AUTOMATED FACTORY SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING CLASS-A FIRE-PROTECTED PREFABRICATED MASS TIMBER AND WOOD-FRAMED BUILDING COMPONENTS USING CLEAN FIRE INHIBITING CHEMICAL (CFIC) LIQUID SPRAYING ROBOTS AND MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS
Prefabricated Class-A fire-protected mass timber building components are first sprayed or curtain-coated with clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid, in an automated prefabricated wood building factory environment, to provide Class-A fire-protection under the ASTM 84E test standard. Thereafter, the prefabricated Class-A fire-protected mass timber building components are sprayed or coated again with a different chemical liquid so as to provide added UV-light, moisture and termite protection to the Class-A fire-protected CLT building components. Preferably, a multi-axis robotic spray system is used for spraying CFIC liquid over all of the surfaces of the prefabricated mass timber. Machine vision systems can be used to collect video data of the spraying operations, analyzing the collected video data against preconstructed reference models, and providing guidance as required to achieve predetermined standards of quality control (QC) along the production line.
1 . An automated prefabricated mass timber panel factory system for producing Class-A fire-protected prefabricated mass timber building panels, each being provided with an added layer of UV/moisture/termite protection applied over its Class-A fire-protection layer, said automated prefabricated mass timber panel factory system comprising:
a conveyor system for conveying one or more prefabricated mass timber building panels during fabrication along an automated production line;
a first liquid spraying stage installed and deployed along the automated production line of the prefabricated mass timber factory system for automated application of clean fire inhibiting liquid (CFIC) liquid spray over the prefabricated mass timber building panel, to produce a Class-A fire-protected prefabricated mass timber building panel;
a second liquid spraying stage for spray applying a UV-light and moisture-protective coating containing a biocide for exterminating termites, applied over the surfaces of the Class-A fire-protected prefabricated mass timber building panel; and
a system controller for controlling the operation of the conveyor system, the first liquid spraying stage, and the second liquid spraying stage during fabrication of the prefabricated mass timber building panel.
2 - 7 . (canceled)
8 . An automated prefabricated building factory system comprising:
(i) a robotically-controlled liquid spraying stage for spraying clean fire inhibiting liquid (CFIC) liquid over the surfaces of a prefabricated CLT panel;
(ii) an automated drying tunnel stage for achieving quick drying of wet prefabricated Class-A fire-protected mass timber panels;
(iii) a robotically-controlled spraying stage for spraying UV/moisture/termite-protection over the surfaces of factory-applied Class-A fire-protected CLT panels along the production lines of the automated factory system; and
(iv) an automated drying tunnel stage for achieving quick drying of wet prefabricated UV/moisture/termite-protection liquid applied over the factory-applied Class-A fire-protected CLT mass timber.
9 . (canceled)
10 - 12 . (canceled)
13 . An automated wood-framed factory system comprising:
a multi-axis robotic spray system installed along a production line in said automated wood-framed factory system for spraying clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid over all of the surfaces of a prefabricated wood-framed panel so as to produce a prefabricated Class-A fire-protected wood-framed panel for use in constructing a prefabricated wood-framed building; and
a machine vision system for collecting video data of the spraying operations, analyzing collected video data against preconstructed reference models, and providing guidance as required to achieve predetermined standards of quality control (QC) along the production line.
14 - 17 . (canceled)