Reliable assembly of RUN FLAT tyres
06/01/2005
As recently as three or four years ago, Run Flat tyres – tyres with emergency running properties - were reserved for very few top-of-the-range models. Today, these tyres with their huge safety potential are becoming increasingly popular, even in models produced in large volumes. As far as their assembly is concerned, Run Flat tyres with their stiff side walls impose very different requirements compared to conventional tyres – stiff side walls mean that RF tyres require special mounting equipment to be able to mount them on the rim without damaging the tyre.
The new Schenck Wheel Assembly System has an optimally designed sequence of movements for mounting Run Flat tyres on the rims.
The safety benefit offered by tyres with emergency running properties is obvious: the car remains mobile. In the event of a pressure loss, the vehicle can be driven under its own power away from the danger zone– for example, a busy road. In addition, the elimination of the spare wheel and the increase in available space are significant economic factors.
The stiff tyre side walls mean that Run Flat tyres require specially adapted assembly equipment to be able to mount them reliably in large-volume production. To avoid damaging the tyre during the assembly process, a new special RF tyre mounting head is required in the mounting station of a wheel assembly system. The mounting head provides an optimally designed sequence of movements, which mounts the tyre on the rim in two steps. This ensures reliable and trouble-free assembly of wheel and tyre.
Like conventional tyres, RF tyres are mounted fully automatically. After determination of diameter and width and a plausibility check, tyres and rims pass through the soaping station, and are then overlaid, ready for assembly. In the mounting station, the rim is centered and positioned, and the tyre is held in the optimum position for assembly by two pressure and hold-down devices.
The mounting head mounts the RF tyre on the rim in two stages. After the first tyre bead has been mounted, the mounting head turns through 360° once more, to position the second bead on the rim. Pressure elements are automatically adjusted for the second rotation of the mounting head.
The RF mounting head can be retrofitted easily on current Schenck wheel assembly systems.
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