Extrusion and / or mixing area

Abstract

The present invention relates to an extrusion and / or mixing area (1), preferably of a tire production facility, comprising a sorting area (10) configured to reject extruded profiles, preferably extruded tread strips, that deviate from the production process and preferably a buffer area (11) configured to receive and buffer the rejected profiles. The extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to the invention is characterized by a cutting unit (12) configured to automatically cut each rejected profile, preferably into small strips of defined geometry, and subsequently compress them into bales.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an extrusion and / or mixing area.

[0002] It is well known that various types of vehicles are moved on wheels, or rather, that they roll on a surface using wheels. Nowadays, this is usually done with tires, which are located around the circumference of the wheel and transmit the forces between the wheel and the surface, such as a road.

[0003] The part of the vehicle's tire that is in contact with the road surface is commonly referred to as the contact patch, the tread of which extends around the tire. Laterally, a sidewall adjoins the tread on both sides, ending in a bead that connects the tire to the rim. The tread typically has a radial profile to improve traction and, in particular, contact with the road surface. Radially beneath the tread lies the carcass, which provides structural support and forms the tire's load-bearing base. The sides of the carcass extend to the bead and thus connect to the rim, transmitting force.

[0004] To manufacture tires, vulcanizing molds are typically used. These molds consist of components that together form the tire's radial outer surface, such as the tread, as well as the other outer surfaces, including the shoulder, sidewalls, and bead. The segments of the vulcanizing mold that form the tire's tread are called profile or mold segments.

[0005] The unvulcanized "green" tire blank is vulcanized in the vulcanizing mold and transformed into its final rubber-elastic state through rubber cross-linking reactions. The tire receives its tread pattern through the corresponding negative shaping of the mold surfaces of the mold segments. Mold surfaces are those areas of the mold segments that give the tire blank its specific shape.

[0006] To define and improve the contact between the tire and the road surface, the tire tread is typically profiled, meaning the tire has a profiled tread extending radially outwards towards the road. The profiled tread usually consists of a specific arrangement of blocks separated by grooves.

[0007] In tire manufacturing, it is common practice to extrude the treads and then place them, with their unprofiled side facing outwards, onto the outer side of the carcass. Subsequently, the aforementioned molded parts, which are shaped to match the tread's profile, are applied radially outwards to the profiled side of the tread. The tire then undergoes the vulcanization process, as previously mentioned.

[0008] It is standard practice that extruded profiles or extruded treads that deviate from a predetermined specification, for example, regarding their weight or geometry, are automatically sorted out after cooling in a sorting area and transferred to a buffer zone for out-of-specification materials. From there, personnel manually fold the profiles and place them on pallets. Different layers of rejected profiles are separated by liners to prevent them from sticking together.

[0009] These pallets are stored in special production areas, typically located outside of high-bay racking, and later transported back to the mixing area. In the mixing area or the returns processing area, the pallets are manually unloaded again and placed on scales or conveyor belts by personnel for subsequent mixing or homogenization. This can be considered a conventional method or process for handling returns.

[0010] A disadvantage of the previous approach is that the manual handling in the extrusion and mixing area makes these jobs comparatively unattractive, as the operators or people move several tons of material during a shift, which can represent a heavy physical strain.

[0011] Furthermore, the packaging of the pallets in the extrusion area is relatively undefined, which can result in individual profiles sticking together and the separating films adhering to the profiles. High-bay warehouses are also unsuitable for storing such pallets. Additionally, only small total quantities can be stored on a single pallet, which can lead to a high storage space requirement.

[0012] Furthermore, liners are currently used to separate the individual sorted profiles, which poses a risk of contamination of the profile material.

[0013] One object of the present invention is to provide a rewinding process for extrusion lines or for extrusion and / or mixing areas of the type described above, so that the manual handling of the rejected profiles by personnel in the extrusion and / or mixing area can be avoided or at least reduced. Additionally or alternatively, the space required for storing the rejected profiles should be reduced. Additionally or alternatively, the risk of material contamination through the use of linings should be avoided or at least reduced. Additionally or alternatively, the risk of confusing different materials should be reduced or even eliminated. At the very least, an alternative to the known mixing and unwinding processes on extrusion lines should be provided.

[0014] The problem is solved according to the invention by an extrusion and / or mixing section with the features according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0015] Thus, the present invention relates to an extrusion and / or mixing area, preferably of a tire production facility, with a booking area configured to sort out extruded / calendered profiles, preferably extruded treads, that lie outside a predetermined specification from the production, and preferably with a buffer area configured to receive and buffer the sorted-out profiles, as described above.

[0016] The extrusion and / or mixing section according to the invention is characterized by a cutting unit designed to automatically cut each rejected profile, preferably into small strips of defined geometry. This makes the weight easier to handle for people and / or equipment such as conveyor belts, robots, and the like. This can particularly reduce physical strain on people.

[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, the extrusion and / or mixing area further comprises a weighing unit designed to receive and weigh the cut profile sections. This allows the weight of each cut profile section to be determined. Knowing the weight of each individual cut profile section via the weighing unit ensures that the resulting cut "out of tolerance" profile sections are collected in a "bale" and have a combined weight of approximately a predetermined value (ergonomically appropriate, for example, 15 kg) before being fed to the pressing process.

[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, the extrusion and / or mixing section also includes a pressing unit configured to obtain the weighed, cut profile sections and press them into bales of predetermined geometry, in particular predetermined height, as soon as a predetermined target weight is reached in the previous step. In this way, the individual cut profile sections can be combined or pressed together into larger units than bales, i.e., into a geometrically defined unit, which may be easier to handle and / or store.

[0019] According to a further aspect of the invention, the pressing unit is also designed to place the weighed, cut profile sections into a container, preferably with a defined base area, and to press them into a bale there. This can simplify the handling of the cut profile sections as bales based on or supported by the container. The container can also define or specify the external dimensions of the bale, which can simplify further handling and / or storage. In particular, identical containers can be used for this purpose. Specifically, by appropriately selecting the dimensions of the container, geometrically defined bales can be pressed from the cut profile sections, which correspond to the bales commonly used in mixing applications with regard to weight and shape.

[0020] As previously mentioned, geometrically uniform and reasonably weighted bales, similar to polymer bales, can be produced using weighing and pressing. This allows both types of bales to be used and handled with the same mixing area or mixing room infrastructure. Volume is particularly important here, as it ensures that if all bales have a very similar height and geometry, they can be stacked and stored very efficiently and uniformly on pallets. This allows such bales to be placed more compactly and precisely on a pallet or in a box than bales with varying volumes or heights.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the invention, the pressing unit is designed so that the predetermined height, in particular the required quantity per batch in the mixing area, can be adjusted. This allows the desired quantities to be easily provided without having to measure and separate them later in a further processing step, thus saving the corresponding effort.

[0022] According to a further aspect of the invention, the extrusion and / or mixing area also includes a packaging unit designed to receive the bales and stack them automatically, preferably by means of a robot, preferably onto a pallet or in a box. This can simplify the subsequent handling and, in particular, the storage of the bales.

[0023] According to a further aspect of the invention, the extrusion and / or mixing area, preferably the packaging unit, is further configured to automatically separate the bales, preferably during unloading, preferably by means of liners, films or metal plates. This can prevent the bales from sticking together.

[0024] According to a further aspect of the invention, the extrusion and / or mixing area also includes a control unit configured to operate the extrusion and / or mixing area, wherein the process parameters of the extrusion and / or mixing area are preferably adjustable by the control unit. This can improve the operational capabilities of the extrusion and / or mixing area. In particular, this can enable or improve the adjustment and intervention options for personnel in the process, especially parameters relevant to bale production.

[0025] In other words, the present invention is based on the understanding that the use of bales in the mixing room is the standard for adding polymers and thus an established and well-known process for which the mixing room equipment is designed. Returns, on the other hand, generally enter the mixing room in a comparatively undefined manner, with the disadvantages described above. Therefore, the object of the invention is, so to speak, to combine the further processing of returns with the established use of polymers in bales.

[0026] An exemplary embodiment and further advantages of the invention are explained below in connection with the following figure. This figure shows: Fig. 1 A schematic representation of an extrusion and / or mixing area according to the invention as an overall view and as an enlarged representation of a cutting unit, a weighing unit, a pressing unit and a packaging unit.

[0027] It will be in the Fig. 1 an extrusion and / or mixing area according to the invention is considered.

[0028] In tire production, extruded profiles or treads that deviate from a predetermined specification, for example, regarding their weight or geometry, are sorted out from the specification-compliant extruded profiles or treads in a booking area 10 and stored in a buffer area 11, as is currently the case. This buffer area 11 is primarily needed for the ramp-up process after a change in order, since the first extruded profiles or treads of a new production run are always sorted out until a stable extrusion process is achieved. The sorted profiles or treads reach buffer area 11 at a line speed that is faster than the cutting speed in the next step.

[0029] According to the invention, a cutting unit 12 is connected to the buffer area 11, which automatically cuts each sorted-out profile into small strips of defined geometry or length.

[0030] This is followed by a weighing unit 13, onto whose scale the cut profile parts or profile strips are conveyed. An adjustable target weight of a bale pressed from collected profile strips is defined with a tolerance, whereby the bale dimensions and target weight are selected to match each other.

[0031] The weighed profile sections, if the target weight is reached, then enter a press unit 14, which is located directly adjacent to the weighing unit 13 to minimize the distance between these stations. Press unit 14 fills a box with a defined area with the profile sections or strips. A hydraulic cylinder with a rectangular piston presses the strips to a defined height to form a bale of predetermined geometry, particularly a predetermined height. The bale height can be adjusted to allow for different bale weights, which, for example, are tailored to the required quantity per batch in the mixing area to avoid waste material.

[0032] As a result of this step, bales with a defined geometry (area times height) and weight are obtained. However, the bulk density within the bale can vary due to the orientation of the strips.

[0033] Finally, a packaging unit 15 follows, so that as soon as the bales leave the press unit 14, they are automatically placed on a pallet or in a box or crate such as an MB5 crate. This is done automatically by a robot (not labeled).

[0034] The pressed individual layers of the bales are separated from each other either manually or automatically by liners, films or metal plates to prevent sticking.

[0035] The pallets or boxes now have defined packaging and can therefore be used for standard storage, like any other raw material.

[0036] Likewise, treatment in the extrusion and / or mixing area 1 can follow established procedures such as manual handling and cutting, without the need for special equipment development.

[0037] According to the invention, this reduces the physical strain on operators and other personnel. Furthermore, most of the unattractive workstations in the mixing and extrusion area 1 can be eliminated in this way. The required storage area can also be reduced.

[0038] By collecting the sorted profiles in bales, the individual sorted profiles cannot be confused and accidentally sorted profiles of different materials cannot be unintentionally processed together. Reference symbol list (part of the description) 1 Extrusion and / or mixing area 10 Booking area 11 Buffer area 12 cutting units 13 weighing unit 14 Press unit 15 packaging units

Claims

[1] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1), preferably of a tire production facility, with a booking area (10) which is designed to sort out extruded profiles, preferably extruded running strips, from production that lie outside a predetermined specification, and preferably with a buffer area (11) which is designed to receive and buffer the sorted-out profiles, characterized by a cutting unit (12) which is designed to automatically cut each rejected profile, preferably into small strips of defined geometry. [2] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a weighing unit (13) which is designed to receive and weigh the cut profile parts. [3] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to claim 2, further comprising a press unit (14) which is designed to obtain the weighed cut profile parts and to press them into bales of predetermined geometry, in particular predetermined height, as soon as a predetermined target weight is reached. [4] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to claim 3, wherein the press unit (14) is further configured to place the weighed cut profile parts in a container, preferably of defined base area, and to press them into the bale there. [5] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to claim 4, wherein the press unit (14) is designed so that the predetermined height, in particular the required quantity per batch in the mixing area, can be set. [6] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a packaging unit (15) which is designed to obtain the bales and stack them automatically, preferably by means of a robot, preferably on a pallet or in a box. [7] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the extrusion and / or mixing area (1), preferably the packaging unit (15), is further configured to automatically separate the bales, preferably when depositing them, preferably by means of liners, films or metal plates. [8] Extrusion and / or mixing area (1) according to any of the preceding claims, furthermore with a control unit which is designed to operate the extrusion and / or mixing area (1), wherein preferably the process parameters of the extrusion and / or mixing area (1) are adjustable by the control unit.

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