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VMI Group RETREADING. May-2019. VMI Group. VMI is well known for new tire production machinery High quality radial car light truck and truck tires High output machines Highly automated; hands-off/eyes-off Track & trace. VMI Group We make machines.
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VMI Group RETREADING May-2019
VMI Group • VMI is well known for new tire production machinery • High quality radial car light truck and truck tires • High output machines • Highly automated; hands-off/eyes-off • Track & trace
VMI GroupWe make machines 2004: VMI integratedtheextrusiondivision of AZ
VMI’sCushiontoCasingExtrusionSmearing Technology; theprinciple
VMI GroupWe make machines How to use this combined know-how in tire retreading
RetreadingRetreadCustomers • Fleet owners: • Reliability of deliveries • Total operating costs • Fuel efficiency and reliability is more important than the mere price of a tire • The tread has a large affect on the overall rolling resistance of the tire
RetreadingBusiness Challenge • Price pressure / low priced new tires • Quantity and quality of casings • Find good personnel and provide training
Retreading Automation challenge • A retread is different from a new tire • Tires are mixed (size, brand, type) • Casings vary, each has a different history, 1st retread…. 2nd • Many treads to choose from • Matching thread profiles over splice or not • Tire with different purposes: highway, city, mining, off road.. • So it is a High-Mix, Low-Volume production • Need: flexible & robust machines, low cost, easy to operate and to maintain
VMI RetreadingMachinery • VMI focus on ‘cold’ (pre-cured tread) retreading • Cushion gum application by extrusion smearing • Optional with integrated Builder • Other suppliers offer: • Various testing equipment (example Shearographic) • Computer controlled buffing • Ring-tread or Uni-circle builders
Tread applicator • On the same machine immediately after applying cushion gum • Cushion Gum still hot, sticky and clean • Design for: • Pre-cured tread (cold process) • Splice with pattern matching (requires stretching) • Main points: • Tread in the center of the tire • Tread in a straight line on the tire (no snaking) • Good splice matching • Balanced tread stretching
Tread applicatorAdjustments • Controls in the applicator: • Prepare the tread on the table • Align the tread center to casing • Stretch the tread to match the casing circumference
Tread applicatorApplication Follow the tire circumference speed to complete the application.
Automation • So there are modules for: • Cushion gum extrusion • Tread application • Stitching • We still need information required for control: • Tire diameter, width and center • Tread length, width and thickness • To adjust for example: • Wingformer positions • Center to center alignment • Stretching and application speed
Tread ApplicatorTire scanning camera The camera is actually a: Laser light and camera in a single box Camera Laser Beam Reflected Light Casing
Camera ScanLaser Line • Laser scan to measure: • Casing Width • Center • Diameter A special software algorithm is designed to calculate the position of the shoulders and then to calculate the center line
Camera ScanCamera Picture Before cushion gum extrusion. The scan signal from the camera. Note the skive holes on several scan lines. With cushion gum, before Tread application.
RETRAX BuilderAutomatic Cushion gum extruderandTread Applicator • Automatic Centering of the tread to the casing • Automatic length checking and stretching Error message if tread length out of range • Fast • Automatic stitcher • High product quality
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