Dutch machinery firm VMI is focusing on smart solutions that optimise tyre building and address the challenges the industry is facing, with new advanced vision systems, self-learning AI algorithms and self-adjusting processes contributing to improved flexibility, higher accuracy and consistency.
Thus, at the recent Tire Technology expo, VMI presented this new concept and introduced the first smart options on the VMI MAXX tyre building machine:
This in-line, high speed detection system utilises an array of cameras to detect foreign objects in tread material. A superfast AI algorithm analyses images in real-time which ensures extremely high levels of accuracy and minimises the number of false-positive alarms, resulting in optimised levels of productivity, lower scrap rates and minimises usage of energy and raw materials.
VMI machines utilise active control methods to control the process of positioning and splicing components that make-up a tyre. The trend to thinner gauge components produced from sustainable materials brings new challenges in tyre production. VMI has therefore developed amongst others contactless length measurement of components, which in combination with AI based real-time splice adjustment algorithms result in new levels of process control.
In order to improve machine utilisation as tyre factories become more complex and batch sizes become smaller, VMI developed SRE, which is a suite of smart software solutions designed to deliver “smart run empty”. The system coordinates each production run with the materials input in a tyre building machine.
This ensures that materials are fully utilised, with no wastage, while also enabling more efficient change over of cassettes as the machine moves from one SKU to another.