Signature Control Systems, Inc.

Scott Schneider

Richard W Magill

Bruce Sellers

Steve Courington

Lance Bethel

John C Van Doren

Tim Erickson

A process for curing a natural or synthetic rubber compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a non-bridged impedance sensing circuit and a capacitor having the rubber compound being cured as a dialectric; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the obtained data streams; (3) determining a predictive curing equation by performing a multiple regression between: (a) reheometric data obtained from a plurality of different rubber compound samples cured in a rheometer at various environmental curing conditions, and (b) corresponding samples cured in a production mold at the same environmental conditions; (4) adjusting the curing equation to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties; and (5) controlling the mass producing cured parts with a controller that uses the curing equation for predicting a cure time for each part, wherein the predictions are effective over variations in the rubber compound, and in the mold temperature.

Process and apparatus for improving and controlling the vulcanization of natural and synthetic rubber compounds

A process for curing a moldable compound under a plurality of curing conditions by: (1) obtaining time dependent data streams of dielectric or impedance values from a plurality of sensors distributed within a curing mold, wherein the moldable compound is a dialectric for each of the sensors; (2) determining impedance related measurements from the data streams for the plurality of sensors; (3) determining predictive and/or corrective curing actions for enhancing the curing process using the impedance related measurements for the plurality of sensors; and (4) controlling the mass production curing of parts to obtain cured parts having one or more desired properties.

Process and apparatus for improving and controlling the curing of natural and synthetic moldable compounds

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Littleton, CO, United States of America

Scott Schneider