Machine for manufacturing a concrete voussoir equipped with a mold fill level sensor, and associated process

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine (1) for manufacturing a concrete voussoir comprising at least one mold (20) having an upper opening for pouring fluid concrete, a filling hopper (10) placed above said upper opening for pouring a determined quantity of concrete, said hopper being provided with a lower pouring orifice and a movable shut-off cap (12) between at least a first closed position and a second open position, and means for vibrating the fluid concrete in the mold (20), characterized in that the hopper (10) comprises a means for measuring the presence of concrete by mass or volume and the machine (1) comprises a level sensor (30) measuring in real time the filling height of fluid concrete poured into the mold (20),said level sensor (30) being connected to the measuring means of the hopper (10) via an automatic control unit (40) to stop the discharge of fluid concrete by moving the hood (12) from the second open position to the first closed position once the fluid concrete poured into the mold (20) has reached a certain predetermined height. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 2,

Description

Title of the invention: Machine for manufacturing a concrete voussoir equipped with a mold fill level sensor, and associated method. Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a machine for the production of molded concrete parts and in particular for the manufacture of tunnel segments, as well as a method for implementing said machine. Previous technique

[0002] Currently, the manufacture of tunnel segments using a prefabrication carousel involves, in a simplified manner, a concreting station followed by a curing / drying oven. The concreting station, located on the work line, is used to pour and distribute the concrete inside specific molds with dimensions and characteristics designed for this purpose. This step comprises two main operations after mold preparation (cleaning, greasing, placement of removable sleeves and sealing gaskets) and before demolding. These operations consist of a filling phase, in which fluid concrete is poured into the mold by gravity through a hopper positioned above, followed by a vibration phase, in which the mold is vibrated using vibrators to position, compact, and remove air bubbles from the poured concrete.

[0003] Today, all these machine operation functions, particularly the pouring of concrete from the hopper into the mold, are manual. Regarding the filling phase, an operator adjusts the hopper's opening according to the desired quantity of concrete. This is an important step that lasts several minutes (up to 15 minutes for the largest voussoirs). Sufficient concrete is needed, but not too much, and the process must be as repeatable as possible between different molds and different teams to optimize subsequent workstations. However, the behavior of concrete can vary considerably between two successive pours (viscosity, temperature, amount of air present), which makes the task even more difficult for the operators.

[0004] It is therefore desirable to automate this tedious part to avoid a shortage of concrete, which implies manual rework, or an excess of concrete, which requires removal, resulting in wasted time in both cases. It is also important that this phase be as repeatable as possible to ensure the reliability of the subsequent steps, while guaranteeing impeccable quality of the molded concrete parts obtained at the end of the manufacturing process, which ultimately reduces production time. The manufacturing cycle is streamlined, freeing the operator to focus on other tasks. Regarding the vibration phase, a mold is typically equipped with several vibrators. These vibrators may be grouped by zone, allowing the operator to select which areas to vibrate. The vibrators are either pneumatic or electric. Currently, these zones are activated manually via valves or buttons on a control panel within the concrete mixing booth's automated system. Therefore, the operator decides which zones to activate, when, and for how long.

[0005] In conclusion, at present, these two main steps are essentially driven by the operator's perception, with average repeatability and questionable quality. Presentation of the invention

[0006] The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks with an innovative approach allowing for significant time savings and a reduction in risks.

[0007] To this end, according to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a machine for manufacturing a molded concrete voussoir comprising at least: - a mold comprising at least a bottom wall and side walls delimiting an internal volume with a closed perimeter and a top opening for pouring fluid concrete, - a filling hopper positioned above the upper opening of the mold to pour by gravity a predetermined quantity of fluid concrete into the mold, said hopper being equipped with a lower pouring orifice and a cover for said orifice, said cover being movable between at least a first closed position in which it seals the lower orifice of the hopper so as to prevent the fluid concrete from being poured into the mold, and a second open position in which it releases the lower orifice of the hopper so as to allow the fluid concrete to be poured into said mold, and - means for vibrating the fluid concrete in the mold once it has been at least partially filled in order to position, compact and de-air it, characterized in that: - The filling hopper includes a means for measuring the presence of concrete by mass or volume in order to determine in real time the quantity of concrete poured into the mold, and - The machine includes a level sensor that measures in real time the filling height of the fluid concrete poured into the mold; said level sensor is connected to the hopper's measuring device via an automatic control system to stop the flow of fluid concrete by passing the helmet over the machine. the second opening position to the first closing position once the fluid concrete poured into the mold has reached a certain predetermined height.

[0008] The solution thus makes it possible to replace the operator's eye and his ability to adapt the pouring and / or vibration scenario according to what he perceives and the behavior of the concrete.

[0009] The invention is implemented according to the embodiments and variants set out below, which are to be considered individually or according to any technically operative combination.

[0010] Advantageously, the control system includes means for varying at least one of the following parameters among the duration of opening / closing of the helmet, the speed of opening / closing of the helmet and the amplitude of opening / closing of the helmet as a function of the real-time measurement of the height of fluid concrete already poured into the mold.

[0011] According to a complementary feature, the means for varying the flow of fluid concrete include an adjustment knob that can be manually operated by an operator.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the means for varying the flow of fluid concrete are automatic and controlled by the control system using an integrated learning algorithm that exploits data from previous flows carried out by the machine, in particular the last values ​​of flow durations as well as the last values ​​of weight and height of poured concrete measured respectively for each of these durations.

[0013] According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the level sensor comprises at least one 3D infrared camera with ToF (Time of Flight) technology emitting at least one beam directed towards an area (Z) of the upper surface of the fluid concrete poured into the mold, at the level of the opening thereof, said camera being associated with an image processing system integrated into the control system to represent this surface in the form of a three-dimensional diagram and to determine the height of concrete poured at the level of said area of ​​the upper surface.

[0014] More specifically, the level sensor includes several cameras, each emitting a beam directed towards a distinct area of ​​the upper surface of fluid concrete poured into the mold at the level of its opening, and the image processing system integrated into the control unit includes calculation means to determine an average height of concrete poured into the mold based on the height of concrete poured measured at the level of each area of ​​the upper surface.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the level sensor comprises a single multidirectional camera pointing towards several distinct areas of the upper surface fluid concrete poured into the mold, at the level of its opening, and the image processing system integrated into the control system includes calculation means to determine an average height of concrete poured into the mold based on the height of concrete poured measured at the level of each zone of the upper surface.

[0016] According to a particularly interesting embodiment of the present invention, further comprises means for detecting the presence and identifying the type of mold connected to the vibration means via the control unit to adapt the intensity and / or duration of the vibration sequences according to at least one of the following parameters among the type of mold identified, the composition of the poured concrete, the quality of the poured concrete, the quantity of poured concrete, the type of vibration means used, the number of vibration means used, and the position in the mold of the vibration means used.

[0017] The present invention also relates to a method implementing the machine as described above for the manufacture of rigid molded concrete voussoirs, said method comprising for this purpose at least one step of gravity discharge of fluid concrete contained in an upper filling hopper into a lower mold and a step of vibration of the concrete discharged into said mold to put it in place, compact it and de-air it, characterized in that it further comprises a step of real-time determination of the quantity of concrete, by mass or by volume, contained in the hopper which has been discharged into the mold, a step of real-time measurement of the height of fluid concrete discharged into the mold, and a step of automatic stopping of the discharge of fluid concrete into the mold once said fluid concrete discharged into the mold has reached a certain determined height.

[0018] Advantageously, the pouring of the fluid concrete is controlled automatically by a control system using an integrated learning algorithm that uses data from previous pours carried out by the machine, in particular the last values ​​of pouring durations as well as the last values ​​of mass and height of poured concrete measured respectively for each of these durations.

[0019] Preferably, the control system algorithm varies at least one of the following parameters among the opening / closing time of the helmet, the opening / closing speed of the helmet and the opening / closing amplitude of the helmet as a function of the real-time measurement of the height of fluid concrete already poured into the mold.

[0020] According to a complementary aspect, the control system algorithm modifies in real time the position of the helmet of the lower discharge opening of the hopper according to predetermined opening rate ranges based on measured occupancy rate ranges.

[0021] According to a particular embodiment of the present invention: - when the mold (20) fill rate is between approximately 0% and 20%, the helmet (12) openness rate is between approximately 100% and 50%, - when the mold (20) fill rate is between approximately 20 and 40%, the helmet (12) openness rate is between approximately 80 and 40%, - when the mold (20) fill rate is between approximately 40 and 60%, the helmet (12) open rate is between approximately 70 and 30%, - when the mold (20) fill rate is between approximately 60 and 80%, the helmet (12) open rate is between approximately 50 and 20%, and - when the filling rate of the mold (20) is between approximately 80 and 100%, the opening rate of the helmet (12) is between approximately 20 and 0%.

[0022] According to a particularly interesting aspect of the present invention, the control system adapts the intensity and / or duration of the vibration sequences according to at least one of the following parameters among an identified mold type, the composition of the poured concrete, the quality of the poured concrete, the quantity of poured concrete, the type of vibration means used, the number of vibration means used, and the position in the mold of the vibration means used.

[0023] Advantageously, the process also includes an initial step allowing an operator to choose the degree of automation of the step of pouring the fluid concrete into the mold.

[0024] According to a particular feature of the present invention, the process further comprises a step of vibrating the filling hopper during the phase of pouring the fluid concrete into the mold.

[0025] The invention further relates to a carousel-type manufacturing line for implementing the above process and comprising a multitude of machines as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0026] Other advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, given for explanatory purposes only and not as a limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1] is a front view of a machine according to the present invention comprising in particular a mold for manufacturing voussoirs in an open position surmounted by a hopper for discharging fluid concrete,

[0028] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of [Fig.1] with the mold closed, supplemented by an automatic piloting system and a level sensor measuring the height of concrete poured into said mold,

[0029] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a front view of [Fig.2],

[0030] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a side view of [Fig.2],

[0031] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a front view illustrating a first stage of pouring Fluid concrete flows from the hopper to the mold.

[0032] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a front view illustrating a second stage of pouring fluid concrete from the hopper to the mold,

[0033] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is a front view illustrating a third stage of pouring fluid concrete from the hopper to the mold,

[0034] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] is a front view illustrating a fourth and final mold filling stage,

[0035] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] is a perspective view from below of the mold equipped with vibration means,

[0036] [Fig. 10] [Fig. 10] is a view illustrating an alternative embodiment of [Fig. 2], and

[0037] [Fig. 11] [Fig. 11] is a schematic view illustrating what the sensor visualizes level and what the autopilot interprets. Description of the implementation methods

[0038] Firstly, the present description is given by way of non-limiting, each feature of an embodiment being able to be combined with any other feature of any other embodiment described and / or represented.

[0039] It is also noted from the outset that the figures are not necessarily to scale, without this affecting their understanding.

[0040] Finally, identical, similar or technically equivalent parts present in different figures bear the same numerical references so as to facilitate the transition from one figure to another.

[0041] Figures 1 to 9 illustrate a first embodiment of a machine 1 for manufacturing molded concrete voussoirs according to the present invention.

[0042] Typically, this machine 1, which can be part of an automated manufacturing line, includes a hopper 10 for pouring fluid concrete, a mold 20, a sensor 30 for the level of concrete poured into said mold 20 and an automaton 40 for automatic control, mainly of the opening of the pouring hopper 10.

[0043] The hopper 10 more specifically comprises a reservoir 11, for example made of welded sheet metal in the shape of an inverted pyramid having a sloping lower neck equipped with a lower discharge opening 15 and a cover 12 for closing said opening 15. The cover 12, in the form of two half-shells, is movable between at least one first position of closure in which it seals the lower orifice 15 of the hopper 10 so as to prevent the discharge of fluid concrete into the mold 20 (see figures 1 and 5 for example), and several other successive opening positions in which it releases the lower orifice 15 of the hopper so as to allow the discharge of fluid concrete into said mold 20 (see figures 3, 6 and 7 for example) according to a different flow rate linked to the opening position and the type of concrete.

[0044] For this purpose, the hopper 10 is equipped with pneumatic or hydraulic pistons 13 (one on each front and rear face) controlled by the automatic piloting system 40 and allowing each half of the helmet shell 12 to open or close more or less like a jaw, this movement being for example guided / accompanied by a double gear finger system 14.

[0045] The hopper 10 is also equipped with vibrators 18 for example attached to the outer wall of its main structure 11, to improve the flow of fluid concrete.

[0046] Finally, the hopper 10 is connected to a sensor 16, for example a scale, measuring, preferably in real time, the mass or volume of concrete poured into the mold 20.

[0047] The mold 20 has a curved (convex) bottom wall 21 intended, once the concrete has been poured and dried / hardened, to form the intrados of a voussoir (not shown), movable side walls 22 and 23 (for example by lateral tilting outwards) delimiting an internal volume having a closed perimeter, and hinged side flaps 25 articulated on the walls 23 to cover the internal volume of the mold 20 and provide between their free edges a central upper opening 24 for the pouring of fluid concrete using the hopper 10.

[0048] The mold 20 is equipped under its bottom wall 21 (see [Fig. 9]) with means 28 for vibrating the fluid concrete once it has been poured, at least partially, into its internal volume in order to position, compact, and de-air it. These vibrators are also connected to the automatic control unit 40 for control.

[0049] According to an innovative aspect of the present invention, the machine 1 further comprises a level sensor 30 measuring in real time the filling height H of fluid concrete poured into the mold 20. This level sensor 30 is advantageously connected to the measuring means 16 of the hopper 10 via the automatic control system 40 in order in particular to stop the pouring of fluid concrete by moving the hood 12 from an open position to the first closed position once the fluid concrete poured into the mold 20 has reached a certain determined height Hmax.

[0050] More specifically, the level sensor 30 includes at least one 3D infrared camera with ToF (“Time of Flight”) technology emitting a three-dimensional beam F directed towards an area Z of the upper surface of the fluid concrete poured into the mold 20, at the level of the opening 24 thereof.

[0051] The camera is associated with an image processing system integrated into the automatic control system 40 and comprising a learning algorithm to represent this surface in the form of a three-dimensional diagram and to determine the height H of poured concrete at the level of said area of ​​the upper surface in order to control (opening / closing) the articulated helmet 12 of the hopper 10.

[0052] According to a variant illustrated by [Fig. 10], the camera 30 is multidirectional and emits several three-dimensional infrared beams Fo, Fi and F2 towards three distinct zones Zo, Zi and Z2 of the opening 24 of the mold 20 distributed in the direction of the depth of the latter, i.e. between its longitudinal walls 22. The algorithm of the image processing system integrated into the control unit includes calculation means for determining an average height of concrete poured into the mold based on the height of concrete poured measured at the level of each zone of the upper surface.

[0053] Visual (images from camera 30 for each of the three zones) and graphic representations are illustrated by [Fig. 11] which allows us to see the micro-differences in concrete height from one zone to another and to detect in particular a local “cone of excess thickness” of a few millimeters located generally in the center, where the fluid concrete flows preferentially).

[0054] The machine 1 further comprises means 45, for example integrated into the hopper 10 or preferably into the automatic control unit 40, for detecting the presence of the mold and identifying its type (for example, optical identification of a barcode or other). These detection means 45 are connected to the vibration means 28 of the mold 20 via the automatic control unit 40 to adapt the intensity and / or duration of the vibration sequences according, for example, to the type of mold identified, the composition of the poured concrete, the quality of the poured concrete, the quantity of poured concrete, the type of vibrators used, or the number and / or position of the vibrators under the bottom wall 21, in order to optimize the pouring of the concrete and the quality of the upper surface measured by the level sensor 30.

[0055] The method of implementing (using) the machine 1 according to the present invention is described below in relation to figures 5 to 8.

[0056] For this purpose, this machine 1 is integrated more generally into a carousel-type production line in which several machines (identical or different) can be used and moved sequentially from one station to another.

[0057] Thus, the empty mold 10 enters the carousel and is placed under the corresponding hopper 20. The operator decides on the desired degree of automation using the control panel of the automatic pilot 40, and in particular an adjustment knob 42 to vary at least one of the following parameters: the opening / closing time of the headset 12, the opening / closing speed of helmet 12 and the amplitude of opening / closing of helmet 12 as a function of the height H of fluid concrete already poured into mold 20 and measured in real time by camera 30.

[0058] Once the degree of automation has been chosen, the hopper 10 filled with fluid concrete is opened so that the concrete begins to flow by gravity into the empty mold 20 ([Fig.5] then 6).

[0059] For this purpose and more specifically, the helmet 22 is controlled very precisely and opens to a certain extent (the "jaws open slightly"), for a certain duration.

[0060] At the same time as the fluid concrete flows and begins to fill the volume of the mold 20 defined by its bottom walls 21 and side walls 22 and 23, the sensor 16 measures the presence of concrete by mass or by volume in the hopper 10 in order to determine in real time the quantity of concrete poured into the mold 2.

[0061] In parallel with the pouring, the camera 30 measures, through the opening 24, the height of concrete which accumulates in the mold 20, the vibrators 28 being preferably triggered early enough to compact and de-bubble said concrete deposited on the bottom wall 21.

[0062] As the concrete is poured into the mold 20, the camera 30 measures the progression of the height H by scanning its upper surface.

[0063] The more concrete fills the mold 20, the higher its level rises, much like water poured into a container and gradually filling it. Depending on the type of concrete used and its fluidity, the upper surface of the volume occupied by the poured concrete is more or less flat and homogeneous. Thus, the more fluid the concrete and / or the smaller the aggregate, the smoother and more homogeneous the upper surface of the concrete poured into the mold will be, and the faster it will form. Conversely, the less fluid the concrete and / or the larger the aggregate, the rougher and more heterogeneous the surface will be, and the longer it will take to form and stabilize in the mold.

[0064] The controller 40 thus allows the opening amplitude of the helmet 12 to be controlled according to the quantity of concrete poured (measured by the camera 30). Therefore, the controller 40 can vary at least one of the following parameters: the opening / closing time of the helmet 12, the opening / closing speed of the helmet 12, and the opening / closing amplitude of the helmet 12, based on the real-time measurement of the height H of fluid concrete already poured into the mold 20.

[0065] A mold 12 that is opened very wide and very quickly but for a short period of time will allow a small quantity of concrete to be poured, just as a mold 21 that is only slightly opened but for a longer period of time will. The choice of these parameters depends in particular on the fluidity of the concrete, the speed at which the upper surface of the concrete forms and stabilizes (so that the measurement of the height of concrete contained in the mold is as reliable as possible), and the vibration of the mold 20.

[0066] Pouring concrete too quickly could have adverse consequences on the quality of the setting of the concrete, in particular if the vibrations cannot properly de-air it or result in a sufficiently flat surface.

[0067] The controller 40 directly controls the means for accelerating / decelerating the pouring of fluid concrete, either by using the adjustment knob 42 provided on the machine and manually operated by the operator, or automatically using an integrated learning algorithm that utilizes, in particular, data from previous pours performed by the machine 1, specifically the latest pouring times and the latest weight and height of poured concrete measured for each of these times. The detection sensor 45 also allows for optimal customization of the controller 40's operation according to the type of mold 20 detected.

[0068] In practice: - when the filling rate of mold 20 is between approximately 0% and 20%, the opening rate of helmet 12 is between approximately 100% and 50%, - when the filling rate of mold 20 is between approximately 20 and 40%, the opening rate of helmet 12 is between approximately 80 and 40%, - when the mold 20 fill rate is between approximately 40 and 60%, the helmet opening rate is between approximately 70 and 30%, - when the filling rate of mold 20 is between approximately 60 and 80%, the opening rate of helmet 12 is between approximately 50 and 20%, and - when the filling rate of mold 20 is between approximately 80 and 100%, the opening rate of helmet 12 is between approximately 20 and 0%.

[0069] It is also possible to choose different vibration zones and to vary the intensity / speed / duration of the vibrations according to the filling rate of the mold 20, by following for example a pre-established scenario based on the type of mold 20 and the type of concrete detected (fluidity, composition, drying speed).

[0070] The advantage of using the 30 three-dimensional ToF camera is that it is easy to define and modify its reading area(s) via dedicated software: the area to be captured is drawn directly.

[0071] Since the concrete forms a cone when it falls into the mold 20, the use of the three zones allows several values ​​to be recorded, including the average on each of the surfaces, on all the surfaces, the minimum, the maximum, and then smoothing to obtain an average height (an overall "flatness") in order to stop the opening / closing means of the helmet 12 when the height has reached the value Hmax.

[0072] In practice, the more liquid the concrete, the more quickly and uniformly the surface will be flat. The thicker the concrete, the larger the cone will be, and therefore the The difference between the surface area of ​​the middle and that of the sides will be significant. This concept of relativity and averages is important because the fluctuation in the behavior of concrete is complicated to manage, given that it depends on numerous parameters and varies greatly and rapidly.

[0073] The difference in flatness also allows for the pre-definition of vibration scenarios and the activation of appropriate vibration zones. Finally, it enables real-time correction of the opening / closing parameters of the hopper 10's casing 12 for subsequent pours, i.e., indicating a "trend" in the concrete's state and adapting the parameters for future pours, assuming they will not be significantly different. This replaces the operator's ability to judge whether concrete is liquid, thick, or somewhere in between, and the automatic control system actuates the solenoid valves of the pneumatic and / or hydraulic cylinders 18. It is also possible to retrieve the position of the cylinder(s) at any time to ensure that the hopper opening remains aligned.

[0074] Thanks to the invention, the assembly manufacturing process of voussoirs is significantly improved with regard to operators (there are far fewer of them and they intervene far less often, resulting in a significant saving in time / man), the reliability of the process and the quality of the voussoirs obtained because the quantity of concrete is optimized and the subsequent steps of removing excess concrete are limited, or even totally eliminated, which generates savings in concrete and significantly reduces the intervention of operators after pouring.

[0075] It must be clearly understood that the detailed description of the object of the Invention, given solely by way of illustration, does not in any way constitute a limitation, technical equivalents also being included in the scope of the present invention.

[0076] Thus, the infrared ToF optical sensor can be replaced by a rangefinder, a level sensor or any other element allowing the measurement of the height of concrete in the mold 20 such as an ultrasonic sensor (less sensitive to light conditions and with good short-range accuracy), an infrared sensor (simple and inexpensive, with good short-range accuracy), a LIDAR sensor (very accurate but expensive), a RADAR sensor (less sensitive to light and weather conditions and with good range), a stereo vision sensor using two cameras to capture stereoscopic images and calculate the depth by comparing the images (interesting for obtaining detailed depth information and useful for 3D reconstruction).

[0077] The ranges of opening values ​​of the hopper helmet are modifiable according to various parameters, including the size of the mold, the type of concrete (fluidity) including), vibration time, the desired speed at which the mold should be filled, and its filling level.

[0078] The number n of zones Zn (n being an integer) can vary depending on the type of sensor or the desired measurement accuracy and the algorithm used.

Claims

Demands

1. Machine (1) for manufacturing a molded concrete voussoir comprising at least: - a mold (20) comprising at least a bottom wall (21) and side walls (22, 23) delimiting an internal volume having a closed perimeter provided with an upper opening (24) for pouring fluid concrete, - a filling hopper (10) placed above the upper opening (24) of the mold for pouring by gravity a determined quantity of fluid concrete into the volume of the latter, said hopper being provided with a lower discharge orifice (15) and a sealing cap (12) for said orifice, said cap (12) being movable between at least a first closed position in which it seals the lower orifice (15) of the hopper (10) so as to prevent the discharge of fluid concrete into the mold (20),and a second opening position in which it releases the lower orifice (15) of the hopper so as to allow the pouring of fluid concrete into said mold (20), and - means (28) for vibrating the fluid concrete in the mold (20) once it has been at least partially filled in order to put it in place, compact it and de-air it, characterized in that: - the filling hopper (10) includes a means (16) for measuring the presence of concrete by mass or by volume in order to determine in real time the quantity of concrete poured into the mold (20), and - the machine (1) includes a level sensor (30) measuring in real time the filling height (H) of fluid concrete poured into the mold (20),said level sensor (30) being connected to the measuring means (16) of the hopper (10) via an automatic control system (40) to stop the discharge of fluid concrete by moving the hood (12) from the second open position to the first closed position once the fluid concrete poured into the mold (20) has reached a certain predetermined height (Hmax).

2. Machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (40) comprises means (42) for varying at least one of the following parameters among the duration helmet opening / closing speed (12) and helmet opening / closing amplitude (12) as a function of the real-time measurement of the height (H) of fluid concrete already poured into the mold (20).

3. Machine (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the means (42) for varying the discharge of fluid concrete comprise an adjustment wheel that can be manually operated by an operator.

4. Machine (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for varying the discharge of fluid concrete are automatic and controlled by the control unit (40) using an integrated learning algorithm exploiting the data of previous discharges carried out by the machine (1), in particular the last values ​​of discharge durations as well as the last values ​​of weight and height of discharged concrete measured respectively for each of these durations.

5. Machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the level sensor (30) comprises at least one 3D infrared camera with ToF (Time of Flight) technology emitting a beam (F) directed towards an area of ​​the upper surface of the fluid concrete poured into the mold (20), at the level of the opening (24) thereof, said camera being associated with an image processing system integrated into the control unit (40) to represent this surface in the form of a three-dimensional diagram and to determine the height (H) of concrete poured at the level of said area of ​​the upper surface (24).

6. Machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the level sensor (30) comprises several cameras each emitting a beam (F) directed towards a distinct zone (Zo, Zb Z2,... Zn) of the upper surface of fluid concrete poured into the mold (20) at the level of the opening (24) thereof, n being an integer representing the number of zones, and the image processing system integrated into the control unit (40) comprises calculation means for determining an average height of concrete poured into the mold (20) based on the height (H) of poured concrete measured at the level of each zone (Zo, Zb Z2,... Zn) of the upper surface.

7. Machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the level sensor (30) comprises a single multidirectional camera pointing towards several distinct zones (Zo, Zi, Z2,... Zn) of the upper surface of fluid concrete poured into the mold at the level of the opening thereof, n being an integer representing the number of zones, and the image processing system integrated into the control unit (40) comprises calculation means for determining an average height of concrete poured into the mold (20) based on the height of concrete poured measured at the level of each zone (Zo, Zb Z2,... Zn) of the upper surface.

8. Machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means (45) for detecting the presence and identifying the type of mold (20) connected to the vibration means (28) via the control unit (40) to adapt the intensity and / or duration of the vibration sequences according to at least one of the following parameters among the type of mold (20) identified, the composition of the poured concrete, the quality of the poured concrete, the quantity of poured concrete, the type of vibration means (28) used, the number of vibration means (28) used, and the position in the mold (20) of the vibration means (28) used.

9. A method implementing the machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims for the manufacture of rigid molded concrete voussoirs and comprising for this purpose at least one step of gravity discharge of fluid concrete contained in an upper filling hopper (10) into a lower mold (20) and a step of vibration of the concrete discharged into said mold (20) to put it in place, compact it and de-air it, characterized in that it further comprises a step of real-time determination of the quantity of concrete, by mass or by volume, contained in the hopper (10) which has been discharged into the mold, a step of real-time measurement of the height (H) of fluid concrete discharged into the mold (20), and a step of automatic stopping the discharge of fluid concrete into the mold (20) once said fluid concrete discharged into the mold (20) has reached a certain determined height (Hmax).

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the pouring of the fluid concrete is automatically controlled

11.

12.

13.

14. by a control automaton (40) using an integrated learning algorithm exploiting data from previous pours carried out by the machine (1), in particular the latest values ​​of pouring durations as well as the latest values ​​of mass and height of poured concrete measured respectively for each of these durations. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the algorithm of the control system varies at least one of the following parameters among the opening / closing time of the helmet (12), the opening / closing speed of the helmet (12) and the opening / closing amplitude of the helmet (12) as a function of the real-time measurement of the height (H) of fluid concrete already poured into the mold (20). Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the algorithm of the control system (40) modifies in real time the position of the helmet (12) of the lower discharge orifice (15) of the hopper (10) according to ranges of opening rates determined in advance as a function of ranges of measured filling rates. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that: - when the filling rate of the mold (20) is between approximately 0% and 20%, the opening rate of the helmet (12) is between approximately 100% and 50%, - when the filling rate of the mold (20) is between approximately 20% and 40%, the opening rate of the helmet (12) is between approximately 80% and 40%, - when the mold (20) fill rate is between approximately 40 and 60%, the helmet (12) open rate is between approximately 70 and 30%, - when the mold (20) fill rate is between approximately 60 and 80%, the helmet (12) open rate is between approximately 50 and 20%, and - when the filling rate of the mold (20) is between approximately 80 and 100%, the opening rate of the helmet (12) is between approximately 20 and 0%. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the control unit (40) adapts the intensity and / or duration of the vibration sequences of the mold (20) according to at least one of the following parameters from an identified mold type (20), the composition of the poured concrete, the quality of the poured concrete, the quantity of poured concrete, the type of vibration means (28) used, the number of vibration means (28) used, and the position in the mold (20) of the vibration means (28) used.

15. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that it also includes an initial step enabling an operator to choose the degree of automation of the step of pouring the fluid concrete into the mold (20).

16. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that it further comprises a step of vibrating the filling hopper (10) during the phase of pouring the fluid concrete into the mold (20).

17. Carousel-type manufacturing line for implementing the process according to any one of claims 9 to 16 and comprising a multitude of machines (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.