A method for manufacturing a tire involves successively performing steps that include: continuously converting a flat reinforcing strip into an undulating reinforcing strip; pressing peaks of waves of the undulating reinforcing strip one by one onto a surface of a tire blank that is driven in rotation by a drum about a drum axis; and winding the undulating reinforcing strip onto the tire blank. In the converting step, the flat reinforcing strip is converted into the undulating reinforcing strip in an immediate vicinity of the drum. The waves of the undulating reinforcing strip and movement of the peaks of the waves of the undulating reinforcing strip towards the surface of the tire blank extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to the drum axis.

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.

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.

In a pneumatic tire, both of a thickness of the first belt layer and a thickness of the second belt layer in the tire center portion are 1.00 mm or less, and when the shortest distance between the cord of the second belt layer and the cord of the first belt layer in the tire center portion is defined as a, and the shortest distance between a cord closest to an end of the second belt layer and a cord of the first belt layer is defined as b, b/a is 1.8 to 4.0, and at an end of the belt, an end rubber is disposed in a predetermined manner on a tire radially inner side of the first belt layer, between the first belt layer and the second belt layer, and on a tire radially outer side the second belt layer.

Method for controlling the feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process, said method comprising: feeding a semifinished product (10) into a building station (30) adapted to build, through said semi-finished product (10), a structural component of a tyre; performing, in an acquisition zone (AZ), a verification to verify the presence of at least one defect of said semifinished product (10); generating a notification signal (NS) as a function of said verification; activating, as a function of said notification signal (NS), a discard device (60), configured for discarding at least one portion of said semifinished product (10) comprising said at least one defect.

Method for controlling the feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process, said method comprising: feeding a semifinished product (10) into a building station (30) adapted to build, through said semi-finished product (10), a structural component of a tyre; performing, in an acquisition zone (AZ), a verification to verify the presence of at least one defect of said semifinished product (10); generating a notification signal (NS) as a function of said verification; activating, as a function of said notification signal (NS), a discard device (60), configured for discarding at least one portion of said semifinished product (10) comprising said at least one defect.