The invention relates to a belt forming system comprises an upstream conveyor (33), a downstream conveyor (32) located downstream of the upstream conveyor, and a belt assembly system in communication with the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor. The belt assembly system comprises an arm (52), an actuator for moving the arm (54), and a holding component (53) coupled to the arm and adapted to move a strip section from the upstream conveyor to a desired position on the downstream conveyor such that the strip section is oriented at a predetermined angle on the downstream conveyor. In one embodiment, the belt forming system comprises a belt cutter (42). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing at least a portion of a tire belt.

An apparatus and a method for stitching are provided. The apparatus includes a separator for separating in a separation position the leading end and the trailing end from a working surface to form a separation space, a stitcher unit with a stitcher foot to support the leading end and the trailing end from the separation space and a stitcher head for stitching the leading end and the trailing end on the stitcher foot from outside the separation space, a stitcher drive for driving the stitcher unit, a separator drive for retracting the separator, and a control unit to control the separator drive and the stitcher drive simultaneously such that, during the stitching, the separator is retracted in the stitching direction ahead of the stitcher unit.