Tyre Building Line Unidirectional Workflow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current tyre manufacturing processes are time-consuming due to repeated transfers of the toroidal support between working stations, leading to decreased productive capacity and inefficient utilization of resources.

Innovation Solution

Integrating devices for assembling both carcass plies and annular inserts into a single apparatus, allowing for a unidirectional workflow that minimizes transferring steps and optimizes handling of the toroidal support, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and increasing productivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the toroidal support is transferred repeatedly between working stations for assembling carcass plies and annular inserts, then the tyre components can be assembled in sequence, but the production time increases and productive capacity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproductive capacityVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the assembly operations for carcass plies and annular inserts into a single integrated working station. The support device holds multiple toroidal supports at different positions, allowing one toroidal support to be assembled with carcass plies while another simultaneously receives annular inserts, eliminating the need for repeated transfers between separate working stations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The support device prepares multiple toroidal supports in advance by positioning them at different working stations. While one toroidal support is being assembled, other supports are pre-positioned and ready for the next assembly operations, enabling continuous production without waiting for transfers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If separate working stations are used for assembling carcass plies and annular inserts, then specialized equipment can be used for each operation, but the device complexity and number of transfers increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespecialized equipment utilizationVSAvoidnumber of working stations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated working station is designed to perform multiple functions: assembling carcass plies, assembling annular inserts, and positioning multiple toroidal supports simultaneously. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate specialized working stations while maintaining the capability to perform each assembly operation with appropriate equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2076376B9Producing process of a pneumatic tyre and relevant building line and assembling apparatus
Publication Date: 2011.11.02 PIRELLI TYRE SPA
  • EP2076376B9 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2076376B9 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2076376B9 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A process and a tire building line for producing tyres is disclosed, wherein the process comprising the following steps: i) transferring a first toroidal support to a first assembling apparatus (3); ii) in the first assembling apparatus (3), sequentially building on the first toroidal support a first toroidal carcass ply and a first pair of annular reinforcing inserts so as to associate each annular reinforcing insert to a respective radially internal edge of the first toroidal carcass ply; iii) transferring the first toroidal support to a second assembling apparatus (31); iv) in the second assembling apparatus (31), sequentially building on the first toroidal support, carrying the first toroidal carcass ply associated with the first pair of annular reinforcing inserts, a second toroidal carcass ply and a second pair of annular reinforcing inserts so as to associate each annular reinforcing insert to a respective radially internal edge of the second toroidal carcass ply.