A process for producing tyres including building a green tyre having two bead structures. Each bead structure includes a bead filler. The bead filler or another rigid component of the green tyre includes a final elastomeric compound produced by the following: feeding elastomeric polymer and reinforcement filler to a first batch mixing device; mixing and dispersing the reinforcement filler in the elastomeric polymer and unloading the obtained elastomeric compound; feeding the obtained elastomeric compound, along with at least 5 phr of reinforcement resin, to a continuous mixing device of intermeshing and co-rotating twin-screw or multi-screw type or of planetary type; mixing the reinforcement resin in the elastomeric compound and unloading the obtained elastomeric compound; and feeding the obtained elastomeric compound along with the components capable of facilitating the cross-linking to a second batch mixing device and mixing to obtain the final elastomeric compound. The first and second batch mixing device have two counterrotating rotors.

A process and an apparatus for cutting a continuous rubber-covered belt in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels, wherein the apparatus includes a cutting group, in turn comprising: a knife formed by a first half-part and a second half-part and movable along a cutting direction that is tilted with respect to a supply direction of a rubber-covered belt placed beneath the knife. The process includes: lifting a lifting element placed below the continuous rubber-covered belt and at the cutting zone, until a portion of rubber-covered belt is lifted, and lowering the single first-half part of the knife, making it slide with respect to the second half-part.

A process and an apparatus for cutting a continuous rubber-covered belt in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels, wherein the apparatus includes a cutting group, in turn comprising: a knife formed by a first half-part and a second half-part and movable along a cutting direction that is tilted with respect to a supply direction of a rubber-covered belt placed beneath the knife. The process includes: lifting a lifting element placed below the continuous rubber-covered belt and at the cutting zone, until a portion of rubber-covered belt is lifted, and lowering the single first-half part of the knife, making it slide with respect to the second half-part.

A weight applicator including a weight applicator head and at least one actuator is disclosed. The weight applicator head is adapted to carry a wheel balance weight and has a weight application surface with a weight retaining region and a leading rotation region. The at least one actuator is coupled to the weight applicator head for manipulating the weight applicator head in at least one direction. The at least one direction has a radial component. The leading rotation region is oriented to extend radially further than the weight retaining region.

A weight applicator including a weight applicator head and at least one actuator is disclosed. The weight applicator head is adapted to carry a wheel balance weight and has a weight application surface with a weight retaining region and a leading rotation region. The at least one actuator is coupled to the weight applicator head for manipulating the weight applicator head in at least one direction. The at least one direction has a radial component. The leading rotation region is oriented to extend radially further than the weight retaining region.

A loading station for forming a fiber mass for micronaire testing. The loading station has a hopper for receiving an unformed fiber mass. A forming chamber receives the unformed fiber mass from the hopper. The forming chamber includes a non-movable back wall and a non-movable bottom plate with ports formed therein. The ports draw an airflow from the hopper into the forming chamber. A selectively movable isolation plate isolates the forming chamber from the hopper, and a selectively movable horizontal forming wall horizontally compacts the fiber mass into a desired horizontal cross-section. A selectively movable vertical forming wall vertically compacts the fiber mass into a desired vertical cross-section. A selectively movable plunger presses axially along the shaped fiber mass.

A process and an apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels includes assembling at least one tyre component through laying of strip-like elements disposed circumferentially close to each other on a deposition surface radially external to the forming drum, wherein laying of each strip-like element includes: radially moving the strip-like element close to the deposition surface; locking a central portion of the strip-like element against the deposition surface; and pulling the strip-like element in opposite directions starting from the central portion toward the opposite ends thereof, while the central portion is maintained in a locked condition against the deposition surface, so as to progressively lay down the strip-like element against the deposition surface.

A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire includes placing a bladder device including a vulcanization bladder at a holding position outside a mold; inserting the vulcanization bladder in a green tire with a tire axis central position of the green tire and a shaft central position of the vulcanization bladder aligned; aligning a central position in a tire width direction of the green tire and a central position in a shaft direction of the vulcanization bladder; supporting the green tire with the vulcanization bladder by inflating the vulcanization bladder to a predetermined green tire supportable internal pressure; bringing the vulcanization bladder in contact with an inner surface of the green tire; transporting the green tire together with the bladder device to the vulcanization device; setting the green tire with the bladder device in the mold; inflating the vulcanization bladder to a predetermined vulcanization internal pressure; and vulcanizing the green tire.

A plant for building tyres of at least two different models for vehicle wheels, includes at least a tyre building line, which in turn, includes: a plurality of work stations arranged according to a sequential series, each work station being adapted for building at least one structural component of each tyre and assembling at least one elementary component; at least one handling device for the tyres being processed on the respective forming supports associated to each work station; and at least one transfer device adapted for transferring the tyre being processed on its forming support from any first work station of the sequential series to any other second work station not adjacent thereto of the sequential series, so that the tyre being processed on its forming support only passes in the first and second work stations.

A plant for building tyres of at least two different models for vehicle wheels, includes at least a tyre building line, which in turn, includes: a plurality of work stations arranged according to a sequential series, each work station being adapted for building at least one structural component of each tyre and assembling at least one elementary component; at least one handling device for the tyres being processed on the respective forming supports associated to each work station; and at least one transfer device adapted for transferring the tyre being processed on its forming support from any first work station of the sequential series to any other second work station not adjacent thereto of the sequential series, so that the tyre being processed on its forming support only passes in the first and second work stations.