TECHNICAL FIELD

Field of Use

This disclosure relates to mobile manufacturing systems. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a system able to specify, fabricate, and evaluate a component of a water infrastructure system or other systems onsite.

Related Art

Repair of any large system including a water infrastructure system can require the replacement of certain components. Sometimes such a repair can be predicted, but sometimes it can be required without warning at an inopportune time or in a remote location of the system. When a unique component that a serviceperson does not have “on hand” requires replacement, the time it takes to order, build, ship, and receive the replacement component can take days or weeks. Sometimes the replacement part is needed sooner than possible with conventional methods.

SUMMARY

It is to be understood that this summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. This summary is exemplary and not restrictive, and it is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor delineate the scope thereof. The sole purpose of this summary is to explain and exemplify certain concepts of the disclosure as an introduction to the following complete and extensive detailed description.

In one aspect, disclosed is a mobile manufacturing system comprising: a control unit configured for ready portable transport via a vehicle from a storage site to a worksite and then back to the storage site, the worksite located remotely from the storage site; a three-dimensional scanner operatively coupled to the control unit and configured for portable transport via the vehicle to the worksite, the scanner configured to convert the geometry of a first component of a water infrastructure system into electronic data based on a physical scan of the first component, a one of the scanner and the control unit comprising a converter configured to convert the data into a three-dimensional solid model of the first component; and a manufacturing unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured for ready portable transport via a vehicle to the worksite, the manufacturing unit configured to fabricate a second component of the water infrastructure system using an automated manufacturing process based on the solid model of the first component.

In a further aspect, disclosed is a mobile manufacturing system comprising: a server comprising a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium configured to selectively store data sufficient for defining at least a portion of specifications of a first component, the server further configured to selectively send the data to and receive the data from a certification agency; a mobile manufacturing platform configured for transport via a vehicle to a worksite, the platform comprising: a control unit operatively coupled to the server; a three-dimensional scanner operatively coupled to the control unit, the scanner configured to convert geometry of the first component into electronic data based on a physical scan of the first component; a one of the control unit and the scanner comprising a converter configured to convert the data into a three-dimensional solid model of the first component; a manufacturing unit operatively coupled to the control unit, the manufacturing unit configured to fabricate a second component using an automated manufacturing process based on the solid model of the first component stored on the server; a quality test unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured to perform testing on the second component and on dog bone samples of a batch of a material used to fabricate the second component; a material recycle unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured to receive the first component for disposal; and a power unit configured to power at least one of the control unit, the scanner, the manufacturing unit, the quality test unit, and the material recycle unit; the power unit comprising a power source comprising at least one of a battery and a generator.

In yet another aspect, disclosed is a method of manufacturing a component of a water infrastructure system, the method comprising: carrying a mobile manufacturing platform with a vehicle from a storage site to a worksite located remotely from the storage site, the mobile manufacturing platform comprising: a control unit; and a manufacturing unit operatively coupled to the control unit; sending the solid model of a first component or an equivalent thereof to the manufacturing unit; fabricating a second component using an automated manufacturing process based on the solid model of the first component saved on a computer-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the control unit; and returning the system from the worksite to the storage site.

In a further aspect, disclosed is a mobile manufacturing system comprising: a control unit configured for ready portable transport via a vehicle from a storage site to a worksite and then back to the storage site, the worksite located remotely from the storage site; a manufacturing unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured for ready portable transport via the vehicle to the worksite, the manufacturing unit configured to fabricate a component of the water infrastructure system using an automated manufacturing process based on a three dimensional solid model of the component saved on a computer-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the control unit; and a quality test unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured to perform testing on the component.

In a further aspect, disclosed is a mobile manufacturing platform comprising: a control unit; a manufacturing unit operatively coupled to the control unit, the manufacturing unit configured to fabricate a component using an automated manufacturing process based on a three-dimensional solid model of the component; and a quality test unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured to perform testing on one of the component and a sample of material used to fabricate the component; wherein the platform is configured for transport via a vehicle to a worksite.

In a further aspect, disclosed is a method of manufacturing a component, the method comprising: fabricating a component on a mobile manufacturing platform at a worksite using an automated manufacturing process based on a solid model of the component saved on a computer-readable storage medium operatively coupled to a control unit, the mobile manufacturing platform comprising the control unit, a manufacturing unit operatively coupled to the control unit, and a quality test unit; performing testing on one of the component and a sample of material used to fabricate the component on the mobile manufacturing platform; and alerting a user of the mobile manufacturing platform as to whether a characteristic of the one of the component and the sample is within an acceptable range.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure may comprise additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may not necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims. The features and advantages of such implementations may be realized and obtained by means of the systems, methods, features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of such exemplary implementations as set forth hereinafter.

