Movable Multi-Chamber Silo for Homogeneous On-Site Building Mixes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing construction methods for producing building materials on-site result in inhomogeneous mixtures due to separation of aggregates and binders during transport, lack of precise dosing of water, and manual control of mixing processes, leading to quality inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
An automated system comprising movable silos with separated chambers, a loading station, and mixing and pumping stations connected by a management unit that controls the entire process, ensuring precise dosing and mixing of raw materials based on production recipes, optimizing logistics and eliminating human error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pre-mixed aggregates and binders are transported in a single silo to the construction site, then the production process is simplified and materials are readily available, but the mixture becomes inhomogeneous due to separation of fine parts and bigger aggregates during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The silo is divided into multiple separate compartments, each containing a different raw material (aggregates, binders, water). This segmentation prevents the mixing of materials during transport while keeping them readily available for production at the construction site, thus maintaining both ease of manufacture and composition stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual dosing of water and mixing components is performed on the construction site, then the process is flexible and adaptable, but the dosing precision and quality consistency deteriorate due to lack of scientific control
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors and control units that continuously monitor the dosing process and provide feedback to adjust the quantity of water and mixing components added to the mixture. This ensures precise dosing according to the production recipe while maintaining process flexibility through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-dosing of water and mixing components based on pre-programmed production recipes. The automated dosing equipment independently controls the quantity and timing of material addition without requiring manual intervention, thus achieving both precision and adaptability.
3Manufacturing precision
If automated management unit controls all loading and mixing steps according to production recipes, then manufacturing precision and quality are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management unit serves multiple functions: it controls the loading of raw materials into the silo, manages the transport logistics, monitors the mixing process, and controls the dosing of water and additives. This multi-functionality consolidates complex control tasks into a single integrated system, improving manufacturing precision without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (1) for producing building materials, comprising at least one movable silo (10) adapted to contain raw materials to be mixed, the movable silo (10) comprising at least two chambers (11a, 11b, 11c) which are separated from each other and adapted to contain a respective raw material; a loading station (100) comprising loading means adapted to load the raw materials in the chambers (11a, 11b, 11c) of the movable silo (10); and a management unit (MU) configured to process a production recipe containing instructions related to the production of the building material, and configured to automatically control the loading means of the loading station (100) based on the production recipe, said loading means being thereby adapted to load the raw materials into the chambers (11a, 11b, 11c) of the movable silo (10) based on instructions of the management unit (MU). Suitably, the system (1) further comprises at least one mixing and pumping station (1000) configured to receive the raw materials from the chambers (11a, 11b, 11c) of the movable silo (10) for the mixing and following pumping thereof, the management unit (MU) being further configured to automatically control, based on the production recipe, the dosage of the raw materials taken out from the chambers (11a, 11b, 11c) of the movable silo (10) for the mixing thereof in the mixing and pumping station (1000).