Semifinished Tyre Feed Control With Automatic Defect Discard
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling the feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process are inadequate in detecting and automatically discarding defects such as residues of service fabric and material deficiencies, leading to reduced productivity and quality issues.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes a detection station upstream of the building station to identify defects in semifinished products, generating a notification signal to activate a discard device, ensuring automatic discard of defective portions without interrupting the production process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual defect detection and elimination is used, then defect removal is possible, but productivity decreases due to plant stoppage and increased cycle time
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic defect detection and discard activation without requiring manual intervention. The detection station autonomously identifies defects and triggers the discard device, allowing the system to service itself and maintain continuous operation, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable defect removal and productivity maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical defect inspection with an automated detection station that uses sensors and processing units to identify defects. This substitution of mechanical/manual systems with automated detection mechanisms enables continuous operation while maintaining defect removal capability, resolving the productivity-reliability contradiction
2Reliability
If defect detection is implemented, then product quality improves, but device complexity increases due to additional detection and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into distinct functional modules: a detection station with sensors and processing units, and a separate discard device. This segmentation allows the defect detection functionality to be added as a modular component rather than integrating complexity throughout the entire system, thereby improving product quality while managing device complexity through structured modularity
Solution Approach 2:
The detection station acts as an intermediary between the semifinished product feed and the discard device. It receives product input, processes defect information, and triggers discard operations only when needed. This intermediary role isolates the complexity of defect detection from the main production line, allowing quality improvement without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
3Productivity
If automatic discard is implemented, then productivity is maintained, but loss of substance increases due to discard of defective portions
Solution Approach 1:
The detection station identifies defects in advance before the semifinished product reaches the building station. By detecting defects preliminarily and activating the discard device proactively, the system prevents defective portions from being processed further, allowing targeted discard of only the defective segments rather than requiring disposal of larger portions or interrupting production, thus maintaining productivity while minimizing material loss
Data Source
AI summary
Method for controlling the feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process, said method comprising: feeding a semifinished product (10) into a building station (30) adapted to build, through said semi-finished product (10), a structural component of a tyre; performing, in an acquisition zone (AZ), a verification to verify the presence of at least one defect of said semifinished product (10); generating a notification signal (NS) as a function of said verification; activating, as a function of said notification signal (NS), a discard device (60), configured for discarding at least one portion of said semifinished product (10) comprising said at least one defect.