Abstract: A plant for building tyres for vehicle wheels, includes a sleeve building area in which devices for obtaining carcass sleeves operate, a crown building area in which devices for obtaining crown structures operate and a shaping station for shaping each carcass sleeve according to a toroidal configuration. Transfer devices for transferring the carcass sleeves from the sleeve building area to the shaping station, by a first translator configured for picking up each carcass sleeve from an outlet station of the sleeve building area, a second translator configured for releasing each carcass sleeve in the shaping station, and a storage device operatively interposed between said first translator and second translator.

Abstract: This invention is in the field of automated 3D printing of buildings or structures and method of its operation. A 3D printer having an extendable boom arm with an extruder for extruding a concrete-based chemical solution moves with translational and rotational motion in an XOY plane. The extendable boom arm is mounted such that it is capable of height adjustment in a XOZ plane. The invention also regards a method for automated 3D printing of a building or structure using the 3D printer.

Abstract: To provide a pneumatic tire with improved performance and balance in terms of fuel efficiency, steering stability performance and wear life. The total width SW, outside diameter OD, tread groove depth Ga, center groove depth Gc and shoulder groove depth Gs satisfy the relationships SW/OD?0.3, Ga?0.02×SW+2.5 and Gc>Gs.

Abstract: A method for managing a carcass structure building line, a plant and a process for building tyre carcass structures, wherein the plant includes a carcass structure building line provided with a plurality of stations including an unloading station and n building stations. A group of forming drums being processed includes m forming drums being processed defining a first size of carcass structure being processed. Three groups of entering forming drums include respective entering forming drums, defining a second size of carcass structure being processed. A pair of support elements being processed includes a first and a second support element being processed and three pairs of entering support elements respectively include a first and a second entering support element. The invention also relates to a method for managing a carcass structure building line.

Abstract: A pneumatic tyre with a wear indicator may be manufactured by inserting rods of a mould into the tire tread during manufacturing. A mould may include at least seven rods extending in parallel in a direction of height on a same side of an object and connected to the object. The rods are arranged so multiple distances are left between the cross sections of the rods and a minimum of the multiple distances ?0.5 mm. In the direction of height, the cross section and/or the height of at least some of the rods varies so at a number of different height positions, the cross sections of the rods at those height positions define that number of different mirror-image symbols, of which mirror images are expressible by the wear indicator, one mirror-image symbol corresponding to one height position, with at least two different height positions and mirror-image symbols.

Abstract: Systems and methods for retreading a tire are disclosed. Embodiments include applying a layer of adhesive (e.g., Cushing gum) on the exterior of a prepared tire casing and a layer of pre-molded tread on the exterior of the adhesive. An inner electric heating pad is placed along the interior contour of the tire casing and/or an outer electric heating pad is placed along an exterior of the tread layer. The assembly is then cured by providing a force to the assembly while activating the heating pad(s) to cure the adhesive.

Abstract: The invention includes methods for forming a retreaded tire, and treads there for. Particular embodiments of such methods provide a tire tread, the tire tread having a bottom side and a top side configured for engaging a ground surface, a thickness extending between the top side and the bottom side, and a pair of opposing lateral sides defining a width of the tread, the bottom side having one or more submerged voids extending from the bottom side into the tread thickness to form a tread pattern, the submerged voids having a depth less than the thickness and the top side being free of any exposed voids comprising a groove. Further steps include applying the tire tread to a tire carcass, curing the tire tread to the tire carcass, and forming one or more voids into the tread thickness the top side of the tread after the step of bonding.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for manufacturing an air maintenance tire includes an air pumping tube assembly station constructing an air pumping tube sub-assembly, a tire preparation station for forming passageways in the tire to accept an outlet device of the air pumping tube sub-assembly, an air pumping tube sub-assembly installation station and a pressure regulator installation station. The air pumping tube sub-assembly inserts into an elongate tire groove opening, facilitated by groove-spreading apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which forms a pattern in an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, the apparatus comprising a deformation unit configured to deform at least one of the mold and the substrate, and a control unit configured to control a process of starting contact between the mold and the imprint material in a state in which the at least one is deformed, and then gradually increasing a contact area between the mold and the imprint material by gradually decreasing a deformation amount of the at least one, wherein the control unit controls relative positions of the mold and the substrate based on the deformation amount, so as to maintain a relative positional relationship between the mold and the substrate at a region where the mold and the imprint material are contact with each other.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire including forming a green case by cylindrically winding a tire component member which includes at least one layer of a carcass ply. The green tire is shaped by expanding the green case into a toroidal shape with the supply of a fluid into the green case so that the green case adheres to a tread ring arranged radially outside the green case. The green tire is subjected to vulcanization molding within a mold die. During the shaping of the green tire, the fluid is supplied in accordance with a pressure profile which changes in a stepwise manner. The pressure profile is set such that a former stage pressure which allows the green case to expand to 35% to 40% of a full expansion amount is set lower than a final stage pressure in a final stage.

Abstract: A plant for building tyres includes a plurality of working locations, at least one first working location being associated with at least two loading/unloading locations, a proximal one and a distal one, each of said working locations and loading/unloading locations being associable with a forming drum. The production cycle is controlled by the method of: (i) loading a first forming drum into the at least one first working location; (ii) loading a second forming drum into the loading/unloading location; (iii) at the end of the working provided in the at least one first working location, unloading the first forming drum into the proximal loading/unloading location.

Abstract: A rubber strip is transported to a molding drum. At this stage, a cutter cuts the rubber strip into a predetermined length. If a sensor detects the finishing end of the rubber strip when the rubber strip is transported, a sucker, which transports the rubber strip while drawing the rubber strip, is temporarily stopped or the movement speed of the sucker is decreased. As a result, a top portion of the rubber strip is extended in the longitudinal direction of the rubber strip. This compensates for the amount of shrinkage of the rubber strip after extrusion, thus restraining shrinkage of the rubber strip.

Abstract: A forming drum has circumferentially consecutive sectors that are radially movable between a contracted condition and an expanded condition in which the sectors are radially moved away from a geometric axis in order to define a radially external abutment surface. Each sector has circumferentially opposite coupling portions, each having circumferential projections alternated with circumferential cavities. The projections of each sector are slidably engaged in the respective cavities of circumferentially adjacent sectors. From at least one of the projections, at least one support wing is extended having a first side and a second side that are respectively opposite. The first side coincides with a portion of the abutment surface and the second side at least partially overlaps one of the projections belonging to an adjacent sector. A process for building tyres employing the drum is also described.

Abstract: A tire building drum (10) is used to build a large green tire. The tire building drum (10) comprises: a cylindrical drum main body (12) having an outer peripheral surface (14) a diameter of which is capable of being increased and reduced; and a coating (16) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body. The coating (16) includes a silicon layer (26) defining a surface of the coating (16), and the silicon layer has a surface roughness Ra of 10 ?m or greater. The tire building drum (10) requires no application of stearic acid onto the surface thereof in release of the green tire.

Abstract: A drum for building a green tire casing having: sectors that form a circumferential face of the drum, and at least one cam for controlling a radial movement of the sectors with respect to a rotation axis of the drum. The cam has two main faces and is designed such that a monotonous movement of the cam first of all causes the radial movement of some of the sectors by virtue of ramps situated on its first face without modifying a radial position of the other sectors, and then causes the radial movement of the other sectors by virtue of ramps situated on its second face, the movement of all of the sectors then being simultaneous.

Abstract: A method for ablating a workpiece by a pulsed laser beam includes pretreating a workpiece surface of the workpiece by moving the pulsed laser beam over the workpiece surface along a surface path, first consecutive laser pulses of the pulsed laser beam having a first pulse overlap on the workpiece surface in a path direction, and ablating the pretreated workpiece surface by moving the pulsed laser beam over the workpiece surface along the surface path multiple times. The second consecutive laser pulses of the pulsed laser beam have a second pulse overlap on the workpiece surface in the path direction, and the second pulse overlap is less than the first pulse overlap.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A toroidal forming drum and a process for budding tyres. The toroidal forming drum is expanded within a shaped carcass sleeve for supporting the carcass sleeve against an abutment surface externally provided by the forming drum. An elementary semi-finished product is applied around the shaped carcass sleeve by pressing the elementary semi-finished product toward the abutment surface. The abutment surface has circumferential rows of solid portions alternated with hollow portions. The solid portions, arranged along axially opposite circumferential edges of the abutment surface, have a transverse size between 10% and 60% of a transverse size presented by the solid portions arranged in proximity to an axial centreline plane of the abutment surface.

Abstract: A tire building drum is rotatably mounted on a central drive shaft and includes a center portion. A center mechanism for the drum is disposed in the center portion and includes a hub that seats on and is secured to the central drive shaft. An axially-extending piston seats on and extends circumferentially about the hub. A cylinder cooperates with the hub and the piston to form a pneumatic chamber. A plurality of links are connected to the piston and a plurality of segment bars are disposed about the circumference of the center mechanism. Each one of the segment bars is connected to selected links and seats between a lip of the cylinder and a distal end plate. When compressed air is introduced into the pneumatic chamber, the piston moves in an axial direction, actuating movement of the links and in turn actuating radial movement of the segment bars.

Abstract: A plant for building tyres includes a plurality of working locations, at least one first working location being associated with at least two loading/unloading locations, a proximal one and a distal one, each of said working locations and loading/unloading locations being associable with a forming drum. The production cycle is controlled by the method of: (i) loading a first forming drum into the at least one first working location; (ii) loading a second forming drum into the loading/unloading location; (iii) at the end of the working provided in the at least one first working location, unloading the first forming drum into the proximal loading/unloading location.