Automated Butt-Splicing of Tire Web Ends
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for butt-splicing tire components result in material waste and uneven tire properties due to overlapping end sections, and are not easily automatable, especially for angular carcasses.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that use rotatable splicing elements with suction or electromagnetic holding to align and butt-splice tire web ends, followed by a transfer unit that deforms the material into a circular cross-section for efficient automated production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If end sections of material web are overlapped to join tire components, then joining is simple, but material waste increases and tire uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of overlapping end sections to join them, the patent inverts the approach by using butt-splicing where end sections are joined end-to-end without overlap. This eliminates material waste while maintaining joining effectiveness through clamping and bonding mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning and clamping the end sections in a butt-splice configuration before final bonding. The end sections are aligned and secured in place prior to the joining process, ensuring precise alignment and eliminating the need for overlapping.
2Ease of manufacture
If end sections are overlapped to join tire components, then joining process is straightforward, but tire uniformity and balance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional overlapping joining method by implementing butt-splicing where end sections meet end-to-end. This eliminates the accumulation and stretching of material that occurs with overlapping, thereby improving tire uniformity and balance while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through automated positioning and clamping.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning and clamping of end sections in a butt-splice configuration before final bonding. This preliminary action ensures precise alignment and eliminates material distortion, resulting in uniform tire properties while keeping the joining process straightforward through automated sequences.
3Loss of substance
If manual butt-splicing methods are used, then material utilization is improved, but automation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service automation where the splicing device automatically positions, clamps, and bonds end sections without manual intervention. The automated system maintains precise butt-splice alignment and performs the entire joining sequence autonomously, achieving both material efficiency and full automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with automated mechanical and control systems. Sensors, actuators, and control units work together to automatically position and clamp end sections in butt-splice configuration, eliminating the need for manual operations while maintaining precise material utilization.
4Adaptability or versatility
If angular carcasses are spliced directly on tire building drum, then process integration is achieved, but splicing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the splicing process from the tire building drum operation. Butt-splicing is performed in a dedicated splicing station where angular carcasses can be reliably joined, and then the spliced components are transferred to the tire building drum. This segmentation ensures splicing reliability while maintaining overall process integration through coordinated material flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary splicing station between material preparation and tire building drum operations. This intermediary facility provides optimal conditions for reliable butt-splicing of angular carcasses, including precise positioning and clamping, while maintaining integration with the overall automated manufacturing process through coordinated material handling.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables fully automated production of uniformly spliced tire components, reducing material waste and improving tire uniformity, and is suitable for both radial and angular carcasses.
Implementation Method 1
The end sections of the applied carcass insert lie in the area of a gap and are therefore initially also spaced apart from one another by its width. Through an interaction of pairs of splicing elements and drum segment movements, the splicing of the ends is carried out.
Implementation Method 2
A method and device that use rotatable splicing elements with suction or electromagnetic holding to align and butt-splice tire web ends
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2~5
Figure 6~10
AI summary
The invention relates to a method that can be used in the automated construction of a vehicle tyre, using butt spliced tyre components consisting of material webs, for example textile cords or steel cords that are embedded in a rubber mixture, to produce a carcass insert of the vehicle tyre. According to said method, the end sections of the cut material web can be clamped in a splicing device comprising pairs of upper and lower splicing elements (9, 10, 11, 12), which can be displaced in relation to one another and said sections can be butt spliced. One end section (5a) of the cut material web (5) is laid and fixed on one splicing element (12) of the pair of splicing elements (9, 10; 11, 12) and a base part (7) that supports said pair of splicing elements (11, 12) is rotated through 360°, during the feeding of the material web (5), until the second end section (5b) of the looped material web (5) is positioned and fixed in the vicinity of the first end section (5a) and on the same plane as the latter on the second splicing element (11) of the pair of splicing elements (11, 12) and finally the sections are joined in a butt splice by the horizontal displacement of the pair of upper and lower splicing elements (9, 10, 11, 12) towards one another.