Straight-thread ply butt-joining for tire web production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire manufacturing equipment is poorly adapted for producing small series of tires, leading to inefficiencies in raw material usage, increased maintenance costs, and reduced productivity due to the need for frequent adjustments and handling of reinforcing threads.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of separate reels with narrow straight-thread strips, their simultaneous unwinding and butt-joining to form a wider straight-thread ply, which is then cut into webs, optimizing the use of existing cutters and reducing material waste by aligning the production with the maximum receiving capacity of the cutter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard width straight-thread plies are produced using existing calenders and cutters, then production is optimized for mass production, but the equipment is poorly adapted for small series production
Solution Approach 1:
The straight-thread ply is divided into multiple narrow straight-thread strips that are produced separately by the calender and then joined together. This segmentation allows the calender to produce strips of width suitable for small series production while the joining process creates the final wide ply needed for the cutter, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The narrow straight-thread strips serve as an intermediary element between the calender and the cutter. These strips are produced by the calender in a standardized manner and then joined to form the wide ply required by the cutter, acting as a mediator that connects the two pieces of equipment without requiring either to be reconfigured
2Loss of substance
If the calendering operation is interrupted to reduce straight-thread ply length for small series, then material usage is optimized, but productivity decreases due to frequent handling and fitting of reinforcing threads
Solution Approach 1:
The straight-thread ply production is segmented into multiple narrow strips that can be produced continuously and then joined. This allows the calender to run continuously without interruption (maintaining productivity) while the final joined ply length can be precisely controlled to match the small series requirements (reducing material waste)
Solution Approach 2:
The calender operates continuously to produce narrow straight-thread strips without interruption, maintaining high productivity. The joining of these strips into the final wide ply occurs after calendering, allowing continuous production while controlling the final ply length to minimize material waste for small series
3Productivity
If narrow straight-thread strips are produced and joined to form wide plies, then cutter output is optimized and material waste is reduced, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wide straight-thread ply is segmented into multiple narrow strips that are produced separately and then joined. This segmentation allows the cutter to work with optimally sized strips (maximizing cutter output) while the joining process consolidates them into the required wide ply format, and the standardized narrow strip dimensions reduce overall process complexity
4Ease of manufacture
If standard straight-thread ply widths are used, then existing cutters can be utilized, but material waste increases when producing small series of varied tire sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The straight-thread ply production is segmented into multiple narrow strips of standardized width that can be produced by existing calenders. These strips are then joined to form the final wide ply. The standardized narrow strip width ensures compatibility with existing equipment while the flexible joining process allows precise control of the final ply dimensions to minimize material waste for varied tire sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The width parameter of the straight-thread ply is changed from a fixed standard width to a flexible dimension achieved by joining multiple narrow strips. This parameter change allows the final ply width to be precisely matched to the specific tire size requirements, reducing material waste while maintaining compatibility with existing cutters that process standard width plies
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing webs (1) that are intended to be involved in the makeup of a reinforcing ply (2) for a pneumatic tyre (20), said method comprising a preparation step (a), during which a plurality of straight-thread strips (7, 107, 207), which are each formed of a plurality of continuous reinforcing threads (4) that are embedded in a layer of rubber (5), are prepared, a butt-joining step (b), during which said straight-thread strips (7, 107, 207) are butt-joined in pairs to form a straight-thread ply (3), then a cutting step (c), during which the straight-thread ply (3) is inserted into a cutter (8) and the straight-thread ply (3) is severed transversely so as to form webs, wherein, in said method, the frontal width (W3) of the straight-thread ply (3) that is produced during the butt-joining step (b) and then inserted into the cutter (8) is equal to or greater than 50%, equal to or greater than 75%, equal to or greater than 80%, or even equal to or greater than 90%, of the cutter inlet width (W8), whereas the widest frontal width (W7, W107, W207) of the straight-thread strips is less than or equal to 50%, less than or equal to 40%, less than or equal to 25%, less than or equal to 10%, or even less than or equal to 5%, of said cutter inlet width (W8).