Method and system for controlling the manufacture of rubber products in response to the physicochemical properties of a rubber mixture
View Patent ↗A method ( 200 ) for controlling the manufacture of rubber products produced by a rubber-product manufacturing system ( 100 ) utilizes the output from an olfactory-profiles model as an identification of the physicochemical properties of the rubber mixture in the process of being produced in the production facility ( 110 ). A system ( 100 ) for manufacturing rubber products performs a method ( 200 ) for controlling the manufacture of rubber products, the system including a production facility ( 110 ) that implements successive mixing steps, an odor detection device ( 120 ) that captures ambient air of the production facility in order to obtain at least one gas sample during the mixing cycle, and a control subsystem ( 130 ) that employs an olfactory-profiles model based on the physicochemical properties of the rubber mixtures recognized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR).
1 . A method for controlling the manufacture of rubber products produced by a rubber-product manufacturing system comprising a production facility having at least one mixing means that performs successive steps of mixing a rubber mixture, the method comprising the steps:
a step of initiating a mixing cycle that is performed at the production facility;
a step of capturing ambient air of the production facility in order to obtain at least one gas sample during the mixing cycle, this step being performed by an odor detection device of the system that recognizes a presence of odorous volatile organic compounds present in the ambient air received in the odor detection device by measuring a concentration using surface plasmon resonance;
a step of detecting olfactory profiles present in the ambient air and captured by the odor detection device;
a step of identifying an olfactory profile in order to identify a rubber mixture exiting the at least one mixing means and a production status thereof, this step being performed on a basis of at least one sample of ambient air captured by the odor detection device;
a step of analyzing the at least one sample captured by the device against one or more surface plasmon resonance imprints supplied by the odor detection device and extracted data represented therein;
a step of constructing at least one olfactory-profiles model from physicochemical properties of an identified rubber mixture, this step comprising a step of introducing the physicochemical properties of the identified rubber mixture into a neural network, this step being performed by the system; and
a step of training the olfactory-profiles model using the olfactory profiles of the identified rubber mixture,
wherein an output olfactory-profiles model identifies physicochemical properties of a rubber mixture in a process of being produced in the production facility.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of constructing at least one olfactory-profiles model comprises a step of creating a reference of the olfactory profiles sought to be captured in the ambient air by the odor detection device.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the introducing step of the step of constructing at least one olfactory-profiles model comprises a step of creating a learning database of the physicochemical properties that is introduced into the olfactory-profiles model.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a comparison step during which the identification of the physicochemical properties of the rubber mixture exiting the at least one mixing means, output from the olfactory-profiles model, is compared against an olfactory profile of the identified rubber mixture so that the system can adjust the production facility when desired properties for the rubber mixture are not attained.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising a step of controlling the adjustment of the production facility such that the rubber mixture exiting the at least one mixing means attains the desired properties.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of controlling the adjustment of the production facility comprises a step of determining a level of tack of the rubber mixture from a surface plasmon resonance imprint supplied by the odor detection device.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, during the step of training the olfactory-profiles model, the system employs a learning method selected from a machine learning method and a progressive-learning method.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting olfactory profiles comprises a step of eliminating volatile organic compound pollution from the ambient air received by the odor detection device, this step performed by a filter of the system before the ambient air enters the odor detection device,
the step of identifying an olfactory profile comprises a step of reducing a moisture content and/or a temperature of the ambient air received by the odor detection device, this step performed by a condenser of the system, and
the step of analyzing the at least one sample captured by the odor detection device further comprises a step of analyzing olfactory profiles in the at least one sample prior to the analysis performed by the odor detection device, this step performed by a multiplexer of the system.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating a mixing cycle comprises a step of introducing, into the at least one mixing means, raw materials needed for performing the production of the rubber mixture.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating a mixing cycle comprises a step of introducing, into the at least one mixing means, one or more masterbatches.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of simulating a number of mixing operations yielding at least one rubber mixture having predetermined physicochemical properties.
12 . A system for manufacturing rubber products that performs a method for controlling a manufacture of rubber products, the system comprising:
a production facility that performs successive mixing steps, the production facility comprising at least one mixing means from which one or more rubber mixtures exit;
an odor detection device that captures ambient air of the production facility in order to obtain at least one gas sample during a mixing cycle; and
a control subsystem that employs an olfactory-profiles model based on physicochemical properties of rubber mixtures recognized by surface plasmon resonance,
wherein the odor detection device recognizes a presence of odorous volatile organic compounds present in the captured ambient air by measuring a concentration thereof using surface plasmon resonance, and
wherein the olfactory-profiles model learns physicochemical properties of the volatile organic compounds associated with the one or more rubber mixtures exiting the at least one mixing means during rubber-product production cycles performed by the production facility.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the control subsystem comprises one or more sensors triggered when an output olfactory-profiles model indicates an offset between the physicochemical properties of the rubber mixture that is in the process of being produced in the production facility and expected physicochemical properties.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the control subsystem adjusts an operation of the production facility in response to the triggered sensors so as to obtain a level of tack of the rubber mixture from a surface plasmon resonance imprint supplied by the odor detection device.
15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one mixing means is selected from one or more extruders and/or one or more internal mixing mills.