacomputer-implementedmethodis disclosedforinstructingtheprocessingunitaccordingtothefirstaspecttoperform themethodaccordingtothesecondaspect. Accordingtoafourthaspect,acomputerreadablestoragemedium5 isdisclosedcomprisinginstructionswhich,whenexecutedbyacomputer,causethe computertocarryoutthestepsofthemethodaccordingtothethirdaspect. Accordingtoafifthaspect,acomputerprogramisdisclosed comprisingprogramcodeinstructionswhich,whenexecutedbyacomputer,cause10 thecomputertocarryoutthemethodaccordingtothethirdaspect. BriefdescriptionoftheDrawings Figure1illustratesaschematicrepresentationofaproductionline15 configuredforthemanufactureofplasterboard; Figure2providesanalternativeschematicrepresentation,maintaining thesamestructureasFigure1,toillustrateintervals;and 20 Figure3schematicallydepictsthevariouselementsofthesystemin interactionwithaprocessingunit. Inthedrawings,thesamereferencenumbershavebeenallocatedto thesameoranalogueelement.25 Detaileddescriptionofanembodimentoftheinvention Othercharacteristicsandadvantagesofthepresentinventionwillbe derivedfromthenon-limitativefollowingdescription,andbymakingreferenceto30 thedrawingsandtheexamples. Figure1illustratesaschematicrepresentationofaproductionline configuredforthemanufactureofplasterboard114,comprisingvarious interconnectedcomponentsandstagesdesignedtoprocessaslurry102,formthe35 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 14 plasterboard114,andcompletetheproductionprocess.Theproductionline compriseskeyelementssuchasamixer101,formingequipment106,107,andsawing means113,eachplayingaspecificroleinensuringtheefficientandconsistent productionofhigh-qualityplasterboard. 5 Withinthemixer101,aslurry102ispreparedbycombiningcalcined gypsum,water,andhardness-enhancingadditives.Theseadditivesareselected fromagroupthatincludespolymer-basedcompounds,minerals,resins,andfibres. Theprecisecompositionoftheadditivescanbetailoredtoachievedesired mechanicalproperties,suchasincreasedstrength,durability,andflexibility,ensuring10 thefinalplasterboardproductmeetsspecificperformancerequirementsforvarious applications. Theslurry102isdispensedontoafirstfacingsheet,whichis continuouslyunrolledfromanunwindingtape103andguidedalongaconveyor15 belt105.Asecondfacingsheetissimultaneouslyunrolledfromasecondunwinding tape104andappliedovertheslurry102,sandwichingitbetweenthetwofacing sheets.Thisarrangementensurestheformationofacompositestructureasthe materialsmovetogetheralongtheproductionline.Theprecisecoordination betweentheunwindingtapes103,104andtheconveyorbelt105maintains20 consistenttensionandalignmentofbothfacingsheets,ensuringuniform encapsulationoftheslurry102andminimizingdefectsinthefinalproduct. Alongtheproductionline,aseriesofshapingrolls106,107is strategicallypositionedtoshapeandevenlydistributetheencapsulatedslurry10225 betweenthetwofacingsheets,ensuringthedesiredthicknessanduniformityofthe product.Theserolls106,107notonlyhelpinformingthegypsumboardtoprecise specificationsbutalsoaidinmaintainingconsistentpressure,whichenhancesthe bondbetweenthefacingsheetsandtheslurry102.Asthecompositestructure progressesfurtheralongtheline,theshapingrolls106,107contributetostabilizing30 thematerial,whilecontrolledenvironmentalconditionssupporttheongoing hardeningprocess108,ensuringtheboardachievesthenecessarystructuralintegrity andmechanicalpropertiesbeforeenteringsubsequentstagessuchascutting113 anddrying. 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 15 Oncethehardeningprocess108iscomplete,thesurfacetemperature ofthehardenedplasterboardismeasuredbyatemperaturesensor115.The temperaturesensor115isforexampleanon-contacttemperaturesensorthatuses infraredtechnologytodetectthethermalradiationemittedbythesurfaceand convertitintoatemperaturereading.5 Next,thehardnessoftheplasterboardisassessedusingadurometer 109.Thisstepiscriticalforqualitycontrol,asitensurestheplasterboardmeetsthe requiredmechanicalstrengthanddurabilitystandardsbeforemovingtothecutting stagewhichisperformedbysawingmeans113.Thehardnessismeasuredby10 applyingapredeterminedforceontothedurometer’sindenter110therebypressing itintothesurfaceofthehardenedplasterboardwhileconveyingalongthe productionline. Atthepositionofthedurometer109,theproductionlinecomprises15 dedicatedrolls111toensurethatthemeasurementisaccurate.Furthermore,the strategicallypositionedrolls111furtherensurethattheplasterboarddoesnotget damagedwhileperformingthemeasurements. Afterthemeasurementsofthehardnesswiththedurometer109,the20 plasterboardcontinuesatthesecondconveyorbelt112towardsthesawingmeans 113tocuttheplasterboardtopredetermineddimensionsinaccordancewith predefinedproductparameters.Thecutplasterboard114issubsequentlydirected toadryer. 25 WithreferencetoFigure2providesanalternativeschematic representationasFigure1withthesamestructure,theintervalsareillustrated.An intervalreferstothespacingand / ortimingbetweenthesuccessiveoperationsinthe productionprocess.Interval201betweenthemixer101andthedurometer109 thereforereferstothespacinginthemeaningofthephysicaldistancebetweenthe30 locationwheretheslurry102ispouredontothesheet103andthedurometer109, butalsoonthetimingrequiredtoconverttheslurry102intoahardened plasterboard,enablingthemeasurementofitshardness.Theinterval102therefore determines,togetherwiththecompositionoftheslurry102,thehardnessofthe 2024 / 5969 BE2024 / 5969 16 intermediateproductatthelocationofthedurometer109.Anotherinterval203is thatofthespacingbetweenthemixer101andthetemperaturesensor115. Thedifferentelementsand / orcomponentsoftheproductionlineare directlyorindirectlyoperativelyconnectedwitheachother.Thisisillustratedi,