Ceramic Glaze Mixing Control With Reverse Recipe Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic technicians face difficulties in determining if desired physical and chemical properties of a glaze can be achieved with available raw ingredients, as adjusting one ingredient affects all properties, making it tedious to derive a precise recipe using existing forward calculation methods.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a reverse calculation process within a solver engine that allows for control over multiple variables and constraints, enabling the determination of a glaze recipe that meets specific chemical and physical property goals by optimizing ingredient combinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If forward calculation methods are used to determine glaze recipes, then the process follows traditional sequential adjustment, but it becomes tedious and difficult to achieve desired properties when adjusting one ingredient affects all properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional forward calculation approach by implementing reverse calculation methods. Instead of starting with ingredients and calculating resulting properties, the system starts with desired glaze properties and calculates the required ingredient quantities. This inversion allows technicians to directly input target properties and obtain recipes that meet those specifications, eliminating the tedious trial-and-error adjustment process where changing one ingredient affects all properties.
2Manufacturing precision
If reverse calculation is implemented to determine optimal ingredient sets, then recipe precision is improved, but system complexity increases due to multiple variables and constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex reverse calculation problem into distinct functional modules within the solver engine. The system divides the calculation process into separate components that handle different aspects: ingredient database management, property target specification, constraint definition, mathematical optimization, and recipe generation. This segmentation makes the complex system more manageable and allows each module to be independently developed and tested.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary solver engine that acts as a mediator between the user's desired glaze properties and the actual recipe formulation. This intermediary component handles the complex mathematical calculations and constraint satisfaction automatically, shielding the user from the underlying complexity while delivering precise results. The solver engine translates high-level property requirements into specific ingredient quantities through automated optimization algorithms.
3Productivity
If automated reverse calculation is used to optimize ingredient combinations, then productivity is improved, but the extent of automation increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service capabilities within the solver engine, allowing the system to automatically manage its own computational processes. The engine autonomously handles database queries, performs mathematical optimizations, validates constraints, and generates recipes without requiring manual intervention at each step. This self-service automation increases productivity by rapidly determining optimal recipes while the modular architecture manages the complexity of the automated processes.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a solver engine may execute a reverse calculation to determine a recipe ingredient set based on a goal descriptor describing a ceramic glaze. A descriptor interface of the solver engine may receive a goal descriptor describing a ceramic glaze. A model applicator of the solver engine may apply a glaze process model to the goal descriptor. The model applicator may automatically reverse calculate a glaze recipe describing a recipe ingredient set to produce the ceramic glaze described by the goal descriptor. A glaze mixing machine interface may direct a glaze mixing machine to mix the recipe ingredient set to produce the ceramic glaze.