Slipform Casting Leveling Plate Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The primary quality defect in slipform cast concrete products is the variation in height, which affects the amount and curing time of filler required for leveling, increasing construction costs and time.
Innovation Solution
The height of the cast product is continuously measured during the casting process, and the leveling plate is adjusted in real-time to maintain a level surface, using sensors to monitor deviations and an automatic control system to make necessary adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If slipform casting is used to produce concrete products, then continuous production and long element lengths are achieved, but height variations and surface undulations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where sensors continuously measure the height of the concrete product during casting, and the control system automatically adjusts the leveling plate position based on these measurements to maintain uniform height and eliminate surface undulations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the previously static leveling plate dynamic by enabling its automatic adjustment during the casting process. The leveling plate can now change its position in real-time based on feedback from height sensors, allowing the system to adapt to variations in concrete flow and maintain precision throughout continuous production
2Manufacturing precision
If height variations are reduced through manual monitoring and adjustment, then surface levelness improves, but production time increases and automation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-correction of height variations through automatic control. The sensors continuously monitor height and the control system automatically adjusts the leveling plate without requiring manual intervention, maintaining precision while keeping production speed unchanged
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical monitoring and adjustment with an automated electromechanical system. Sensors and actuators substitute for human operators, enabling continuous automatic adjustment that maintains surface levelness without adding production time
3Manufacturing precision
If filler is applied to correct height variations, then surface uniformity is achieved, but construction costs and curing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs height correction during the casting process itself rather than after. By adjusting the leveling plate while the concrete is still plastic, the system prevents height variations from occurring in the first place, eliminating the need for subsequent filler application
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces height variations in slipform cast products, ensuring a more level surface and minimizing the need for filler, thereby reducing construction costs and time.
Implementation Method 1
The height measurements in the present invention are advantageously carried out with suitable sensors, such as laser distance measurement sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for casting concrete products with a substantially horizontal slipform casting process, where concrete mass is fed through a restricted cross-section defining the product to be cast, and which restricted cross-section moves progressively along with the casting process in relation to a casting bed, wherein the height of the cast product exiting the restricted cross-section is measured during the casting process, and the height and/or position of the leveling plate (5) of the upper surface of the restricted cross-section is adjusted during the casting process based on the height measure-ment of the cast product.