Description:FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
1. Title of the invention: “A smart device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting”
2. Applicant:
NAME NATIONALITY ADDRESS
1. Marwadi University
2. Amit V Sata Indian Marwadi University, Rajkot-Morbi Highway, At Gauridad, Rajkot – 360003, Gujarat, India
3. Pinal Kantesariya
4. Philip Gajera Udhyog 4.0 LLP, Plot No G207/1, Lodhika GIDC, Kalawad Road Metoda (Lodhika) Rajkot 360021, Gujarat-India
5. Mahek Dipakbhai Rathod 57, Radhika Park, New Ravalvadi, Bhuj-kutch – 370001, Gujarat-India
3. Preamble to the description
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the field of Mechatronics Engineering. More particularly, the present invention relates to a smart device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in investment casting. The present invention is a measurement device which also measures the Specific Gravity and pH of the ceramic slurry.
Background of the Invention:
Investment casting process is considered to be one of the oldest manufacturing processes for metallic components, and was employed in manufacturing of jewellery, idols, etc in its early days. Investment casting process has been evolved a lot since then, and currently employed for manufacturing industrial components for various sectors including aerospace, agricultural, automobile, biomedical, defence, etc.
Conventionally, Investment casting is mainly comprised of various sub-processes including wax pattern making, shell making, shell dewaxing, shell backing, melting, and pouring followed by finishing as well as inspection to manufacture industrial components. Subprocess related to shell making is considered to be one of most critical processes in investment casting, and mainly deals in making shell over patterns by alternatively dipping patterns in slurry (usually made of sand, binder and additives), and cooling in controlled environmental conditions.
Different variables associated including viscosity, pH and specific gravity with slurry usually drive the quality of slurry and in turn quality of shell build up during the process. Measurement of viscosity is carried out using manual intervention with the help of specific cups (Zhan cup, ISO cup, Ford cup, etc) available in market, pH is by typical pH test strips, and Specific gravity is by volumetric flask or pycnometer method in investment casting foundries. However, these manual measurements are not reliable and accurate.
Therefore, to overcome above problems, there is a need to develop a measurement device which accurately measure all the three properties viscosity, specific gravity and pH on one sample with minimum human intervention to remove errors and also provide real time monitoring and controlling using IoT.
There is no available device that measures all three properties on one sample. There are types of equipment, and methods to measure the properties on different samples of the slurry. In that case, the reliability of the results decreases with conversion factors, and complex interoperability.
There are no devices available that can predict the life of slurry based on these properties. The ceramic slurry is one-time use only material. Hence, the longer life of slurry is desired. The pH and Specific gravity greatly affect the life of the slurry, and Viscosity determines the applicability of the slurry.
In the present invention, the Viscosity of the slurry is measured using the viscosity cups. The cup needs to be on a rigid set up away from the vibration. In the present day, the worker either measures viscosity by holding the cup with hand or mounting it on a metal stand. The user needs to put a finger or a closure below the stand to close the hole in the bottom of the cup. The user removes the finger or closure to start the flow of the slurry from the cup. In both the cases of setup the vibrations are present and it accounts for deviated results. The presented invention has a mechanism to close the hole, and the mechanism creates minimum vibrations at the time of removal.
In the case of the pH measurement, under or over immersion of the tip of the pH sensor may not provide an authentic measurement. Also, the ceramic slurry has a tendency to create a layer over a surface, if the sensor isn’t removed within the optimal time for a specific viscosity of the slurry, it will create a layer over it which is a prime reason for a deviated result or sensor damage. The presented device measures pH with an optimum time according to the viscosity, and specific gravity.
Furthermore, the slurry properties vary with the passage of time. The industrial worker adds arbitrary amounts of fluids or materials to adjust the properties to the required value. The device presented will provide the exact amounts of fluids or materials to add to the slurry. Therefore, the present invention will assist in the monitoring and standardization of the slurry.
Objectives of the Invention:
The main objective of the present invention is to develop a user-friendly measurement device to accurately measure the Viscosity, Specific Gravity, and pH of the ceramic slurry used in investment casting.

Another objective of the present invention is to develop a Generic measurement device for measuring viscosity (with any varieties of cups), pH and specific gravity with minimum manual intervention.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to use fundamentals of IoT that measures the values, record the values, streams the values to server using internet.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide real time monitoring and controlling of measurement device.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide Quality Assurance of slurry used in investment casting like prediction of slurry life and better productivity from a single process with higher accuracy by removing human error.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to be free from typical computation required for measurement of specific gravity and provide ease in measurement and recording of measurement.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide user interface for measurement of Viscosity, Specific Gravity, and pH of the ceramic slurry.
Summary of the Invention:

The present invention is related to a measurement device that accurately measures the Viscosity, Specific Gravity and pH of the ceramic slurry used in investment casting. The present invention is specifically developed by keeping guidelines of ICI-USA.
The present invention measures the slurry properties from a single process with higher accuracy by removing human error. The health of the slurry greatly depends upon the pH value. Also, the irregular viscosity can result in defects that can be compensated using a specific gravity value. The measured value of the slurry properties further assists in the prediction of slurry life, and better productivity.
The present invention is related to a Generic measurement device for measuring viscosity (with any varieties of cups), specific gravity and pH with minimum manual intervention using fundamentals of IoT that measures the values, record the values, streams the values to server using internet.
The main embodiment of the present invention consists of Photoelectric Proximity Sensor, DC Servo Motor, Load Cell Sensor, Load Cell Amplifier, pH Sensor, pH Monitoring Module, ADC (Analogue to Digital Converter) to DC converter, Linear Actuator, Relay, Computing Device, Touch screen Display and Power supply.

Brief Description of drawings:
Figure 1 shows ISO cup used for measurement of viscosity
Figure 2 shows overall layout of measurement device (side, front and top view of device)
No. PART
1 CORNER BLOCK
2 STRUCTURE 240 mm
3 STRUCTURE 265 mm
4 STRUCTURE 390 mm
5 STRUCTURE 120 mm
6 STRUCTURE 165 mm
7 STRUCTURE 88.41 mm
8 30 mm HINGE
9 30-30 ANGLE BRACKET
10 MIDDLE COMPARTMENT
11 ACRYLIC SIDE UPPER PLATE – 1
12 ACRYLIC SIDE UPPER PLATE – 2
13 ACRYLIC TOP PLATE
14 ACRYLIC SIDE BOTTOM PLATE
15 ACRYLIC BACK PLATE
16 ACRYLIC LOAD CELL PLATE
17 ACRYLIC BOTTOM PLATE
18 STORAGE CUP
19 ISO CUP
20 pH CONTROLLER
21 CONTROL UNIT
22 LINEAR ACTUATOR STAND
23 BLOCKING MECHANISM
24 BLOCKING MECHANISM SUPPORT
25 LINEAR ACTUATOR
26 pH SUPPORT
27 pH SENSOR

Figure 3 shows overall layout of measurement device (front and isometric view of device)
No. PART
1 CORNER BLOCK
2 STRUCTURE 240 mm
3 STRUCTURE 265 mm
4 STRUCTURE 390 mm
5 STRUCTURE 120 mm
6 STRUCTURE 165 mm
7 STRUCTURE 88.41 mm
8 30 mm HINGE
9 30-30 ANGLE BRACKET
10 MIDDLE COMPARTMENT
11 ACRYLIC SIDE UPPER PLATE – 1
12 ACRYLIC SIDE UPPER PLATE – 2
13 ACRYLIC TOP PLATE
14 ACRYLIC SIDE BOTTOM PLATE

Detailed Description of the Invention:
The following description relates to a particular manifestation of the present invention. The present invention relates to a user-friendly measurement device for measuring viscosity, specific gravity and pH of the ceramic slurry used in investment casting as per standard guidelines published by Investment Casting Institute (ICI) – USA using fundamentals of Internet of Things (IoT).
The present invention measures the slurry properties from a single process with higher accuracy by removing human error. The measured value of the slurry properties further assists in the prediction of slurry life and better productivity. The present invention uses sensors, microcontroller, pH meter, load cell, etc to measure viscosity, specific gravity and pH by using fundamentals of IoT, facilitates the measurement with minimum manual intervention, and streams the measured results to server using internet for further utilisation.
The present invention is developed in generic manner that it can accommodate any varieties of cup (Zhan Cup, ISO Cup, Ford Cup, etc.) for measurement of viscosity with minor attachment.
The present invention comprises of Photoelectric Proximity Sensor, DC Servo Motor, Load Cell Sensor, Load Cell Amplifier, pH Sensor, pH Monitoring Module, ADC to DC converter, Linear Actuator, Relay, Computing Device, Touch screen Display and Power supply.
Details of the sensors list is listed below:
No. Item description Details
1 Photoelectric Proximity Sensor Name: VL6180X
Range: 5mm to 100 mm
Supply Voltage: 2.8-5V
Communication Protocol: I2C
2 DC Servo Motor Name: Tower Pro MG995
Range: 0-1800
Supply Voltage: 3.3-5V DC
Communication Protocol: Digital Input
3 Load Cell Sensor Name: YZC-131
Range: 0 to 1 kg
Supply Voltage: 3-5V DC
4 Load Cell Amplifier Name: HX711
Supply Voltage: 2.8-5V
Communication Protocol: I2C
5 pH Sensor Name: Broadley James Process Probe
Range: 2-12 pH
Supply Voltage: 24V DC
6 pH Monitoring Module Name: Utkarsh Scientific pH Monitoring Module
Range: 0-14 pH
Supply Voltage: 230V AC
Output Voltage: 0-5V
7 ADC to DC converter Name: Adafruit ADS1115
Supply Voltage: 2.8-5V
Communication Protocol: I2C
8 Linear Actuator Range: 0-100 mm
Supply Voltage: 24V DC
9 Relay Channel: 2
Supply Voltage: 5V DC
Communication Protocol: Digital Input
10 Computing Device Name: Raspberry Pi 4B
Supply Voltage: 5V DC
Supply Current: 3A DC
Communication Protocol: Digital I/0, I2C
11 Touch screen Display Name: Waveshare Touch Screen Display
Supply Voltage: 5V DC
Communication Protocol: HDMI
Screen size: 7”
Resolution: 1024×600
11 Power Supply Supply Voltage: 230V AC
Output Voltage: 24V DC
Output Current: 3.2A DC
12 Power Supply Supply Voltage: 230V AC
Output Voltage: 5V DC
Output Current: 4A DC

Principle of Measurement
Measurement of viscosity, pH and specific gravity is carried out by guidelines published by Investment Casting Institute – USA.
Measurement of viscosity is usually carried out using indirect measurement by varieties of metallic cups including Zahn, ISO, and Ford. Time required to pass specific quantity of ceramic slurry through these metallic cups is usually recorded in second for measurement of viscosity of slurry.
The present invention has an arrangement for holding different varieties of metallic cups at top. User pours ceramic slurry in metallic cups (that has specific size of hole at bottom) placed at top of device. The present invention has a mechanism to close the hole, and the mechanism creates minimum vibrations at the time of removal.
Further, Specific arrangement (blocking mechanism) has been made in measurement device in order to avoid the flow of slurry from bottom of metallic cup before the measurement. User needs to fill up the metallic cup (placed at top of device) followed by operation with blocking mechanism to allow flow of slurry from metallic cup. Slurry will flow continuously from metallic cup (that has specific size of hole at bottom) till metallic cup is unfilled. Time taken by slurry flowing from metallic cup (while flowing to bottom) is measurement using photoelectric proximity sensor, and recorded using microcontroller placed in control unit. Ceramic slurry is collected at bottom part of device where specific size of storage cup is placed to collect poured slurry. The stored slurry in storage cup is utilised for further measurement.
Main embodiment of the present invention, a smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting comprising of:
a) Photoelectric Proximity Sensor
b) DC Servo Motor;
c) Load Cell Sensor;
d) pH Sensor;
e) pH Monitoring Module;
f) ADC to DC converter;
g) Linear Actuator;
h) Relay;
i) Computing Device;
j) Touch screen Display; and
k) Power Supply;
Wherein said device measures viscosity, pH and specific gravity of ceramic slurry simultaneously and accurately.
Another embodiment of the present invention, said device is used for measuring viscosity by using different varieties of metallic cups such as Zahn, ISO, Ford at top for pouring ceramic slurry in metallic cups.
Another embodiment of the present invention, said device measures viscosity, pH and specific gravity with minimum manual intervention using fundamentals of IoT that measures the values, record the values, streams the values to server using internet.
Another embodiment of the present invention, said device measures the slurry properties from a single process with higher accuracy by removing human error and the measured value of the slurry properties further assists in the prediction of slurry life, and better productivity.
Another embodiment of the present invention, time taken by slurry flowing from metallic cup is measured by using photoelectric proximity sensor, and recorded using microcontroller placed in control unit.
Another embodiment of the present invention, said device measures pH by pH sensor attached with pH support and linear actuator.
Another embodiment of the present invention, said device measures viscosity, specific weight and pH and operated using user interface placed in middle compartment of device.
Another embodiment of the present invention, the device is tested in industrial environment and found to be very useful for accurate measurement of viscosity values 20-25 seconds by using B4 cup, specific gravity value 2.6-2.7 and pH 9.5-10.5 for Primary slurry and viscosity 20-25 seconds by using B4 cup, 1.6-1.7 specific gravity and 9.5-10.5 pH for Backup slurry.
Furthermore, the stored slurry in storage cup will initially use to measurement of weight of slurry using load cell placed inside bottom acrylic back plate. Weight of slurry poured in storage cup is measured and recorded using microcontroller placed in control unit. This is followed by measurement of pH by pH sensor attached with pH support and linear actuator. The pH meter will be dipped inside slurry stored in storage cup, and value of pH is measured using (pH sensor), and recorded using microcontroller placed in control unit.
Each step for measurement of viscosity, pH and specific weight can be operated using user interface that is placed in middle compartment of device.
Measurement details:
No. Property Measuring Range Resolution
1 Viscosity in terms of seconds of the slurry flow - 0.1 s
2 Specific Gravity - 0.001
3 pH 2-12 0.01

The present invention is also tested in an industrial environment and found very useful for accurate measurement of viscosity, specific gravity and pH for specific types of slurry (Primary slurry and Backup Slurry) used in shell making for investment casting process.

Primary slurry is prepared with Zirconium powder of 200 mesh size (80% by weight), Colloidal Silica (18% by weight), and few other additives (anti-foaming agent, and wetting agent) (2% by weight). The viscosity, specific gravity and pH were measured in the present invention. The values are as follows:

Viscosity 150-160 seconds (using B4 cup)
Specific Gravity 2.6-2.7
pH 9.5-10.5

Backup slurry is prepared with Silimanite powder (50% by weight), and Colloidal Silica (50% by weight). Viscosity, specific gravity and pH were measured in the present invention The values are as follows:

Viscosity 20-25 seconds (using B4 cup)
Specific Gravity 1.6-1.7
pH 9.5-10.5 , Claims:We claim,
1. A smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting comprising of:
a) Photoelectric Proximity Sensor
b) DC Servo Motor;
c) Load Cell Sensor;
d) pH Sensor;
e) pH Monitoring Module;
f) ADC to DC converter;
g) Linear Actuator;
h) Relay;
i) Computing Device;
j) Touch screen Display; and
k) Power Supply;
Wherein said device measures viscosity, pH and specific gravity of ceramic slurry simultaneously and accurately.
2. The smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device is used for measuring viscosity by using different varieties of metallic cups such as Zahn, ISO, Ford at top for pouring ceramic slurry in metallic cups.

3. The smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device measures viscosity, pH and specific gravity with minimum manual intervention using fundamentals of IoT that measures the values, record the values, streams the values to server using internet.

4. The smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device measures the slurry properties from a single process with higher accuracy by removing human error and the measured value of the slurry properties further assists in the prediction of slurry life, and better productivity.

5. The smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting as claimed in claim 1, wherein time taken by slurry flowing from metallic cup is measured by using photoelectric proximity sensor, and recorded using microcontroller placed in control unit.

6. The smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device measures pH by pH sensor attached with pH support and linear actuator.

7. The smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device measures viscosity, specific weight and pH and operated using user interface placed in middle compartment of device.

8. The smart IoT based device to measure the viscosity of ceramic slurry used in Investment Casting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is tested in industrial environment and found to be very useful for accurate measurement of viscosity values 20-25 seconds by using B4 cup, specific gravity value 2.6-2.7 and pH 9.5-10.5 for Primary slurry and viscosity 20-25 seconds by using B4 cup, 1.6-1.7 specific gravity and 9.5-10.5 pH for Backup slurry.
Dated 25th Apr, 2023

Chothani Pritibahen Bipinbhai
Reg. No.: IN/PA-3148
For and on behalf of the applicant