Flexible Tire Carcass Drum Transfer System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire manufacturing plants lack flexibility due to the sequential movement of drums through processing stations, limiting the ability to produce structurally different tires without modifying the plant or increasing cycle time.
Innovation Solution
The method involves building a carcass structure on a forming drum, transferring it between multiple completion and transfer locations, allowing for flexible production by changing manufacturing instructions and positioning semi-finished products radially or axially, and using shuttles to optimize the movement of forming drums along intersecting trajectories, thereby maintaining operational flexibility and reducing cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If drums move sequentially through fixed processing stations, then the plant structure remains simple and fixed, but the flexibility to produce different tire types is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic positioning of forming drums, allowing them to be moved between different completion locations along the assembling path. This enables the same plant structure to accommodate different tire types by changing the positions where drums are transferred and processed, rather than requiring fixed dedicated stations for each tire type.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing stations and transfer locations are designed to be universal, capable of handling multiple tire types. The same completion locations can serve different drum positions, and the plant can be reconfigured for different production needs without modifying the basic structure, achieving multi-functionality through flexible drum positioning.
2Productivity
If sequential processing through fixed stations is used, then the plant layout is simplified, but the production cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous processing by allowing multiple drums to be at different stages of completion simultaneously. While one drum is being processed at a completion location, another drum can be moved into position, ensuring that processing actions continue without interruption and reducing idle time between operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning of forming drums at optimal locations before final processing. Drums are transferred to specific completion locations in advance, allowing the next processing steps to begin immediately without waiting for previous operations to fully complete, thereby reducing overall cycle time.
3Productivity
If multiple forming drums are processed simultaneously at different locations, then productivity increases, but the complexity of coordinating drum transfers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the production process into distinct segments with dedicated transfer locations and completion stations. Each drum follows a defined path through segmented processing stages, allowing independent control and coordination of multiple drums without requiring complex global synchronization, as each segment operates semi-independently.
Data Source
AI summary
In building tyres, an intermediate portion of a carcass structure is built at a time on a respective forming drum within an intermediate forming line. The forming drum with the intermediate portion of the carcass structure is made available at a first transfer location. The intermediate portion of the carcass structure is completed through n completion locations with n≥1 and then transferred for the subsequent assembling with a crown structure to a second transfer location. At an operating moment in which the first transfer location is occupied by a forming drum coming from the intermediate forming line or intended for the intermediate forming line, from one to n locations selected from the n completion locations and the second transfer location are occupied by respective forming drums.