Tire Retread Buffing with Sensor Response Curves
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing tire tread from a tire carcass often damage the underlying belt, as they lack precise control over the material removal process, leading to potential destruction of the tire.
Innovation Solution
A method and machine that utilize sensors to monitor the distance between the removal tool and the tire belt, using signal response curves to determine the optimal distance for tread removal, ensuring the belt is not contacted and damaged, and employing a programmable logic controller to control the buffing process across the tread width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional abrading devices or cutters are used for tread removal, then the tread can be removed from the tire carcass, but the underlying belt may be contacted and damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors that continuously monitor the distance between the removal tool and the belt, providing real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust the removal tool's position or operation to prevent belt contact while maintaining efficient tread removal, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces purely mechanical tread removal methods with a controlled system that uses sensors (optical, electromagnetic, or other non-contact detection) to monitor the removal process. This substitution introduces intelligent control that prevents mechanical contact with the belt, protecting it from damage while maintaining removal efficiency.
2Reliability
If sensors are used to monitor the distance between the removal tool and the belt, then the belt can be protected from damage, but the complexity of the removal system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system integrates multiple functions into a single platform: it processes sensor signals, determines belt position, controls removal tool operation, and provides protection logic. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity while achieving reliable belt protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor acts as an intermediary between the removal tool and the belt, providing indirect measurement of the distance without requiring direct contact. This intermediary approach enables protection without complex mechanical interlocks or contact-based safety systems, keeping the added complexity minimal.
3Device complexity
If a single signal response curve is used for sensor calibration, then the system is simpler to implement, but accurate distance determination across different lateral locations cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements location-specific signal response curves that are calibrated for different lateral positions across the tread width. Each lateral location has its own calibrated curve that accounts for local variations in tire geometry and sensor positioning, enabling accurate distance determination at each specific location while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration process is segmented into multiple lateral locations across the tread width, with each location having its own signal response curve. This segmentation allows the system to handle complexity in a modular way, where each location can be calibrated independently, improving measurement precision without overwhelming system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for buffing tread from a tire carcass, the method comprising the steps of: positioning a sensor at a first lateral location along a width of the tread; receiving a first signal from the sensor, the first signal generated as a function of a distance between the sensor and a belt in the tire and a tire characteristic; selecting a first signal response curve from a plurality of signal response curves based upon the first lateral location of the sensor, the selected signal response curve representing the function of the distance between the sensor and the tire belt and the tire characteristic; determining from the response curve the distance between the sensor and the belt for the signal response received; buffing tread from the tire until the distance between the sensor and the belt reaches a final distance. The steps are repeated at a second lateral location.