Tire Assembly Machine with Modular Perpendicular Stations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire manufacturing processes struggle to efficiently produce large-dimension or complex tires due to increased component numbers and core diameters, leading to reduced productivity and difficulty in adapting machine cycles to meet evolving market requirements.
Innovation Solution
The machine is arranged with modular stations along two perpendicular axes, allowing the core to move between assembly, vulcanization, and cooling stations, with specific configurations for horizontal and vertical core orientations to optimize station usage and cycle times, enabling efficient production of large or complex tires while maintaining compactness and transportability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the machine uses a single platform chassis with concentrated manufacturing stations, then the machine structure is simplified and compact, but it becomes difficult to adapt to large-dimension or complex tires with increased component numbers and core diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is divided into modular manufacturing stations (assembly station, vulcanisation station, cooling station, dismantling station) that can be independently configured and repositioned along the chassis, allowing adaptation to different tire types while maintaining overall structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing stations are arranged in a linear sequence along the chassis platform, creating a one-dimensional production flow that can accommodate varying tire dimensions by adjusting station positioning and configuration along this axis
2Productivity
If the machine elements are arranged in a highly compact manner with rapid cycle times, then productivity is improved for small-dimension tires, but the machine cannot efficiently produce large-dimension or complex tires
Solution Approach 1:
The machine cycle times and station configurations are made dynamically adjustable based on tire dimensions and complexity, allowing rapid cycles for small tires while extending cycles appropriately for large or complex tires without sacrificing overall productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing stations are designed with universal capabilities to handle both small and large-dimension tires through adjustable positioning and configurable assembly operations, maintaining high productivity across different tire types
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of components and core diameter are increased to manufacture complex or large-dimension tires, then the machine can produce more advanced tires, but productivity is reduced due to thorough modification of machine cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly process is segmented into discrete stations that can operate semi-independently, allowing parallel processing and reducing the impact of increased component numbers on overall cycle time, thereby maintaining productivity while handling complex tires
Data Source
AI summary
A machine for manufacturing tires (P) using at least one core (N) used as a reference surface of the manufacture of the tires (P) by moving consecutively from one manufacturing station to another from the start of assembly through to vulcanisation, comprising a first line of stations, oriented in a horizontal direction XX′, capable of receiving the core whose axis of rotation rr′ is oriented horizontally, and a second line of stations (200, 300, 300′), oriented in a horizontal direction YY′, perpendicular to the direction XX′, in which the stations are capable of receiving a core (N) whose axis rr′ is oriented vertically. The first line of stations comprises a first (120) and a second (130) station for assembling the tire including member (121, 131) for grasping and driving the core (N) in rotation about a horizontal axis rr′, merged with the axis XX′, such members being placed opposite one another. A turning device (110) is movable in the direction XX′ and is capable of transferring the core from one station to another within the first line of stations (120, 130) by making the axis rr′ of the core effect a translation along the axis XX′ and a rotation of 180° about a horizontal axis yy′ parallel to the direction YY′.