Tire Building Drums Independent Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire building systems are inefficient because some operations take longer than others, causing all drums to wait for the slowest station to finish, limiting overall system efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The system positions two drums, one supported from below and one suspended from above, allowing them to move independently in the same plane and visit stations without obstructing each other, with a positioning unit controlling their movement to prevent collisions and optimize station use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drums are supported from the same side (all from below or all from above), then the structure is simpler, but the drums cannot pass each other and must wait for slower operations, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by supporting the first drum from below the positioning plane and the second drum from above the positioning plane. This vertical dimension differentiation allows both drums to occupy the same horizontal positioning plane while preventing interference, enabling independent movement and eliminating waiting time for slower operations.
2Productivity
If all drums move in the same plane, then station utilization is improved, but drums obstruct each other when passing, causing delays
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing vertical support from opposite sides (above and below the positioning plane), the patent enables drums to pass each other horizontally in the same positioning plane without obstruction. The vertical support arrangement creates spatial separation that eliminates interference while maintaining horizontal mobility for efficient station utilization.
3Ease of operation
If drums wait for the slowest station to finish, then operational simplicity is maintained, but overall system efficiency is limited by the bottleneck station
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic independence by enabling each drum to move autonomously to and from stations without being constrained by the operational status of other drums. The support structure from opposite sides facilitates this dynamic behavior, allowing faster drums to proceed while slower operations continue independently, thereby eliminating the bottleneck effect.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tire building system comprising a first drum, a second drum and first stations, wherein the tire building system further comprises a first support, a first carrier that carries the first drum with respect to the first support, a second support and a second carrier that carries the second drum with respect to the second support, wherein the first carrier is movable along the first support in a first positioning plane, wherein the second carrier is movable along the second support in the first positioning plane, wherein the first support is arranged for supporting the first carrier from below the first positioning plane and wherein the second support is arranged for suspending the second carrier from above the first positioning plane. The invention further relates to a method for positioning the first drum and the second drum with respect to the first stations with the use of the aforementioned system.