3D Movable Forming Drum for Flexible Tire Building
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire manufacturing apparatuses face limitations in flexibility, space occupation, and cycle times, making them incompatible with modern production requirements, and unable to efficiently produce structurally different tires without modifying the plant.
Innovation Solution
The use of a forming drum that moves in three-dimensional space, combined with superimposed conveyors and a Cartesian manipulation device with three axes, allows for the flexible placement of semi-finished products and reduction of floor space, enabling the production of various tire types in a compact and efficient manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a forming drum remains fixed while delivery devices move semi-finished products to it, then the apparatus structure is simpler, but the number and type of semi-finished products handled is limited and construction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The forming drum is made movable in three-dimensional space through a manipulation device with three degrees of freedom, allowing it to dynamically reposition itself to receive different semi-finished products from multiple delivery stations without increasing the complexity of the delivery devices
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a fixed drum receiving products in a single plane to a movable drum operating in three-dimensional space, enabling access from multiple delivery stations arranged in different spatial locations
2Adaptability or versatility
If delivery devices and conveyors are arranged to feed semi-finished products to a fixed drum, then the apparatus can handle limited product types, but the floor space occupied is large
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus utilizes vertical space and three-dimensional positioning to arrange delivery stations above and around the movable forming drum, significantly reducing the floor footprint while maintaining the ability to handle multiple product types
Solution Approach 2:
The single movable forming drum serves as a universal receiving point for multiple types of semi-finished products delivered from different stations, eliminating the need for separate fixed drums for each product type and reducing overall space requirements
3Adaptability or versatility
If a shuttle moves on a guide along a deposition line to deliver semi-finished products, then the apparatus can produce different tire types, but the cycle times are long
Solution Approach 1:
The forming drum actively moves to each delivery station rather than waiting for a shuttle to bring products sequentially, enabling parallel operation of multiple delivery stations and significantly reducing the time required to assemble different tire types
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple semi-finished products can be delivered simultaneously from different stations while the forming drum positions itself, allowing continuous production operations without the idle time associated with shuttle-based sequential delivery
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process and to an apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels. The apparatus comprises: at least one forming drum (3); a manipulation device (7) which has at least one grip unit (8) which is configured to support the forming drum (3) and to rotate it about a longitudinal symmetry axis (x-x) thereof; at least one station (4) for delivering semi-finished products (24, 39) which comprises at least two conveyors (17, 32) which have conveyor surfaces for the respective semi-finished products (24, 39) which can move along respective feed directions, wherein final ends (21, 36) of the conveyors (17, 32) are directed towards the manipulation device (7). The manipulation device (7) is configured to move the grip unit (8) in space in three dimensions (X, Y, Z) and the conveyors (17, 32) are superimposed on each other with the respective final ends (19, 36) situated at different heights.