Systems and methods for correcting uniformity of a cured tire using ablation of material along a plurality of tracks along the bead portion of the tire are provided. An ablation pattern can be determined to correct for a uniformity parameter for multiple tracks along a bead portion of a tire. The ablation pattern for each track can be analyzed to determined direct address commands for implementing the ablation pattern using an ablation device. The direct address commands can be determined according to an adjustment process to improve cycle time for the ablation of a tire. The adjustment process can be operable to more closely align azimuthal positions of ablation segments specified by direct address commands for different tracks along the bead of the tire.

An apparatus for detecting and checking defects on a tire at the end of a production process, the apparatus comprising a workstation comprising a workbench comprising a rotating table for supporting a tire; a profilometer; a high-resolution color linear camera for scanning outer surfaces of tire tread and tire shoulders; mechanical supports for the profilometer and color linear camera; a data processor for for storing and processing data detected by the profilometer and the color linear camera means, for providing a three-dimensional model of a tire, and for management of a database including parameters referring to surface characteristics of defect-free tires; an interface for facilitating interaction between an operator and the apparatus; wherein the profilometer and the color linear camera are configured to operate simultaneously and perform a full scan of all the profiles of inner and outer surfaces of a tire while the tire is in rotation at a controlled speed on the rotating table; and wherein the data processor is adapted to define and classify defects detected, by comparing parameters detected by the profilometer and the color linear camera to at least one corresponding parameter of a defect-free tire of a same type as a tire being tested.

In a tire uniformity testing apparatus which measures uniformity of a tire by measuring a load applied to the tire pressed against a rotary drum, a load estimation model is generated which is used to control a pressing position of the rotary drum, and generates a load estimation model indicating a relation between the pressing position of the tire with respect to the rotary drum and the load applied to the tire. The load estimation model is generated by: holding the tire in which uniformity has already been measured for each characteristic value; acquiring a nominal model depending on the characteristic value of the tire; and generating based on the acquired nominal model.

A plant (2) for building tyres comprises a system for managing initial components (3); a system for managing the manufacturing of semi-finished products (4) starting from one or more initial components; a system for managing the building of a green tyre (5) starting from one or more semi-finished products; a system for managing the curing of said green tyre (6). The logical set of a control unit (8) for the plant (2) and/or of one or more from among control units (8a-8e) for the management systems (3-6) and/or of a automatic visual control system (7) is programmed for controlling at least two parameters, assigning to each of these a quality index (I), discarding a tyre being processed when a quality index (I) corresponding to said discard level (5) is assigned to at least one of said parameters and feedbacking the control result of at least one parameter in order to verify the quality index (I) of the parameters.

Methods and systems for improving the uniformity of a tire are provided. More particularly, a magnitude of a uniformity parameter can be obtained for each tire in a set of a plurality of tires. The magnitudes associated with the set of tires can be transformed according to a probability distribution function (e.g. a Weibull distribution function) to obtain a set of transformed magnitudes. Parameters associated with a probability distribution function can be estimated based at least in part on the transformed magnitudes. Parameters associated with the probability distribution function can be used to determine data indicative of a measurement error in the uniformity measurements attributable to a measurement process harmonic. The data indicative of the measurement error can be used to correct uniformity measurements obtained for tires and to modify tire manufacture based at least in part on the corrected measurements.

A plant for building tires includes a system for managing initial components; a system for managing the manufacturing of semi-finished products starting from one or more initial components; a system for managing the building of a green tire starting from one or more semi-finished products; and a system for managing the curing of said green tire. The logical set of a control unit for the plant and/or of one or more from among control units for the management systems and/or of an automatic visual control system is programmed for controlling at least two parameters, assigning to each of these a quality index, discarding a tire being processed when a quality index corresponding to said discard level is assigned to at least one of said parameters and feedbacking the control result of at least one parameter in order to verify the quality index of the parameters.

A system for controlling a parameter relative to the quality of a tire being processed includes at least one system for detecting a parameter relative to one or more tires being processed. A control unit is programmed for comparing a succession of values of the parameter by comparing each value with at least one discard threshold and preferably with at least one warning threshold. The discard threshold divides a discard interval from an acceptable interval. The warning threshold belongs to the acceptable interval and defines one or more warning intervals. The control unit is also programmed for controlling the trend of the succession of values with respect to the discard threshold. A method for controlling quality of production of tires.

Methods and systems for improving the uniformity of a tire are provided. More specifically, one or more characteristics of a composite uniformity parameter can be determined from harmonic magnitudes associated with a plurality of harmonics of the composite uniformity parameter. For instance, a range of a composite uniformity parameter and/or a distribution of amplitudes of a composite uniformity parameter for a set of tires can be determined from harmonic magnitudes associated with selected harmonics of the composite uniformity parameter. According to example aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more characteristics of the composite uniformity parameter can be determined using Weibull distributions of the harmonic magnitudes. Once identified, the one or more characteristics can be used to modify tire manufacture to improve tire uniformity.

Methods and systems for improving the uniformity of a tire are provided. More particularly, one or more parameters of a measurement process harmonic contributing to uniformity measurements performed for a tire can be identified. The measurement process harmonic can be a process harmonic effect associated with the acquisition of uniformity measurements of a tire, such as a process harmonic effect associated out-of-roundness of a road wheel used to load a tire during uniformity measurement in a uniformity measurement machine. The measurement process harmonic can result solely from the acquisition of uniformity measurements and may not contribute to actual tire non-uniformity. Once identified, the one or more parameters associated with the measurement process harmonic can be used to correct the uniformity measurements of the tire to account for the measurement process harmonic. Tire manufacture can then be modified to improve tire uniformity based on the corrected measurements.

Methods and systems for improving tire uniformity through identification of characteristics of one or more candidate process effects are provided. The magnitudes of process harmonics associated with one or more candidate process effects can be identified by combining uniformity measurements for a set of tires to achieve an enhanced resolution for a sampling of the process harmonic. The enhanced resolution approach can combine uniformity measurements for a set of a plurality of tires that are slightly offset from one another to generate a composite process harmonic sampling. In particular, the composite process harmonic sampling can be generated by aligning the uniformity measurements for each tire in the set of tires based on the azimuthal location of the maximum magnitude of the process harmonic on each tire. The magnitude of the process harmonic can then be determined using the composite process harmonic sampling.