Method for manufacturing tires on a flexible manufacturing system

摘要

Simultaneously producing production runs of tires on sequential tire manufacturing system, involves scheduling a production run by imputing tire build software, calculating corresponding number of cycles each piece of tire building equipment must perform to build a given lot, and automatically changing to second build specification after last tire of first build specification passes. Simultaneously producing production runs of tires (200) on a multi-station sequential tire manufacturing system, where the tires are from a group of tire types of different build specifications in lot sizes of one or more tires, involves scheduling a production run by imputing a tire build software, where the software performs the steps of selecting tire building equipment and materials required for the respective tire type of a first build specification; calculating a corresponding number of cycles each piece of tire building equipment must perform to build a given lot; automatically changing to a second build specification at a lot change by switching to a second build specification after the last tire of the first build specification passes; and repeating the automated changing to a next build specification as each last tire of each prior lot passes until a final lot is produced. An independent claim is also included for a method of building an uncured tire assembly comprising forming a carcass on a radially collapsible toroidally shaped carcass building drum; forming a tread belt assembly onto a radially collapsible tread belt building drum; placing the tread belt assembly into an open segmented mold; closing the mold segments compressing the tread into the mold face; collapsing the tread belt drum and opening the mold top and removing the tread belt drum; inserting the carcass into the mold while mounted onto the carcass building drum and then reclosing the mold; pressurizing the mold through the building drum expanding the carcass into the inner surface of the tread belt to form a tire assembly; curing the tire assembly; and removing the cured tire assembly from the mold.