Patent ID: 8419405

Claim:
A system for forming a composite, said system comprising: supply structure to supply at least one filler material, one of said at least one filler material being a fly ash material; analyzing means positioned to obtain and analyze a sample of said one of said at least one filler material to determine a physical characteristic thereof, said analyzing means being configured to supply at least a first composition signal reflective of said physical characteristic; control means connected to said analyzing means to receive said at least a first composition signal, said control means being configured to process said at least a first composition signal to effect a comparison of said physical characteristic of said one of at least one filler material to a comparable physical characteristic of the composition of an ideal filler and to determine the difference between the physical characteristic of the said at least one filler material and the comparable physical characteristic of said ideal filler, said control means being configured to determine a first amount of said one of said at least one first filler material and, if any, a second amount of another filler material to be blended to result in a filler blend having a physical characteristic best approximating the physical characteristic of the composition of said ideal filler, and said control means being configured to supply a first metering control signal to operate said supply structure to supply said one of at one filler material and if necessary said another filler material to form said filler blend; a source of formable material to be formed into a product; a hopper positioned to receive said formable material from said source and said blend; mixing means positioned relative to said hopper to mix said formable material and one of said at least one filler material and said blend into a first formable composition; forming means connected to said mixing means to receive said first formable composition and operable to form a first product; and power supply means connected to components of the system as necessary to supply power thereto.