Pick-and-place system, tire manufacturing line, and method for picking up tire components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pick-and-place system, a tire manufacturing line, and a method for picking up tire components. The pick-and-place system includes a support and a pick-and-place gripper for picking up tire components from the support. The pick-and-place gripper includes a base, a gripper head, and a drive unit for moving the gripper head relative to the base in a pick-and-place direction toward a support plane. The gripper head is configured to hold the tire component within a gripper plane. The gripper head is tiltable between a first orientation and a second orientation. The gripper plane is parallel to the support plane in one of the first orientation and the second orientation. The pick-and-place system further includes a spacer for defining a minimum spacing distance between the gripper plane and the support plane when the gripper head is in the one orientation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pick-and-place system, a tire manufacturing line, and a method for picking up tire components.

Background Art

[0002] EP3144130A1 discloses a rubber strip pasting machine for pasting a rubber strip on a butt joint between two ply strips in a butt splicer. The rubber strip pasting machine includes a rubber strip conveyor and a transfer device for automatically taking out the rubber strip from the rubber strip conveyor and installing the rubber strip on the butt splicer at the butt joint between the two ply strips. The transfer device includes a vacuum head elastically attached to provide a force against the rubber strip for the rubber strip installed at the butt joint. In particular, a biasing component such as a compression spring may be provided to apply a desired pasting force against the rubber strip.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The drawback of the known rubber strip pasting machine is that the butt splicer and the rubber strip conveyor cannot be properly aligned in the vertical direction. When the height of the vacuum head is calibrated with respect to the butt splicer, the vacuum head may be positioned too low or too high with respect to the rubber strip conveyor. If the vacuum head is positioned too low, the rubber strip may be caught on the rubber strip conveyor due to the force applied to the rubber strip, making it difficult to reliably pick up the rubber strip. Furthermore, the rubber strip may be damaged by that force. If the vacuum head is positioned too high, the vacuum head may not be able to reliably pick up the rubber strip due to lack of suction force.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a pick-and-place system, a tire manufacturing line, and a method for picking up tire components, which can improve the picking up of tire components.

[0005] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a pick-and-place system for picking up a first tire component, the pick-and-place system comprising a support for supporting the first tire component in a support plane, and a pick-and-place gripper for picking up the first tire component from the support, the pick-and-place gripper comprising a base, a first gripper head, and a drive unit for moving the first gripper head in a pick-and-place direction towards the support plane relative to the base, the first gripper head being configured to hold the first tire component in a gripper plane, the first gripper head being tiltable between a first orientation and a second orientation different from the first orientation about an axis of tilt perpendicular to the pick-and-place direction, the gripper plane being parallel to the support plane in one of the first orientation and the second orientation, the pick-and-place system further comprising a first spacer for defining a minimum distance between the gripper plane and the support plane when the first gripper head is in said one orientation.

[0006] The first gripper head can be positioned automatically and / or in a compliant manner relative to the support such that the gripper plane extends parallel or substantially parallel to the support plane, in order to enable picking up of the first tire component when the first tire component is supported on the support within the support plane. By maintaining the first gripper head at a minimum spacing distance in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to prevent the first gripper head from being positioned too low or too high relative to the first tire component to be picked up. In particular, the minimum spacing distance can be selected to be optimal for picking up the first tire component without applying excessive pressure to the first tire component. In practice, the minimum spacing distance can be selected to be slightly greater than the thickness of the first tire component such that the first gripper head is close enough to pick up the first tire component by suction, but does not first contact the first tire component.

[0007] In one embodiment, the minimum spacing distance is at least 0.5 millimeters, preferably at least 1 millimeter. Such a spacing distance can be sufficient to reliably pick up a first tire component of equal or slightly smaller thickness, such as a gum strip, without pressing the first tire component excessively against the support and / or without damaging the first tire component.

[0008] In a further embodiment, the first gripper head can be positioned at a pick-up position above the support plane in the pick-and-place direction for picking up the first tire component from the support, and the first spacer is positioned between the first gripper head and the support in the pick-and-place direction when the first gripper head is at the pick-up position. Thus, the first spacer can physically separate the first gripper head from the support at a position between the first gripper head and the support. It should be noted that the first spacer can be supported against and / or connected to the support. Alternatively, the first spacer can be connected to and / or protrude from the first gripper head.

[0009] Preferably, the first spacer comprises a bridge extending between the first gripper head and the support in a bridge direction perpendicular to the pick-and-place direction when the first gripper head is at the pick-up position. By installing the bridge so that the bridge extends across the support in the bridge direction, it becomes possible to support the bridge laterally of the support against the support. Thus, the support itself can be kept away from components associated with the bridge that could potentially interfere with the support and / or conveyance of the first tire component on the support.

[0010] More preferably, the first spacer comprises a first leg for positioning the bridge relative to the support, and the bridge protrudes from the first leg onto the support in the bridge direction. Thus, the bridge can extend onto the support in the bridge direction without interfering with the first tire component on the support.

[0011] Most preferably, the first spacer includes a second leg for positioning the bridge relative to the support, and the first leg and the second leg are positioned on both sides of the support in the bridge direction. By supporting the bridge on both sides of the support, the bridge can hold the first gripper head more stably and / or firmly with a minimum spacing distance.

[0012] In another embodiment, the first spacer forms a placement surface for placing the first gripper head on the first spacer in the pick-and-place direction. Thus, the first gripper head can be physically abutted and supported on the first spacer.

[0013] Preferably, the placement surface is disposed at a set spacer height above the support plane. The spacer height can be selected such that the gripper plane is maintained with a minimum spacing distance. It should be noted that the spacer height can be different from the minimum spacing distance, for example, to create a gap between the first spacer and the support without increasing the minimum spacing distance.

[0014] More preferably, the first spacer includes a spacer body and a height adjuster that defines the placement surface with respect to the spacer body and sets the spacer height. The height adjuster can be adjustable, for example, by screw adjustment, to set the desired spacer height, or can be removable, detachable, and / or replaceable for alternative height adjusters having different heights. By changing the spacer height, the minimum spacing distance can be adjusted, for example, when picking up different tire components having different thicknesses.

[0015] In another embodiment, the first spacer includes a spacer body that extends away from the support plane to a gap height to define a feed gap for the first tire component between the support plane and the spacer body. The feed gap allows the first tire component to pass under the spacer body without contacting the spacer body.

[0016] In another embodiment, the first spacer defines a minimum spacing distance at a first spacing position, and the pick-and-place system further comprises a second spacer for defining a minimum spacing distance at a second spacing position spaced from the first spacing position in a longitudinal direction parallel to the support plane and perpendicular to the tilt axis. By providing two spacers at two spacing positions, the first gripper head can be supported more reliably and / or stably. In particular, the first gripper can be adaptively urged or forced into the one orientation in which the gripper plane is parallel to the support plane. Further, the spacer can keep the pick-up area between the two spacing positions in the longitudinal direction free of spacers, thereby enabling the pick-up of the first tire component within the pick-up area without the spacer interfering with the pick-up.

[0017] Preferably, the pick-and-place system comprises a conveyor configured to form a support surface and convey the first tire component in a feed direction parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the second spacer is located downstream of the first spacer in the feed direction. Thus, the spacers can be spaced apart from each other in the feed direction. Further, it will be appreciated that combining the aforementioned embodiment in which a feed gap is introduced into the first spacer with this embodiment enables the first tire component to be fed through the feed gap under the first spacer in the feed direction to the pick-up area between both spacers.

[0018] In another embodiment, the first gripper head comprises a gripper body forming a first contact surface for resting on the first spacer. The first contact surface can be specifically dedicated and / or adapted to rest securely and / or stably on the first spacer. Further, the first contact surface can be kept free of components of the first gripper head responsible for picking up the first tire component so that placing the first gripper head on the first spacer does not interfere with the ability of the first gripper head to pick up the first tire component.

[0019] Preferably, the gripper body further forms a holding surface for holding the first tire component within the gripper plane on the gripper body, and the first contact surface is recessed with respect to the holding surface in a recessed direction parallel to the pick-and-place direction so as to be away from the support plane. Thus, the first gripper head can be supported on the first spacer at a height above the support plane exceeding the minimum spacing distance while maintaining the holding surface in the gripper plane. Thereby, it becomes possible to design the first spacer as described above to have a spacer height higher than the minimum spacing distance, for example, to provide the feed gap described above.

[0020] In another embodiment, the pick-and-place system further includes a first suspension member and a second suspension member for suspending the first gripper head from the base at a first suspension height and a second suspension height, respectively, and the first suspension member is configured to vary the first suspension height with respect to the second suspension height. Thus, the gripper head can be tilted about the tilt axis by varying at least the first suspension height to be different from the second suspension height.

[0021] Preferably, the second suspension member is configured to vary the second suspension height with respect to the first suspension height. Thus, both suspension heights can be varied so as to enable the first gripper head to take the orientation in which the gripper plane is parallel to the support plane.

[0022] More preferably, the drive unit comprises a first pick-and-place drive part and a second pick-and-place drive part operably connected to the first suspension member and the second suspension member for a controlled displacement of the suspension member in the pick-and-place direction. The pick-and-place drive part can be used, for example, to displace the suspension member away from the support in the pick-and-place direction when the first tire component is held by the first gripper head and picked up from the support. Additionally or alternatively, the pick-and-place drive part can be used, for example, to actively tilt the first gripper head about the tilt axis to position the first gripper head already in that direction before the first gripper head comes into contact with the first spacer.

[0023] Most preferably, the first gripper head is configured to be displaceable parallel to the pick-and-place direction independently of the first pick-and-place drive part and the second pick-and-place drive part, and a displacement sensor for distinguishing between the controlled displacement and the independent displacement of each suspension member is further provided in each suspension member of the pick-and-place system. The displacement sensor can detect, for example, when the first gripper head is displaced and / or lifted in an uncontrolled manner as a result of irregularities of the first tire component. Then the process can be interrupted and a human operator can be warned to investigate.

[0024] In another embodiment, the drive unit is further configured to move the pick-and-place gripper in a first drive direction orthogonal to the pick-and-place direction and in a second drive direction orthogonal to the first drive direction and the pick-and-place direction. Thus, the drive unit can operate like an XYZ drive system, where the orthogonal XYZ directions correspond to the two drive directions and the pick-and-place direction. The tilt about the tilt axis of the first gripper head provides a fourth degree of freedom.

[0025] In another embodiment, the pick-and-place gripper further comprises a second gripper head for holding a second tire component, the second gripper head being tiltable similar to the first gripper head, and the first spacer being configured to define a minimum spacing distance also in the second gripper head. Thus, the same first spacer can be used to keep both gripper heads at a minimum spacing distance from each other.

[0026] Preferably, the first gripper head and the second gripper head are arranged side by side in the lateral direction, and the first spacer extends in the lateral direction over a spacer width extending over both the first gripper head and the second gripper head. In other words, the first spacer is wide enough to support both gripper heads simultaneously. Therefore, no dedicated spacer for the second gripper head is required.

[0027] Additionally or alternatively, the first gripper head and the second gripper head are configured to pick up strip-shaped tire components, in particular rubber strips. By providing two gripper heads on the pick-and-place gripper, two rubber strips can be picked up in a single transfer action and transferred to a breaker station and / or a rubber strip folding station. The two rubber strips can be picked up simultaneously or alternately. When the gripper heads of the pick-and-place gripper hold both rubber strips, they can be transferred simultaneously.

[0028] In another embodiment that can be applied to the gripper head independently of the pick-and-place system, the first gripper head includes a gripper body that forms a holding surface for holding the first tire component within the gripper plane on the gripper body. The first gripper head further includes a plurality of holding openings for holding the first tire component on the gripper body by suction, and a verification opening for verifying that the first tire component is properly held in the plurality of holding openings. The gripper body forms a vacuum chamber arranged in air communication with the plurality of holding openings and a verification chamber arranged in air communication with the verification opening. The verification chamber is further arranged in air communication with the vacuum chamber via a connection channel. The pick-and-place system further includes a vacuum sensor for measuring the pressure in the verification chamber.

[0029] When the first tire component is picked up by a plurality of holding openings by suction, some of the holding openings among the plurality of holding openings may not be covered or may not be completely covered by the first tire component, resulting in a certain amount of leakage. When the number of holding openings of the plurality of holding openings is large, for example, exceeding 20, the pressure loss becomes extremely small, making it difficult to notice such leakage. To improve the detection accuracy of the leakage, the pressure in the vacuum chamber is compared with the pressure in the verification chamber. If the verification opening is covered, the pressures should be equal. If the verification opening is not covered, the ambient pressure enters the verification chamber, creating a pressure difference between the verification chamber and the vacuum chamber. The vacuum sensor can directly measure the pressure in the verification chamber, and thus can accurately determine whether such a pressure difference is significant and / or indicates a lack.

[0030] Preferably, the verification opening has, in cross-section, a first surface area, and the connection channel has, in cross-section, a second surface area equal to or smaller than the first surface area. By restricting the air flow from the ambient air and the vacuum chamber to the verification chamber to the same cross-section, the pressure measured in the verification chamber should approximately approximate the average of the ambient pressure and the pressure in the vacuum chamber. Thus, a significant pressure difference can be created between the vacuum chamber and the verification chamber, and this difference can be effectively used to determine whether a leak has occurred during the pickup of the first tire component.

[0031] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a tire manufacturing line comprising a pick-and-place system according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the tire manufacturing line further comprising a rubber strip supply station, a breaker supply station, and / or a rubber strip folding station, and the pick-and-place system being configured to transfer one or more rubber strips from the rubber strip supply station to the breaker supply station and / or the rubber strip folding station.

[0032] The tire manufacturing line according to the second aspect comprises the pick-and-place system according to the first aspect of the present invention and thus has the same technical advantages and will not be repeatedly described below.

[0033] In one embodiment that can also be applied to a cutting device independently of the above-described tire manufacturing line, the rubber strip supply station comprises a cutting device for cutting a continuous strip into a predetermined length to form a rubber strip, the cutting device comprising a cutting table for supporting the continuous strip in a cutting plane and a holder for supporting the cutting table, and the cutting table being rotatable about one or more rotation axes parallel to the cutting plane. Thus, the orientation of the cutting table can be adapted to a facing surface, such as an anvil, positioned directly opposite the cutting table, even if the facing surface is positioned at a slight angle to the initial orientation of the cutting plane.

[0034] Preferably, the one or more rotation axes include a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis orthogonal to the first rotation axis. Thus, the cutting table has at least two degrees of freedom to conform to the orientation of the opposing surface.

[0035] Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the one or more rotation axes overlaps with the cutting plane. In this way, the cutting table can be kept at the same height for at least one position along the one rotation axis.

[0036] In a further embodiment, the first gripper head includes an anvil that cooperates with the cutting table to support a continuous strip for cutting, and the cutting table is freely rotatable about one or more rotation axes so as to adapt its orientation to the anvil. Thus, as described above, the cutting table can passively or adaptively follow and / or adapt its orientation to the orientation of the anvil.

[0037] According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method for picking up a first tire component using a pick-and-place system according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the method comprising: - supporting the first tire component in a support plane; - moving the first gripper head towards the support plane in a pick-and-place direction relative to the base; - tilting the first gripper head about a tilt axis to an orientation in which the gripper plane is parallel to the support plane; - using a first spacer to maintain a minimum spacing distance between the gripper plane and the support plane when the first gripper head is in the one orientation.

[0038] The method according to the third aspect of the present invention relates to a practical implementation of the pick-and-place system according to the first aspect of the present invention, and thus has the same technical advantages, and will not be repeatedly described below.

[0039] Preferably, the minimum spacing distance is selected such that when the first gripper head is at the minimum spacing distance in the one direction, the first gripper head does not first contact the first tire component.

[0040] In one embodiment of the method, the first gripper head is tilted about the tilt axis as a result of contact between the first gripper head and the first spacer.

[0041] In an alternative embodiment of the method, the first gripper head is tilted about the tilt axis by the drive unit to a tilt angle configured prior to corresponding to the one direction, prior to contact between the first gripper head and the first spacer.

[0042] The various aspects and features described and illustrated herein can be applied individually whenever possible. These individual aspects, particularly those described in the appended dependent claims, may be the subject of a divisional patent application.

[0043] The present invention will be described based on exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying schematic diagrams.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0044]

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[0045] Figure 1 shows a tire manufacturing line 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for manufacturing a green tire or an unvulcanized tire, or tire components G1, G2 thereof. In particular, the illustrated tire manufacturing line 100 is configured to cut to a predetermined length and attach rubber strips G1', G2' to the longitudinal edges of or around the breaker plies K1, K2. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can also be applied to other tire components G1, G2, specifically, strip-shaped tire components such as sidewalls, apex filler strips, reinforcing strips, and / or chafers.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, the tire manufacturing line 100 includes a breaker supply station 101 for supplying breaker plies K1, K2, a rubber strip supply station 102 for supplying rubber strips G1', G2', and optionally a rubber strip folding station 103 for folding the rubber strips G1', G2' around the edges of the breaker plies K1, K2. The tire manufacturing line 100 further includes a pick-and-place system 1 for picking up the rubber strips G1', G2' from the rubber strip supply station 102 and transferring and / or installing the picked-up rubber strips G1', G2' to the rubber strip folding station 103 or directly to the breaker supply station 101.

[0047] The rubber strips G1', G2' can be directly attached to the breaker plies K1, K2 at the breaker supply station 101 when the rubber strips G1', G2' are attached only to one side of the breaker plies K1, K2. When the rubber strips G1', G2' are folded around the edges, the rubber strips G1', G2' are first provided on the rubber strip folding station 103, and then one of the breaker plies K1, K2 is transferred from the breaker supply station 101 to the rubber strip folding station 103 and installed on the rubber strips G1', G2'. The rubber strip folding station 103 includes a folding mechanism disclosed in, for example, WO2018 / 139917A1 for folding the rubber strips G1', G2' around the edge of the one breaker ply K1, K2. Alternatively, the rubber strips G1', G2' may be folded around the edges of the breaker plies K1, K2 during movement or while in motion using a set of stepped and inclined folding rollers arranged along the conveyance path of the breaker plies K1, K2 at the breaker supply station 101.

[0048] As further shown in FIG. 1, the rubber strip supply station 102 includes a cutting device 120 having one or more cutting tables 121-123, in this example three cutting tables 121-123, for receiving the continuous strip G from an upstream station, such as an extruder (not shown).

[0049] As best shown in FIG. 14, each of the cutting tables 121-123 is provided with cutting slots 124-126 through which a knife passes to cut the continuous strip G into individual rubber strips G1', G2' of a desired length. In this example, the cutting slots 124-126 are V-shaped. Each of the cutting slots 124-126 has a different cutting edge angle in the V-shape, enabling the continuous strip G to be cut at the different cutting edge angles. When switching to different cutting tables 121-123 to cut the continuous strip G, the tip of the last cut continuous strip G is cut off by the newly selected cutting table 121-123 and discarded as waste. Then, a predetermined length of the rubber strips G1', G2' to be cut by the newly selected cutting table 121-123 is fed beyond the cutting slots 124-126 of the newly selected cutting table 121-123. Thereafter, the continuous strip G can be cut into a predetermined length.

[0050] FIGS. 15-18 show the first cutting table 121 of one or more of the cutting tables 121-123 in more detail. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the features described in connection with the first cutting table 121 apply to the other cutting tables 122, 123 with the necessary modifications.

[0051] Comparing FIGS. 15 to 18, it is shown that the first cutting table 121 is centered on a first rotation axis R1 and a second rotation axis R2 orthogonal to the first rotation axis R1, and both are parallel to the cutting plane C. In particular, the cutting device 120 includes a holder 127 for supporting the first cutting table 121 in a specific orientation. The holder 127 includes one or more mechanisms for providing the aforementioned degrees of freedom to the first cutting table 121. In this exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the holder 127 includes one or more link mechanisms 128 that enable the first cutting table 121 to rotate about the second rotation axis R1. Further, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the holder 127 includes an arcuate slot 129 and a pin movable through the slot that enable the first cutting table 121 to rotate about the first rotation axis R2. Note that the arcuate slots 129 in FIGS. 17 and 18 advantageously extend within the cutting plane C or concentrically with a virtual axis overlapping the cutting plane C.

[0052] It will be appreciated that many alternative mechanisms may provide the same effect and are further encompassed by the scope of the present invention.

[0053] The cutting device 120 further includes a cutting table pusher 192 for pushing the first cutting table 121 upward toward the opposing surface and / or anvil 59 such that the first cutting table 121 can automatically adapt to the orientation of the opposing surface and / or anvil 59 in the first gripper head 5.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1, the pick-and-place system 1 includes a support 2 for supporting rubber strips G1', G2' within a support plane A. In this example, the support 2 includes a conveyor 21 for conveying and / or feeding the rubber strips G1', G2' within or along the support plane A in the feed direction F. Specifically, the conveyor 21 includes an endless conveyor belt 22 that defines a support surface 20 for supporting the rubber strips G1', G2' within the support plane A at its upper running portion.

[0055] Note that the conveyor 21 may be regarded as part of the rubber strip supply station 102.

[0056] The pick-and-place system 1 further includes a pick-and-place gripper 3 for picking up the rubber strips G1' and G2' from the support 2. The pick-and-place gripper 3 includes a base 4, a first gripper head 5, a second gripper head 5', and a drive unit 9 for moving the gripper heads 5 and 5' in the pick-and-place direction Z toward the support plane A with respect to the base 4.

[0057] In this exemplary embodiment, the drive unit 9 provides at least three degrees of freedom to the gripper heads 5 and 5', in particular, a first driving direction X, a second driving direction Y orthogonal to the first driving direction X, and a pick-and-place direction Z orthogonal to both the first driving direction X and the second driving direction Y. The first driving direction X may alternatively be referred to as the lateral direction L or the bridge direction. The second driving direction Y may alternatively be referred to as the feeding direction F or the longitudinal direction.

[0058] In this example, the pick-and-place direction Z is vertical or substantially vertical. Accordingly, the first driving direction X and the second driving direction Y are horizontal or substantially horizontal.

[0059] FIG. 19 shows a part of the drive unit 9 in more detail. The drive unit 9 includes a drive frame 90 for carrying the pick-and-place gripper 3 of FIG. 1. The drive frame 90 is movable laterally in a first driving direction X or a lateral direction L across or along a set of drive rails 91. The drive unit 9 includes a lateral drive unit 92 for driving the lateral movement. In this example, the lateral drive unit 92 is formed by two individually controllable lateral motors 93, 94 that enable slight correction and / or adjustment of the orientation of the pick-and-place gripper 3 about a vertical correction axis N, for example, to align the pick-and-place gripper 3 with the rubber strip feeding station 102 of FIG. 1.

[0060] As described above, the pick-and-place gripper 3 has two gripper heads 5, 5', and thus can be regarded as a dual gripper. However, it will be understood that the present invention can also be applied to a pick-and-place gripper 3 having only a single gripper head, for example, the first gripper head 5.

[0061] In the dual gripper configuration shown in FIG. 1, the first gripper head 5 and the second gripper head 5' are configured to pick up the first rubber strip G1' and the second rubber strip G2' simultaneously or alternately. The gripper heads 5, 5' are positioned side by side in the first driving direction X or the lateral direction L. In this example, both gripper heads 5, 5' are suspended from and / or carried by the same base 4.

[0062] In FIGS. 2 to 5, the pick-and-place gripper 3 is shown in a simplified form having only the first gripper head 5. Note that in FIGS. 8 and 9, the pick-and-place gripper 3 having both the first gripper head 5 and the second gripper head 5' is shown. The second gripper head 5' is shown by a dashed line and is shown slightly offset with respect to the first gripper head 5. However, in reality, the second gripper head 5' may be located directly behind and / or completely behind the first gripper head 5, and thus may be completely hidden from view.

[0063] It will be understood that the first gripper head 5 and the second gripper head 5' have similar features and / or functions in the way they pick up their respective rubber strips G1', G2'. Therefore, the operation of the first gripper head 5 will be described below with reference to only the first gripper head 5. However, the following description is applicable to the second gripper head 5' with the necessary modifications.

[0064] As best shown in FIG. 2, the first gripper head 5 comprises a gripper body 50 which forms or defines a holding surface 51 for holding the first rubber strip G1' on the gripper body 50 within the gripper plane B. In this example, the gripper body 50 is elongated and / or extends along a length sufficient to pick up the entire length of the first rubber strip G1'. In particular, the first gripper body 50 may be in the shape of a beam. The first gripper head 5 further comprises a plurality of holding openings 52 that exit from the gripper body 50 within or in the gripper plane B for holding the first tire component G1 to the gripper body 50 by suction. The holding openings 52 are grouped into a plurality of independently controllable vacuum zones V.

[0065] Figures 12 and 13 show one of the vacuum zones V in more detail. In the first gripper head 5, a vacuum chamber 54 is provided in each vacuum zone V, which is arranged in air communication with a plurality of holding openings 52 of the respective vacuum zone V. The first gripper head 5 is further provided with a vacuum channel 56 for connecting the vacuum chamber 54 to a (partial) vacuum source.

[0066] The first gripper head 5 is further provided with a verification opening 53 that exits from the gripper body 50 within or in the gripper plane B. The verification opening 53 has a first surface area in cross section. The verification opening 53 is strategically positioned relative to the holding opening 52 to check for the presence, absence, and / or correctness of the holding of the first rubber strip G1' in the first gripper head 5 at the position of the verification opening 53. The verification opening 53 can be positioned, for example, immediately downstream of the plurality of holding openings 52 of the respective vacuum zone V in the feed direction F.

[0067] The first gripper head 5 further comprises a verification chamber 55 arranged in air communication with the verification opening 53. The verification chamber 55 is further arranged in air communication with the vacuum chamber 54 via a connection channel 57. The connection channel 57 has a second surface area that is equal to or smaller than the first surface area of the verification opening 53 in cross section.

[0068] The pick-and-place system 1 further comprises a vacuum sensor 58 operatively connected to the first gripper head 5, or provided within or on the first gripper head 5, for measuring the pressure within the verification chamber 55. By restricting the air flow from the ambient air and the vacuum chamber 54 to the verification chamber 55 to the same cross-section, the pressure measured within the verification chamber 55 should generally approximate the average of the ambient pressure and the pressure within the vacuum chamber 54. Thus, as schematically shown by the dashed line in FIG. 13, when the first rubber strip G1' does not completely cover all of the holding openings 52 and / or the verification openings 53 within each vacuum zone V, a significant pressure difference can occur between the vacuum chamber 54 and the verification chamber 55, and this difference can be effectively used to determine whether a leak occurred during the pickup of the first rubber strip G1'.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 15, the first gripper head 5 is further provided with one or more anvils 59 positioned directly opposite one or more of the cutting tables 121 - 123 of the cutting device 120 of FIG. 1 when the first gripper head 5 is in the pickup position above the rubber strip supply station 102, and cooperate with the knives 191 of the respective cutting tables 121 - 123 to cut the continuous strip G to a predetermined length.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 15 - 18, the first cutting table 121 may optionally be provided with one or more guide wheels 190 that allow for longitudinal relative movement between the pick-and-place gripper 3 and the first cutting table 121 and keep the cutting plane C slightly spaced from the gripper plane B to prevent excessive force from being applied to the first rubber strip G1'.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first gripper head 5 and the support 2 may not be properly aligned. In particular, the support plane A defined by the support 2 may make a slight angle with the gripper plane B of the first gripper head 5. To compensate for the misalignment, the first gripper head 5 can be tilted between a first orientation (in this example, a neutral or horizontal orientation) shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and a second orientation different from the first orientation shown in FIG. 4 (in this example, an inclined orientation) about an inclination axis T perpendicular to the pick-and-place direction Z. In the first orientation, the gripper plane B extends at an angle with respect to the support plane A, while in the second orientation, the gripper plane B is parallel or substantially parallel to the support plane A.

[0072] To enable tilting of the first gripper head 5, the pick-and-place system 1 is provided with a first suspension member 6 and a second suspension member 6' for suspending the first gripper head 5 from the base 4 at a first suspension height S1 and a second suspension height S2, respectively. As shown without reference numerals in FIG. 8, similar suspension members can be provided for the second gripper head 5'. The drive unit 9 includes a longitudinal drive part 95, such as a timing belt, for moving at least one of the suspension members 6, 6' in a second drive direction Y or the longitudinal direction. The other suspension member 6' is slidably attached to a guide rail and can move in the same direction. At least one of the suspension members 6, 6', in this example both, is configured to change their respective suspension heights S1, S2.

[0073] As further shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the drive unit 9 is operatively connected to the first suspension member 6 and the second suspension member 6' for the controlled displacement of the suspension members 6, 6', and thus of the first gripper head 5, in the pick-and-place direction Z, and includes a first pick-and-place drive 96 and a second pick-and-place drive 97. In this example, the pick-and-place drives 96, 97 include a drive cam 98, which has cam lobes 99 that convert the rotation of the drive cam 98 into upward movement of the respective suspension members 6, 6'.

[0074] FIGS. 10 and 11 show the operation of the first pick-and-place drive 96 and the first suspension member 6 in more detail. It will be understood that the following description applies to the second suspension member 6' and the second pick-and-place drive 97 with the necessary modifications.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 10, the first suspension member 6 includes a carriage 60 that is movable in the pick-and-place direction Z along a set of rails. The carriage 60 is provided with a first shaft 61 for carrying the first gripper head 5, as shown in FIG. 2. Continuing to refer to FIG. 10, it should be noted that the first suspension member 6 is provided with a lever 62 that is rotatable about a hinge 63. The first suspension member 6 is further provided with a follower 64, in particular a cam roller, which is attached to the lever 62 on one side of the hinge 63 and rests on the drive cam 98 of the first pick-and-place drive 96. Optionally, the first suspension member 6 may be provided with a biasing member 65, such as a spring, for biasing the follower 64 into contact with the drive cam 98.

[0076] Note that as long as the follower 64 is supported by the drive cam 98, the contact between the follower 64 and the drive cam 98 prevents the lever 62 from rotating about the hinge 63. Therefore, the orientation of the lever 62 about the hinge 63 does not change. However, for example, as a result of the irregularities of the first rubber strip G1' or as a result of contact with one of the spacers 8, 8', if the follower 64 is lifted away from the drive cam 98, the lever 62 can rotate freely about the hinge 63, which occurs as a result of the biasing force applied to the lever 62 by the biasing member 65. Therefore, when the first suspension member 6 is lifted in the pick-and-place direction Z independently of the drive cam 98, the orientation of the lever 62 changes.

[0077] In this example, the first suspension member 6 is further provided with a displacement sensor 66 that can distinguish between a controlled displacement as a result of displacing the first suspension member 6 by the first pick-and-place drive unit 96 and an independent displacement of the first suspension member 6. In particular, the displacement sensor 66 is positioned such that it can detect proximity and / or contact with the lever 62 when the lever 62 is in the orientation shown in FIG. 10, and can detect that it is not in contact with or is at a distance from the lever 62 when the lever 62 is in the orientation shown in FIG. 11.

[0078] As best shown in FIG. 4, the pick-and-place system 1 further includes a first spacer 8 and a second spacer 8' at first spaced positions P1 and second spaced positions P2 spaced apart in the feed direction F, respectively. The spacers 8, 8' define a minimum spacing distance D between the gripper plane B and the support plane A when the first gripper head 5 is in the second orientation. In particular, the minimum spacing distance D is the distance between the holding surface 51 and the support surface 20 when the first gripper head 5 is in the second orientation and is resting on the spacers 8, 8'. In this example, the minimum spacing distance D is at least 0.5 millimeters, preferably at least 1 millimeter.

[0079] In this example, the spacers 8, 8' are positioned between the first gripper head 5 and the support 2 in the pick-and-place direction Z when the first gripper head 5 is in the pickup position above the support 2. In particular, as best shown in FIG. 1, both spacers 8, 8' extend across the support surface 20 in the first driving direction X, the lateral direction L, and / or the bridge direction.

[0080] In this example, the spacers 8, 8' are similar or identical. Therefore, for the spacers 8, 8', only the first spacer 8 will be described below with reference. However, it will be understood that the following description applies to the second spacer 8' with the necessary modifications.

[0081] As best shown in FIG. 5, the first spacer 8 comprises a spacer body 80 formed by a bridge 83 that extends between the first gripper head 5 and the support 2 in the first driving direction X, the lateral direction L, or the bridge direction when the first gripper head 5 is in the pickup position. In this example, the spacer body 80 further comprises a first leg 81 and a second leg 82 on both sides of the support 2 for positioning the bridge 83 with respect to the support 2.

[0082] The first spacer 8 forms a mounting surface 84 for mounting the first gripper head 5 on the first spacer 8 in the pick-and-place direction Z. The mounting surface 84 is arranged at a set spacer height H1 above the support plane A. In this example, the first spacer 8 comprises the spacer body 80 and a height adjuster 85 that defines the mounting surface 84 with respect to the spacer body 80 and sets the spacer height H1. As shown in FIG. 6, the height adjuster 85 can be formed as a removable and / or detachable insertion part from the spacer body 80 so as to be exchanged with an alternative height adjuster 85' that sets a different spacer height H1. Alternatively, the height adjuster 85 itself can be height-adjustable, for example, by adjusting a screw, a bolt, or the like (not shown).

[0083] As further shown in FIG. 5, the spacer body 80 extends away from the support plane A to a gap height H2 in order to define a feed gap 86 for the first rubber strip G1' between the support surface 20 and the spacer body 80. As shown in FIG. 1, the first rubber strip G1' is fed under or through the feed gap 86 of the first spacer 8 in the feed direction F and can come to the pickup area between the first spacer 8 and the second spacer 8' in the feed direction F.

[0084] It should be noted that although the feed gap 86 also exists in the second spacer 8', the first rubber strip G1' usually does not pass through the second spacer 8' in the feed direction F, so it is not strictly necessary.

[0085] FIG. 7 shows an alternative first spacer 108, which differs from the above-described first spacer 8 only in that it has a single leg 181 for supporting the bridge 183 from only one side of the support 2.

[0086] As best shown in FIG. 2, the gripper body 50 of the first gripper head 5 further defines or forms a first contact surface 71 and a second contact surface 72 for resting on the first spacer 8 and the second spacer 8', respectively. In this example, both the contact surfaces 71, 72 are recessed with respect to the holding surface 51 in a recess direction R parallel to the pick-and-place direction Z so as to be away from the support plane A. Accordingly, the first gripper head 5 can be supported on the spacers 8, 8' with a spacer height H1 greater than the minimum spacing distance D.

[0087] Similar to the simplified views of the pick-and-place gripper 3 of FIGS. 2 to 4, the first spacer 8 is also shown simplified in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, and it should be noted that it only interacts with the first gripper head 5 of the simplified pick-and-place gripper 3. However, in the case of the dual configuration of the pick-and-place gripper 3 as shown in FIG. 9, the first spacer 8 may have a spacer width W in the lateral direction L sufficient to span both the first gripper head 5 and the second gripper head 5' and / or support them side by side on the same spacer body 80.

[0088] Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 19, a method for picking up the rubber strips G1', G2' or any other strip-shaped tire component parts G1, G2 using the above-described tire manufacturing line 100, specifically the above-described pick-and-place system 1, will be briefly described.

[0089] FIG. 1 shows a situation where the rubber strips G1', G2' are supplied onto the support surface 20 of the rubber strip supply station 102 in the feeding direction F. The rubber strips G1', G2' are supported within the support plane A and are ready to be picked up by the pick-and-place gripper 3. On the other side of the tire manufacturing line 100, the breaker plies K1, K2 are supplied by the breaker supply station 101. Optionally, one of the breaker plies K1, K2 can be transferred to the rubber strip folding station 103.

[0090] FIG. 2 shows a situation where the first gripper head 5 is moved to a pick-up position above and / or overhead the support surface 20.

[0091] Figure 3 shows a situation where the first gripper head 5 is moved downward by the drive unit 9 toward the support surface 20 in the pick-and-place direction Z with respect to its base 4 until the first contact surface 71 comes into contact with the second spacer 8'. It should be noted that, alternatively, depending on the misalignment between the pick-and-place gripper 3 and the support 2, the first gripper head 5 may first come into contact with the first spacer 8.

[0092] Figure 4 shows a situation where the first gripper head 5 is further moved downward in the pick-and-place direction Z toward the support surface 20. Since the first gripper head 5 is already supported on at least one of the spacers 8, 8', by further moving it, the first gripper head 5 is tilted about the tilt axis T so that the gripper plane B and the support plane A are aligned and / or parallel in a second orientation. In this second orientation, the gripper plane B of the first gripper head 5 is tilted at an inclination angle E of several degrees with respect to the drive plane extending in the first drive direction X and the second drive direction Y, or alternatively with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0093] During this tilting, the spacers 8, 8' maintain a minimum distance D between the holding surface 51 of the first gripper head 5 and the support surface 20 of the support 2. Therefore, no excessive force is applied to the first rubber strip G1' by the first gripper head 5.

[0094] Optionally, the minimum distance D can be selected to be slightly larger than the thickness of the first rubber strip G1'. Therefore, the first gripper head 5 does not first contact the first rubber strip G1' when the first gripper head 5 is at the minimum distance D. The first rubber strip G1' is sucked and held against the holding surface 51 of the first gripper head 5 only when a (partial) vacuum is supplied to the holding element 52 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

[0095] When the first rubber strip G1' is held by the first gripper head 5, the pick-and-place drive units 96, 97 can be controlled to move the first gripper head 5 upward in the pick-and-place direction Z away from the support plane A. The first rubber strip G1' may then be transferred by the first gripper head 5 to the breaker supply station 101 and / or the rubber strip folding station 103 of FIG. 1, where it can be released from the first gripper head 5.

[0096] The steps of the above method may be performed simultaneously with both gripper heads 5, 5' or alternately in the dual configuration of the pick-and-place gripper 3 shown in FIGS. 1, 8, and 9, thereby picking up both rubber strips G1', G2'.

[0097] Note in FIG. 3 that the first gripper head 5 is still in the same orientation as in FIG. 2. However, the pick-and-place system 1 may already be calibrated to the tilt angle E necessary to align the first gripper head 5 with the support 2 during the previous cycle of the method. The displacement sensors 66 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 can detect when and / or at what height position the first gripper head 5 contacts one of the spacers 8, 8' and is lifted independently of the pick-and-place drive units 96, 97, and thus can be used for this calibration process. This calibration can be used to tilt the first gripper head 5 about the tilt axis T to the predetermined tilt angle E or the previously calibrated tilt angle E using the pick-and-place drive units 96, 97 before the first gripper head 5 contacts either of the spacers 8, 8'. Thus, the first gripper head 5 can be advantageously placed on both spacers 8, 8' almost simultaneously without further tilting that could cause relative movement between the first gripper head 5 and the support 2 that could damage the first rubber strip G1' in other ways.

[0098] It should be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiment and is not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. From the above description, many variations that are further encompassed by the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0099] 1…Pick-and-place system 2…Support 20…Support surface 21…Conveyor 22…Conveyor belt 3…Pick-and-place gripper 4…Base 5…First gripper head 50…Gripper body 51…Holding surface 52…Holding opening 53…Verification opening 54…Vacuum chamber 55…Verification chamber 56…Vacuum channel 57…Connection channel 58…Vacuum sensor 59…Anvil 5’…Second gripper head 6…First suspension member 60…Carriage 61…First shaft 61’…Second shaft 62…Lever 63…Hinge 64…Follower 65…Biasing member 66…Displacement sensor 6’…Second suspension member 71…First contact surface 72…Second contact surface 8…First spacer 80…Spacer body 81…First leg 82…Second leg 83…Bridge 84…Placement surface 85…Height adjuster 85’… Replacement height adjuster 86… Feed-in gap 8’… Second spacer 9… Drive unit 90… Drive frame 91… Drive rail 92… Lateral drive section 93… First lateral motor 94… Second lateral motor 95… Longitudinal drive section 96… First pick-and-place drive section 97… Second pick-and-place drive section 98… Drive cam 99… Cam lobe 100… Tire manufacturing line 101… Breaker supply station 102… Rubber strip supply station 120… Cutting device 121… First cutting table 122… Second cutting table 123… Third cutting table 124… First cutting slot 125… Second cutting slot 126… Third cutting slot 127… Holder 128… Link mechanism 129… Arcuate slot 103… Rubber strip folding station 108… Replacement spacer 181… Single leg 183… Bridge 190… Guide wheel 191… Knife 192… Cutting table pusher A… Support plane B… Gripper plane C… Cutting plane D… Minimum spacing distance E… Inclination angle F… Feed-in direction G… Continuous strip G1…The first tire component G1’…The first rubber strip G2…The second tire component G2’…The second rubber strip H1…Spacer height H2…Gap height K1, K2…Breaker ply L…Lateral direction N…Correction axis P1…The first interval position P2…The second interval position R…Indentation direction R1…The first rotation axis R2…The second rotation axis S1…The first suspension height S2…The second suspension height T…Tilt axis V…Vacuum zone W…Width X…The first driving direction Y…The second driving direction Z…Pick and place direction

Claims

1. A pick and place system for picking up a first tire component, the pick and place system comprising a support for supporting the first tire component in a support plane, and a pick and place gripper for picking up the first tire component from the support, the pick and place gripper comprising a base, a first gripper head, and a drive unit for moving the first gripper head relative to the base in a pick and place direction towards the support plane, the first gripper head being adapted to pick up the first tire component from the support, the pick and place gripper comprising a base, a first gripper head and a drive unit for moving the first gripper head relative to the base in a pick and place direction towards the support plane, the first gripper head being adapted to pick up the first tire component from the support, A pick and place system configured to hold a part in a gripper plane, wherein the first gripper head is tiltable between a first orientation and a second orientation different from the first orientation about a tilt axis perpendicular to the pick and place direction, and the gripper plane is parallel to the support plane in one of the first orientation and the second orientation, and the pick and place system further comprises a first spacer for defining a minimum spacing distance between the gripper plane and the support plane when the first gripper head is in the one orientation.

2. The pick and place system of claim 1 , wherein the minimum spacing distance is at least 0.5 millimeters, preferably at least 1 millimeter.

3. 3. The pick and place system of claim 1, wherein the first gripper head is positionable at a pick-up position above the support plane in the pick-and-place direction to pick up the first tire component from the support, and the first spacer is positioned between the first gripper head and the support in the pick-and-place direction when the first gripper head is in the pick-up position.

4. 4. The pick and place system of claim 3, wherein the first spacer comprises a bridge extending between the first gripper head and the support in a bridge direction perpendicular to the pick and place direction when the first gripper head is in the pick-up position.

5. 5. The pick and place system of claim 4, wherein the first spacer comprises a first leg for positioning the bridge relative to the support, and the bridge protrudes above the support from the first leg in the bridge direction.

6. 6. The pick and place system of claim 5, wherein the first spacer includes a second leg for positioning the bridge relative to the support, the first leg and the second leg being positioned on either side of the support in the bridge direction.

7. The pick and place system of claim 1 , wherein the first spacer forms a mounting surface for mounting the first gripper head on the first spacer in the pick and place direction.

8. The pick and place system of claim 7 , wherein the resting surface is disposed at a set spacer height above the support plane.

9. 9. The pick and place system of claim 8, wherein the first spacer comprises a spacer body and a height adjuster defining the mounting surface relative to the spacer body and setting the spacer height.

10. 10. The pick and place system of claim 1, wherein the first spacer comprises a spacer body extending at a gap height away from the support plane to define an infeed gap for the first tire component between the support plane and the spacer body.

11. The pick and place system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first spacer defines the minimum spacing distance at a first spacing position, and the pick and place system further comprises a second spacer for defining the minimum spacing distance at a second spacing position spaced apart from the first spacing position in a longitudinal direction parallel to the support plane and perpendicular to the tilt axis.

12. 12. The pick and place system of claim 11, comprising a conveyor forming a support surface and configured to transport the first tire component in an in-feed direction parallel to the longitudinal direction, the second spacer being located downstream of the first spacer in the in-feed direction.

13. The pick and place system of any preceding claim, wherein the first gripper head comprises a gripper body forming a first abutment surface for resting on the first spacer.

14. 14. The pick and place system of claim 13, wherein the gripper body further defines a holding surface for holding the first tire component on the gripper body in the gripper plane, a first abutment surface being recessed relative to the holding surface in a recessed direction parallel to the pick and place direction away from the support plane.

15. The pick and place system of any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a first suspension member and a second suspension member for suspending the first gripper head at a first suspension height and a second suspension height, respectively, relative to the base, the first suspension member configured to vary the first suspension height relative to the second suspension height.

16. 16. The pick and place system of claim 15, wherein the second suspension member is configured to vary the second suspension height relative to the first suspension height.

17. 17. The pick and place system of claim 16, wherein the drive unit comprises a first pick and place drive and a second pick and place drive operatively connected to the first suspension member and the second suspension member for controlled displacement of the suspension members in the pick and place direction.

18. 18. The pick and place system of claim 17, wherein the first gripper head is configured to be displaceable parallel to the pick and place direction independently of the first pick and place drive and the second pick and place drive, and the pick and place system further comprises a displacement sensor in each suspension member for distinguishing between controlled and independent displacement of the respective suspension member.

19. The pick and place system of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the drive unit is further configured to move the pick and place gripper in a first drive direction perpendicular to the pick and place direction and in a second drive direction perpendicular to the first drive direction and the pick and place direction.

20. 20. The pick and place system of claim 1, wherein the pick and place gripper further comprises a second gripper head for holding a second tire component, the second gripper head being tiltable in the same manner as the first gripper head, and the first spacer is configured to define the minimum spacing distance also at the second gripper head.

21. 21. The pick and place system of claim 20, wherein the first gripper head and the second gripper head are arranged side by side in a lateral direction, and the first spacer extends in the lateral direction across a spacer width that spans both the first gripper head and the second gripper head.

22. 22. The pick and place system according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the first gripper head and the second gripper head are configured to pick up a strip-shaped tire component, in particular a rubber strip.

23. 23. The pick and place system of claim 1, wherein the first gripper head comprises a gripper body forming a holding surface for holding the first tire component on the gripper body in the gripper plane, the first gripper head further comprising a plurality of holding openings for holding the first tire component on the gripper body by suction and a verification opening for verifying that the first tire component is properly held in the plurality of holding openings, the gripper body forming a vacuum chamber arranged in air communication with the plurality of holding openings and a verification chamber arranged in air communication with the verification opening, the verification chamber further arranged in air communication with the vacuum chamber via a connecting channel, and the pick and place system further comprising a vacuum sensor for measuring a pressure in the verification chamber.

24. 24. The pick and place system of claim 23, wherein the verification opening has a first surface area, in cross-section, and the connecting channel has a second surface area, in cross-section, that is equal to or less than the first surface area.

25. A tire manufacturing line comprising the pick and place system according to any one of claims 1 to 24, the tire manufacturing line further comprising a rubber strip supply station, a breaker supply station, and / or a rubber strip folding station, the pick and place system being configured to transfer one or more rubber strips from the rubber strip supply station to the breaker supply station and / or the rubber strip folding station.

26. 26. The tire manufacturing line of claim 25, wherein the rubber strip supply station comprises a cutting device for cutting the continuous strip to a predetermined length to form the rubber strip, the cutting device comprising a cutting table for supporting the continuous strip in a cutting plane and a holder for supporting the cutting table, the cutting table being rotatable about one or more axes of rotation parallel to the cutting plane.

27. 27. The tire manufacturing line of claim 26, wherein the one or more axes of rotation comprise a first axis of rotation and a second axis of rotation orthogonal to the first axis of rotation.

28. 28. A tire manufacturing line according to claim 26 or 27, wherein at least one axis of rotation of the one or more axes of rotation overlaps with the cutting plane.

29. 29. A tire manufacturing line as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the first gripper head comprises an anvil which cooperates with the cutting table to support the continuous strip for cutting, the cutting table being freely rotatable about the one or more axes of rotation to accommodate its orientation to the anvil.

30. A method for picking up a first tire component using a pick and place system according to any one of claims 1 to 24, comprising the steps of: - supporting said first tire component in said support plane; - moving the first gripper head relative to the base in the pick and place direction towards the support plane; - tilting the first gripper head about the tilt axis to the one orientation in which the gripper plane is parallel to the support plane; - using said first spacer to maintain said minimum spacing distance between said gripper plane and said support plane when said first gripper head is in said one orientation; A method comprising the steps of:

31. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the minimum spacing distance is selected such that the first gripper head does not initially contact the first tire component when the first gripper head is at the minimum spacing distance in the one orientation.

32. 32. The method of claim 30 or 31, wherein the first gripper head is tilted about the tilt axis as a result of contact between the first gripper head and the first spacer.

33. 32. The method of claim 30 or 31, wherein the first gripper head is tilted about the tilt axis by the drive unit to a previously configured tilt angle corresponding to the one orientation prior to contact of the first gripper head with the first spacer.

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