Toroidal Forming Drum for Tire Carcass and Crown Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for building tires face challenges in ensuring precise positioning and structural stability of tire components, particularly in high curvature tires, and require complex logistics and equipment setups.
Innovation Solution
A method and plant that involve shaping a carcass sleeve into a toroidal configuration using an expandable toroidal forming drum, allowing for precise positioning and elimination of auxiliary components, and enabling the direct formation of the crown structure on the carcass sleeve, ensuring geometric and structural precision without significant waste or additional machinery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional single-stage or two-stage building processes are used with separate drums for carcass and crown structure, then the manufacturing process can be completed, but the positioning precision and structural stability of tire components deteriorate, especially in high curvature tires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the carcass building drum and crown structure forming drum into a single integrated drum system. The carcass ply is applied on the drum to form a carcass sleeve, and then the crown structure is directly formed on the same drum without transferring to a second-stage drum. This integration eliminates the complexity of multiple drums and auxiliary transfer equipment while improving component positioning precision through a unified reference system.
Solution Approach 2:
The building drum is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the carcass building drum and the crown structure forming drum. The drum incorporates both the carcass building surface and the crown structure forming surface, allowing it to universally handle both manufacturing stages in one device, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high positioning precision.
2Stability of the object's composition
If auxiliary components and multi-stage drums are used to ensure structural stability, then component positioning can be maintained, but the production process becomes more complex and requires additional machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for auxiliary components such as temporary support structures, transfer devices, and second-stage drums. By designing the integrated drum with appropriate geometric features and forming surfaces, the system achieves structural stability directly through the drum's own configuration rather than relying on additional auxiliary components.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum is pre-configured with the precise geometric features and forming surfaces needed to directly create the final tire structure. The carcass building surface and crown structure forming surface are preliminarily arranged on the same drum, allowing the process to proceed without requiring auxiliary components to be introduced during manufacturing.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate work stations are used for carcass structure and belt structure, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but production efficiency and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the separate work stations for carcass structure and belt structure into a single integrated work station on one drum. The carcass ply is applied and the crown structure (including belt layers) is formed sequentially on the same drum without requiring transfer to a separate station, thereby eliminating idle time and improving production efficiency while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the drum's versatile forming capabilities.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional building processes are used, then standard production procedures are followed, but significant material waste and additional machinery installation space are required
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated drum is preliminarily configured with the exact geometric features and forming surfaces needed to create the final tire structure in one process. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for intermediate processing steps and material repositioning that occur in traditional multi-stage processes, thereby reducing material waste while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized integrated drum technology.
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
This approach ensures precise positioning and stability of tire components, simplifies production processes, reduces waste, and allows for efficient installation in limited spaces, while maintaining high structural integrity and precision in tire manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
an expandable toroidal forming drum, arranged inside the shaped carcass sleeve... the drum radially expanded inside the carcass sleeve subsequently or at the same time as the toroidal shaping thereof
Implementation Method 2
simultaneous introduction of pressurised fluid inside the carcass sleeve, in a manner so as to cause a radial dilatation of the carcass plies until they are made to adhere against the internal surface of the crown structure
Implementation Method 3
a moulding and vulcanisation treatment is generally executed aimed to determine the structural stabilisation of the tyre through cross-linking of the elastomeric compositions
Implementation Method 4
a moulding and vulcanisation treatment is generally executed aimed to determine the structural stabilisation of the tyre through cross-linking of the elastomeric compositions
Data Source
AI summary
A carcass sleeve is situated in a radially external position with respect to a toroidal forming drum, arranged in a first radially contracted operative condition. The carcass sleeve is shaped according to a toroidal configuration while the forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve. During shaping of the carcass sleeve, the forming drum is radially expanded up to a second radially expanded operative condition. Upon completed shaping, the carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum in the second operative condition. The forming drum, coupled to the shaped carcass sleeve, is arranged in proximity to at least one device for building at least one belt layer at a radially external position relative to the shaped carcass sleeve.