CN111670447A

CN111670447A - Method for identifying and using recycled products in a mixing cycle

Info

Publication number: CN111670447A
Application number: CN201980010874.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: Z·威尔逊; C·博内; M·德威特; A·德拉克; J·里恰尔迪
Original assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA
Current assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA
Priority date: 2018-02-07
Filing date: 2019-01-28
Publication date: 2020-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-28
Also published as: WO2019154657A1; CN111670447B; MX2020008102A; EP3750117A1

Abstract

In the field of tire production, the present invention relates to a method of identifying and using recycled products according to a production plan of a rubber mixing method using the identified recycled products.

Description

Method for identifying and using recycled products in a mixing cycle

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to the production of rubber mixtures and vehicle tires produced therefrom. More particularly, the present invention relates to the identification, management and reincorporation of recovered products as initial products used in the mixing process.

Background

In the field of tyre manufacture, there are many machines for producing semifinished products. These machines produce products consisting of at least two rubber mixtures (called "complex products") having different properties. The machine performs various processes, including extrusion, assembly, and stripping processes, in which some of the manufactured products cannot be used directly to manufacture tires (e.g., during dimensional changes, startup, etc.). During start-up, shut-down, dimensional changes, and other known steps, these machines typically produce products that are not used downstream (e.g., on an assembly machine). Also, in these tire building machines, which assemble tires using pre-produced complex products (for example, under the trade name VMI MAXX^TMMachines) that do not immediately use the product on the production line. For example, dimensional tolerances have not been achieved.

Tire building involves a number of different complex products. It is desirable to use complex products during the building of the tyre, as doing so reduces the number of product laying operations that need to be performed. There is a tendency to increase the number of different rubber compounds used for the manufacture of a single tyre, in order to be able to optimize the properties of these compounds according to the zone in which they are located in the tyre.

In general, complex products that are not used "as is" but are recyclable after disposal (hereinafter referred to as "recycled products" or "certified products") are typically stored without any special consideration (e.g., on a tray with partitions). Thus, complex products of various nature and from various sources may be on the same tray.

The present invention relates to optimizing the use of recycled products in rubber mixtures by utilizing a separate recycled product identification to store and reincorporate recycled products. Although several types of rubber compounds are contemplated in the tire production process, there is an opportunity to recycle unused complex products for downstream reuse.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to a method of identifying and using recycled products according to a production plan of a rubber mixing method using the identified recycled products. The method of identifying and using recycled products comprises the steps of:

-generating at least one production plan to implement at least one rubber mixing method;

-identifying recycled products meeting at least one generated production plan;

-filling a container with a complex product originating from at least one manufacturing system to obtain a container filled with the complex product;

-storing the container filled with the complex product in a container subsystem having a storage means, identifying and storing the container filled with the complex product as a container filled with recycled product using the storage means of the container subsystem;

-ordering the building of at least one tray comprising containers filled with identified recycled products satisfying at least one generated production plan;

-identifying a container filled with the identified recycled product among containers filled with recycled product in the container subsystem;

-automatically removing the containers identified in the previous step;

-automatically building the ordered pallets according to the ongoing production plan.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of: the built pallets are stored in a pallet subsystem, which has a storage device, and the built pallets are identified as pallets that satisfy at least one generated production plan and stored using the storage device of the pallet subsystem.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises at least one of the following steps, each step being performed before the step of ordering the building of at least one pallet:

-determining a storage time for a container filled with recycled product to be stored in the container subsystem;

-verifying the availability of recycled product in the container subsystem and the availability of fresh mix to meet the ongoing production plan.

In certain embodiments, the step of ordering the building of at least one pallet comprises: a step of reserving a container having a length of time of longest storage time in the container subsystem.

In certain embodiments, after the step of verifying the availability of the recycled product in the container subsystem and the availability of the fresh mix to meet the ongoing production plan, there is further included the step of reincorporating the recycled product into the fresh mix.

In certain embodiments, the step of generating at least one production plan comprises: a step of predicting a time required between the step of identifying a container in the container subsystem filled with the recycled product and the step of automatically taking out the identified container.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises: a step of recording the arrival date of each container in the container subsystem to obtain the time each container has been stored in the container subsystem; and recording the arrival date of each tray in the tray subsystem to obtain the time that each tray has been stored in the tray subsystem.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of:

-identifying pallets that meet an ongoing production plan;

-automatically retrieving the identified pallet to deliver the identified pallet to a system downstream of the pallet subsystem.

In certain embodiments, the system downstream of the tray system comprises at least one mixer.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises the step of performing at least one planning activity necessary to satisfy at least one generated production plan.

In certain embodiments, the step of performing at least one planned activity comprises at least one of:

-determining projected levels of storage in the container subsystem and the tray subsystem at the end of the ongoing plan;

-determining a status of an ongoing plan;

-predicting a mixture obtained by an upcoming generated production plan;

-determining the nature of the recycled product to be used in the upcoming generated production plan.

In certain embodiments, the identified and removed containers and trays are recorded to update the storage levels of the containers in the container subsystem and the storage levels of the trays in the tray subsystem.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises: a step of emptying the container filled with recycled products and a step of emptying the built tray.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises at least one of the following steps:

-stacking empty containers on empty trays;

-building a tray comprising empty containers to be sent to one or more sources of complex products.

In certain embodiments, the step of identifying containers full of recycled product is performed by one or more RFID tags indicating the location from which the containers are to be removed.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description below.

Drawings

The nature and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description and studying the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic of the system of the present invention that performs a method of identifying and utilizing reclaimed products according to at least one production plan for a rubber mixing process utilizing the identified reclaimed products.

Fig. 2 depicts a front perspective view of a container for receiving a respective recycled product, and fig. 3 depicts a bottom perspective view of the container of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 depicts a partial perspective view of the container subsystem and tray transfer area.

Fig. 5 and 6 depict partial perspective views of the container subsystem of fig. 4 with stacking means.

Fig. 7 depicts the steps of the method of the present invention performed by the system of fig. 1.

Fig. 8 depicts a simulated density plot of a process according to the prior art.

FIG. 9 depicts a simulated density plot of a process according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Unused complex products (or "complex products") are identified as respective types and respective grades, each type and each grade specifying a particular complex product whose attributes are known. Each property of the complex product has specific attributes that can be controlled to obtain a recycled product. To ensure that the recycled product has controlled properties, complex products of various nature will be used later in the rubber mixture used in the mixing process. In the remainder of the description, the various types, grades, batches of complex products will be specified with the term "nature" of the complex product.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for generating production plans for ongoing or potential phases to ensure the execution of planned future phases. "phase" means the duration of operation of a mixer or mixing apparatus using the same recipe. By utilizing the disclosed invention, it is known that products will be delivered with consistent and stable characteristics. The obtained product will be used as a starting material in a hybrid production line used in the tyre manufacturing cycle.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, FIG. 1 depicts one example of a system 100 implementing a method of identifying and using reclaimed products according to at least one production plan for a rubber compounding process using the identified reclaimed products. The system 100 allows identification, management and reincorporation of unused complex products as recycled products that can be used in a tire manufacturing cycle.

Future production plans are generated as expected for future phases of the plan in which a specified number of recycled products are required for a specified period of time. The specified time period depends on the completion of the in-progress production plan and also on the upcoming production plan.

To meet a production plan, the system of the present invention generates one or more production plans. Each production plan contains one or more phases. For example, in some embodiments, the current requirements for a phase are met and execution of the phase in progress is indicated, and then individual production plans are generated that will meet the requirements of one or more subsequent phases according to a specified schedule for executing the phases, so that possible phases can be identified.

The system of the invention determines the possibility (feasility) of a mix related to the use of a production plan implementing an ongoing phase. "possibility of mixture" means the ability to comply with the technical benchmark for each material used in the mixture. The "possibility of mixture" also means the ability to obtain the technical end result of the mixture (i.e. the recycled product used retains its own technical characteristics, while contributing to the desired characteristics of the mixture into which the recycled product to be used is incorporated). In some embodiments, production plans may be categorized using self-learning methods where certain production plans are more desirable than others. The system may then sort the different production plans based on the likelihood of the related blends.

System 100 is located downstream of a system or machine for manufacturing complex products (e.g., a system or machine that performs an extrusion process, an assembly process, a stripping process, or some other process in which some of the manufactured products cannot be used directly to shape a tire). It is contemplated that system 100 is capable of producing rubber compounds having varying properties as dictated by the performance requirements of the resulting tire. Thus, the system 100 utilizes equipment that enables production yields by managing the entry, identification, transfer, storage, and exit of groups of recycled products, thereby enabling the creation of a process for recycling unused complex products. Thus, in a given mixing cycle, recycled products having attributes required in an ongoing manufacturing cycle may be easily located by the system 100.

The complex product is identified as a reclaimed product that has been identified for use in at least one rubber compounding production plan generated by the method of the present invention. The complex products are stored in respective containers. The container acts as a movable storage device capable of identifying, storing and transporting the complex product that becomes the identified recycled product. Each complex product is characterized by a unique identification (e.g., using numbers, codes, RFID identification, hypertext links, or equivalent means) that allows the extruder or mixer (or equivalent device) to know the complex product in the process of being manufactured according to a predetermined recipe.

To control these specific attributes, each recycled product is placed in a container, and each container contains only one recycled product at a time. Referring also to fig. 2 and 3, the container (or "tub") 10 has a pair of long sides 10a, a pair of short sides 10b, and a bottom 10c, which together form a space to receive a particular recycled product for reuse. Each container 10 includes a pair of legs 12 extending from a base 10c so that the container can be stacked on a pallet or on itself. It should be understood that corresponding structure or equivalent structures (e.g., one or more tabs (tabs)) may be employed along at least a portion of the top perimeter of the container 10. All references to "container" or "containers" refer to the container 10 as described. A full container is a container filled with recycled product for reuse, stored on a corresponding tray. Depending on the requirements of the ongoing phase, the full containers are stored on trays depending on the nature of the recycled product.

In one embodiment of the container 10, the inner surface 10a' of each long side 10a is inclined (e.g., up to an angle of 5 °) relative to the bottom 10c to facilitate release of the recycled product from the full load of containers. An optional non-stick coating may be applied to the inner surface 10a' to make the complex product easier to remove from the corresponding container.

To control these specific attributes, each recycled product is placed in a respective container 10 designated for receiving it. The container 10 and its contents (i.e., recycled product having known properties) are identified, known and managed by an identification device integrated into the container 10. Thus, the system 100 is capable of transferring and storing each container 10 based on the identity of each container 10. The identification of the container 10 is performed manually (e.g., using at least one visual and/or tactile identifier) or automatically (e.g., using numbers, codes, RFID identification, hypertext links, or equivalent means). The present invention is described with respect to RFID identification integrated into container 10, but it is understood that other equivalent means of identification may be used.

The identification of the recycled product is closely related to the identification of the container such that the management system 100 automatically identifies the nature of the recycled product within the container by identifying the particular container. The filling of the container 10 takes place in a manner in which its volume is more or less constant and its weight is predictable.

Referring again to fig. 2 and 3, in one embodiment of the container 10, the bottom 10c of the container may include several optional apertures 10c' aligned along the length of the bottom. The aperture 10c' is capable of receiving a corresponding stripper device (not shown) having a telescoping finger aligned with the aperture of the container. The demolding apparatus and container 10 constitute a container-demolding system downstream of system 100.

Referring again to fig. 2 and 3, each short side 10b of container 10 comprises identification means cooperating with automatic handling means (e.g. grippers). The identification device includes an RFID tag 10e located on the container 10, the RFID tag 10e enabling an RFID reader located on the automated handling device to identify the container.

In one embodiment, a square recess 10f and a triangular recess 10g are also built into each short side 10b of the container 10. The automated handling apparatus may include corresponding projections such that by realigning the projections in corresponding recesses, the recesses and projections enable the containers 10 to be properly positioned. Of course, the geometry of the recesses and projections is not limited to square and triangular.

Referring again to fig. 1, as well as fig. 4, 5, and 6, system 100 includes a container storage subsystem (or "container subsystem") 110 in which unused complex products (or "complex products") originating from at least one manufacturing system are stored in respective containers 10. In one embodiment, container subsystem 110 may include a storage device selected from known automated devices (e.g., one or more automated systems and their equivalents) or known manual devices. As described herein, the present invention relates to a storage device 120 that is an automated storage system (e.g., an "automated warehouse system" system or "ASRS").

When stored in container subsystem 110, these complex products are considered to be useable (or "recycled") for at least one tire manufacturing stage. Containers 10 filled with complex products are identified and stored in the storage device 120. When the complex product arrives at the storage device, the system 100 makes the recycled product available to meet the production plan.

Referring again to fig. 4, 5 and 6, the system 100 may also include a pallet storage subsystem (or "pallet subsystem") 200 in which pallets of containers of recycled product from the container subsystem 110 are stored until a stage from the generated production plan is initiated. The tray subsystem 200 may also include a storage device (not shown) selected from known automated devices (e.g., one or more automated systems and their equivalents) or known manual devices. As described herein, the present invention relates to a storage device for a tray subsystem 200 that is an automated storage system (e.g., "ASRS").

In one embodiment, each tray used in the tray subsystem 200 is capable of holding several full or empty containers (e.g., see fig. 1, a tray P arriving at the tray subsystem 200 with full containers 10 and a tray P' leaving the tray subsystem 200 with empty containers 10). When the trays are stored in the tray subsystem 200, the trays are deemed adequate for supplying the mixer with the recycled product stored in the container 10 (which is stacked on the trays). Thus, with the recycled product already associated with the tray, it is possible to guarantee a mixture recipe defined for the ongoing phase. This phase is programmed to meet at least one production plan for executing the rubber mixing method.

The tray subsystem 200 enables a method of managing trays of containers of recycled products to be performed in which the availability of trays is also optimized. The tray is complete or incomplete depending on the recipe corresponding to the stage being performed. In one embodiment, the tray 210 used in the system 100 is capable of storing and carrying several (full or empty) containers 10 (see fig. 1). In one embodiment, the tray 220 used in the system 100 is capable of storing and carrying one (full or empty) container 10 (see again fig. 1). Regardless of the number of containers carried by the associated tray, the containers 10 are designed to be stored in the storage device 120.

The identification of the tray can be performed manually (for example, using at least one visual, audible and/or tactile identifier) or automatically (for example, using numbers, codes, RFID identification, hypertext links or equivalent means) by known identification means, so that the identification of the tray can be closely correlated with the identification of the containers 10 deposited on the tray (and therefore with the identification of the recycled products). Pallets originating from the pallet subsystem 200 having containers filled with recycled product may be fed to a mixer or some other system.

In one embodiment, the tray may include one or more placement indicators (not shown) covering at least a portion of the surface of the tray. The placement indicator may be used to ensure proper positioning of the container on the tray (as described above). In certain embodiments, the placement indicator may work with a corresponding sensor (not shown) on the container that detects the placement indicator for automatic placement of the container on the tray. In certain embodiments, the placement indicators need not be integrated into the tray (e.g., they may be provided on a movable mat that may be placed on the tray if desired). The sensors on the containers may use placement indicators for guidance and placement of the containers on the tray (either directly on the tray surface or on a movable mat).

Referring also to fig. 4, 5 and 6, and by using the illustrative examples of the present invention disclosed in connection with the method of using recycled products, the two subsystems are served by a transfer area 300 that they share. Pallets with (full or empty) containers 10 are placed in the area 300 and removed from the area 300 either manually (e.g., using a known forklift 500) or automatically. In the transfer area 300, the movable gripper 400 is able to place and remove containers 10 relative to the container subsystem 110 and also relative to the tray subsystem 200. The use of a shared transfer area eliminates redundancy and also helps to reduce costs by making efficient use of recycled products.

To facilitate placement and removal of containers relative to the container subsystem 110, the transfer area 300 receives a tray filled with containers filled with complex products originating from at least one manufacturing system. Fig. 1, which shows a complex product from three different processes I, II, III, is given by way of example. It should be understood that system 100 (and in particular container subsystem 110) may accommodate complex products from one, two, or several systems and/or machines that produce portions of the product that are not directly available.

Depending on the nature of the complex product, full containers may be dispensed to locations in the container subsystem 110. For example, it should be understood that the containers may be placed in sections that are allocated as needed for an ongoing stage and/or as needed for an upcoming stage. Sections of recycled product can be established according to products of the same nature or according to combinations of products intended to be included in a given rubber mixture. In either case, the containers may be placed on respective trays for transfer to the tray subsystem 200. Thus, the number and composition of the trays can be arbitrarily selected and changed according to the pre-established stages.

Also in the transfer zone 300, the full containers remain on standby in the transfer zone until the grippers 400 take out the full containers to place them in the appropriate position in the storage device 120. Storage device 120 has a robotic device (or equivalent apparatus) capable of selectively placing and selectively removing at least one container 10 relative to container subsystem 110. The selective placement and removal is performed based on a prediction of the reclaimed product that is intended for the generated production plan that encompasses one or more given phases. A machine selected from commercially available machines is depicted as a stacker 150 having a shuttle 152, the shuttle 152 running on rails 154 within the storage 120. It should be understood that the stacking means 150 may be replaced by equivalent means known to those skilled in the art.

The stacking apparatus 150 places and takes out the containers according to at least one production plan generated to satisfy the ongoing production plan and the upcoming production plan. In the example of fig. 6, the storage 120 of the container subsystem 110 may include a dedicated section 120A for storing recycled product of a specified nature. Section 120A includes a plurality of locations, each of which is assigned to a single container 10. The manufacturing system upstream of container subsystem 110 indicates that it requires an empty container 10V that is dispensed full of recycled product having the same specific properties. The depositing device 150 withdraws the empty container 10V from the section 120A by means of the shuttle 152 to transfer it to the transfer area 300. In the transfer zone, empty containers 10V can be stacked on pallets of similar empty containers (i.e. empty containers associated with pallets and also associated with recycled products of the same nature). Trays filled with empty containers may be sent to an upstream manufacturing system. At the same time, full containers 10P from section 120A are still available for use by the pallet subsystem 200. The system 100 can update the absence of empty containers 10V and the presence of full containers 10P, and thus also the ongoing production plan.

Referring again to fig. 1 and 7, one embodiment of the invention for performing a method of satisfying a production plan will now be described.

In one embodiment of the method of meeting a production plan, the method comprises the step of generating at least one production plan to perform at least one rubber mixing method. In some of these embodiments, several production plans may be generated based on selections made by the user.

Recycled products that will meet the generated production plan are identified. Given the time required to combine the recycled products (which are required to make the selected mixture), the system 100 can identify the container based on the minimum time allotted to achieve mixing. Further, the system 100 may identify the container based on criteria related to the composition of the tray of recycled product to be supplied at a determined time in the future. The time units used may be seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and months. The units of time used may be equivalent units of these units of time, e.g., the time remaining until the system 100 can create a production plan that mixes rubber for a certain number of products based on the rubber selected.

Referring again to fig. 1 and 7, the containers 10 arrive at the system 100 on a tray 210 or on a tray 220. Specifically, the container 10 reaches a container subsystem 110 that is filled with complex products originating from various processes.

The method includes the step of identifying a reclaimed product that meets at least one generated production plan. Each container 10 is identified by its complex product. As each complex product reaches container subsystem 110, the complex product has been deemed available for use in the blending process (i.e., the complex product has been deemed available as an identified recycled product that satisfies the ongoing production plan). Thus, each complex product becomes a recycled product when it reaches the subsystem 110. The system 100 may record the arrival date (date, time, etc.) of each container 10 to manage the time each container resides in the container subsystem 110.

The containers 10 are stored in the storage device 120 using known equipment, such as a stacking device 150. The storage device 120 may include defined sections for different recycled products (as described above). The containers and/or their locations in the storage device 120 may be visually or otherwise identified by one or more known means (e.g., one or more RFID tags) to indicate the section from which the container is to be removed.

The method may comprise the step of performing at least one planning activity necessary to implement an ongoing production plan and/or at least one upcoming production plan. The planning activity may include one or more steps including at least a portion of the following steps:

-determining the projected storage levels of the container subsystem 110 and the tray subsystem 200 at the end of the ongoing production plan;

-determining a status of an ongoing production plan;

-predicting a mixture that will be obtained by an upcoming production plan;

-determining the nature of the recycled product to be used in the upcoming production plan (including determining the length of time the recycled product will be stored before its use).

These determinations may be influenced based on one or more factors, including but not limited to: completion of one or more production plans (and final storage of recycled products remaining in the system 100), generation of future production plans, current storage levels of the container subsystem and the tray subsystem, and flow of production activities.

The method comprises the following steps: ordering (order) the construction of at least one (complete or incomplete) tray with containers filled with identified recycled products that meet an ongoing production plan. In this step, the pallet subsystem 200 sends an order to the container subsystem 110 to retrieve the container 10 from the storage unit 120 according to the ongoing production plan.

The method further comprises the step of automatically removing the containers filled with the identified recycled products that meet the ongoing production plan. In one embodiment, to ensure that recycled product that has not exceeded its expiration date is used, the order to build the tray is executed after the length of time that the container is stored is determined. For this embodiment, the order is placed to retrieve the containers that have been stored for the longest time, which are identified as meeting the ongoing production plan. These identified containers are removed before the containers have been stored for a short period of time.

In one embodiment, an order to build a tray is executed to obtain a mixture of recycled product and at least one fresh mixture. "fresh mix" means a mixture consisting of pure virgin materials without added recycled product. The process enables the reincorporation of the withdrawn recycled product into the fresh mix after checking the availability of the "recycled" type of product and of the "fresh" type of mix. The method is particularly capable of reducing any imbalance between the generation of complex products and the ability to recycle such complex products.

In generating the production plan, the actual delivery date of the ordered recycled product may be determined for the production plan. If the recycled product stored in the container subsystem 110 does not meet the first production plan, then the next production plan that will use the available recycled product is prioritized. Thus, each current parameter in the container subsystem 110 and the inventory provided in the container subsystem 110 are dynamically monitored to dynamically rank the production plans so that there is always at least one production plan that can be executed.

The method includes the step of automatically building a predetermined pallet according to an ongoing production plan. The containers 10 taken from the storage device 120 are sent to the transfer area 300 to build a tray. In fig. 1 and 4, the pallet is constructed using up to 9 containers per pallet. It should be understood that the number of containers on the tray is limited only by the capacity of the tray. It should also be understood that the tray may be "complete" (i.e., the tray carries the greatest possible number of containers) or "incomplete" (i.e., the tray carries less than the greatest possible number of containers). In embodiments where both "recycle" type products and "fresh" type mixes are used to meet an ongoing production plan, the containers for both types of products may be placed on the same tray. All of the built trays are sent from the transfer area 300 to the tray subsystem 200 for storage (see tray P of FIG. 1).

The method includes the step of storing the constructed tray in the tray subsystem 200. For example, the storage of the tray subsystem 200 may include sections assigned to trays constructed to meet at least one generated production plan (e.g., by the nature of the containers on the trays, by planned mixing times, etc.). The system 100 may record the arrival date of each tray to manage the time each tray is stored in the tray subsystem 200.

In one embodiment, the method includes the step of identifying pallets that will meet an ongoing production plan. These trays are identified with the associated containers (and therefore with the associated recycled products). It is contemplated that system 100 manages a production plan to enable production of rubber compounds having varying attributes as determined by the performance requirements of the tires being produced. Thus, during a given production plan, trays of recycled products having desired attributes can be easily found by the tray subsystem 200.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: the reservation automatically retrieves identified trays having containers filled with identified recycled products that meet the ongoing production plan. In this step, the pallet subsystem 200 sends an order to the container subsystem 110 to retrieve the container 10 from the storage device according to the recipe of the created mixture at the end of the ongoing production plan. In one embodiment, to ensure that recycled product that has not exceeded its expiration date is used, the order is executed after the shelf life of the tray is determined. For this embodiment, the tray that has been stored for the longest time and the tray having the properties of the recycled product that meets the production plan are taken out prior to the tray that was most recently placed in the storage device.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: the ordered trays are removed to transfer them to a mixer or another system downstream of the tray subsystem 200. Thus, the order is executed tray by tray, not container by container. Thus, the method ensures that the extracted trays and the associated recycled products will meet the ongoing production schedule.

The system 100 may record the trays ordered and the withdrawal of the recycled product. The system 100 is capable of refreshing the storage of containers in the subsystem 110 and the storage of trays in the tray subsystem 200. If desired, the system 100 may order containers and/or trays filled with recycled products to meet at least one upcoming production plan.

In one embodiment of the method, the method comprises the step of emptying the tray and the container. In this embodiment, the trays can be emptied by known handling means (for example, grippers) which remove each container 10 from the relative tray. In this embodiment, emptying of the containers may be performed by a system (not shown) for managing trays of containers of recycled products located downstream of the system 100. The management system is used for supplying the recovered product to the mixer. In one embodiment, the recovered product is weighed and then introduced into the mixer.

After the trays and containers have been emptied, the empty containers are stacked on the empty trays (see tray P' of fig. 1). The system 100 may return empty containers to the transfer area 300 (see fig. 1). By means of the transfer area 300, the trays can be filled with empty containers 10 so that they can be sent to one or more sources of complex products (see fig. 1). Empty containers 10 may be placed in the storage device 120, if desired, to meet the upcoming production plan. Therefore, by reducing the stroke required to reload the tray, efficiency can be improved.

In certain embodiments, recycled product that can be used for several generated production plans cannot be used to satisfy an upcoming production plan until a threshold level of recycled product in the container subsystem 110 is reached. For example, for a reclaimed product (or a pallet of related reclaimed products) that is often used in large quantities in a frequently executed production plan, the reclaimed product cannot be used in small quantities in a less frequently executed production plan until there is sufficient inventory of the reclaimed product to satisfy at least one execution of the most frequently executed production plan. The purpose of this is to give production priority based on demand for recycled product, the remaining amount of recycled product, scarcity of recycled product, and related factors.

Examples of the invention

For example, by comparing a control method (i.e., a "first-in first-out" or "FIFO" method) with the method of the present invention through simulation of a change in viscosity (Mooney) change) verification, the following comparison results were obtained. The Mooney index (also called viscosity index or plasticity index) characterizes solid substances in a known manner. An oscillating consistometer as described in standard ASTM D1646(1999) was used. The plasticity measurement is carried out according to the following principle: the sample to be analyzed in the unprocessed state (i.e. before curing) is molded (shaped) in a cylindrical chamber heated to a given temperature (e.g. 35 ℃ or 100 ℃). After 1 minute of preheating, the rotor was rotated at 2 revolutions per minute (rpm) within the test specimen and the working torque to maintain this motion was measured during the 4 minute rotation. Mooney viscosity (ML 1+4) is expressed in "mooney units" (MU, 1MU ═ 0.83Nm), and corresponds to the value obtained at the end of 4 minutes.

In the simulation of the FIFO method, containers are allocated in stages in the order they appear in the simulation. In the method of the invention, the aim is to minimize the variation of the mean value of the attributes under study by selecting one or more containers per tray. It should be understood that any mixing attribute (including, but not limited to, viscosity or "mooney index", fluidity, and scorch time) may be studied.

In this example, the unused complex product is generated by two different manufacturing operations: a tire building operation and a pressing operation. Each complex product is identified and a production plan is generated that lasts for 28 days. The complex product is placed in an associated container.

The tire building operation produces containers of complex products (about 1 or 2 containers per hour) at a known frequency and with a known distribution. However, during the conversion of the properties of the complex product, the extrusion operation produces 3 or 4 containers. The average flow values of the trays are calculated and these averages are compared to find the difference between one tray and another.

For both simulations, two phases were performed. The first stage is represented by the following table and by the number "1" in fig. 8 and 9. The second stage is represented by the following table and by the number "2" in fig. 8 and 9. The results are summarized in the following table:

table 1: conclusion of the results

And (4) reminding attention of the effect quantity: the effect metric is a tool for resolving the differences between groups independent of sample size. Significant effects are indicated by effect magnitude values greater than 0.3 (see Cohen 1988).

Fig. 8 and 9 show that the mooney variation of the FIFO process is greater compared to the process of the present invention. Although the average value of the trays does not vary between the two processes, without the process of the present invention, the difference in the variation of the mooney properties from one tray to another has a significant impact on the industrial operation using the recycled product. For example, the process of the present invention smoothes the variation between the recovered products used in rubber compounding. The method of the invention therefore limits the need for new extrusion dies to adapt to the changes required, thus ensuring the consistency of the extrusion of complex products.

One cycle of the method may be performed under the control of one or more PLCs and may include pre-programming of management information. For example, the total number of containers required (when provided with a certain number of properties), the total number of empty trays available, the number of trays on standby, the storage time of a determined container or tray, etc. The PLC controls the list of ordered containers, the ordered trays, and the list of containers associated with each tray.

The PLC may be configured to arrange containers in container subsystem 110 and trays in tray subsystem 200. The PLC can identify the arranged containers so that a particular container can be found and removed at any time. Groups of containers 10 are created and placed in respective sections such that the average of the desired attributes fall within a predefined tolerance range (referred to as "blocking"). The PLC can arrange the containers so that the identified containers can be found and retrieved at any time to build the pallet. Thus, the system allows converting unused complex products into recycled products. For example, yield forecasts and the space required to store the trays may be improved.

System 100 may be part of a tire production facility. The system 100 may be part of several identical systems that supply the same device. The same system may be placed in other facilities with containers of one facility being stored in the system of another facility to meet their production requirements (e.g., they may be located in facilities that are geographically remote from each other). In this case, the steps of the method may be performed in different devices. For example, container subsystem 110 may receive containers filled with complex products from geographically remote equipment. Further, the container subsystem 110 of the first appliance may supply containers filled with recycled products to build pallets ordered by one or more pallet subsystems 200 in one or more geographically remote appliances. Thus, the system provides a solution that is adaptive according to the level of production activity.

The terms "at least one" and "one or more" are used interchangeably. Ranges given between "a and b" encompass the values of "a" and "b".

While particular embodiments of the disclosed apparatus have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various changes, additions and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, no limitation on the scope of the invention as described should be imposed other than as specified in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of identifying and using recycled products according to a production plan for a rubber mixing process using the identified recycled products, the method comprising the steps of:

generating at least one production plan to implement at least one rubber mixing process;

identifying a reclaimed product that meets the at least one generated production plan;

filling a container (10) with a complex product originating from at least one manufacturing system to obtain a container filled with the complex product;

storing the container filled with the complex product in a container subsystem (110) having a storage device (120), identifying the container filled with the complex product as a container filled with recycled product and storing with the storage device (120) of the container subsystem (110);

ordering the building of at least one pallet comprising containers filled with the identified recycled products that meet at least one generated production plan;

identifying, among containers full of recycled product in a container subsystem (110), a container full of the identified recycled product;

automatically removing the containers identified in the previous step;

the ordered pallets are automatically built according to the ongoing production plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: the built pallets are stored in a pallet subsystem (200), the pallet subsystem (200) having a storage means, and the built pallets are identified as pallets satisfying at least one generated production plan and stored by the storage means of the pallet subsystem (200).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one of the following steps, each step being performed before the step of ordering the building of at least one pallet:

determining a storage time for containers filled with recycled product to be stored in the container subsystem (110);

the availability of recycled product in the container subsystem (110) and the availability of fresh mix to meet the ongoing production plan are verified.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of ordering the building of at least one pallet comprises: a step of ordering the containers in the container subsystem (110) having the longest storage time duration.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising the step of reincorporating the recycled product into the fresh mix after the step of verifying the availability of the recycled product in the container subsystem (110) and the availability of the fresh mix to meet the ongoing production plan.

6. The method of any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the step of generating at least one production plan comprises: a step of predicting the time required between the step of identifying the container filled with the recycled product in the container subsystem (110) and the step of automatically removing the identified container.

7. The method of any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising: a step of recording the arrival date of each container in the container subsystem (110) to obtain the time each container has been deposited in the container subsystem (110); and recording the arrival date of each tray in the tray subsystem (200) to obtain the time each tray has been stored in the tray subsystem.

8. The method of any one of claims 2 to 7, further comprising the steps of:

identifying pallets that meet an ongoing production plan;

the identified pallet is automatically retrieved to deliver the identified pallet to a system downstream of the pallet subsystem (200).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the system downstream of the tray subsystem comprises at least one mixer.

10. The method of any of claims 2 to 9, further comprising the step of performing at least one planning activity necessary to satisfy at least one generated production plan.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of performing at least one planning activity comprises at least one of:

determining projected levels of storage in the container subsystem (110) and the tray subsystem (200) at the end of the ongoing schedule;

determining a status of an ongoing plan;

predicting a blend resulting from an upcoming generated production plan;

the nature of the recycled product to be used in the upcoming production plan is determined.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identified and removed containers and trays are recorded to update the storage levels of the containers in the container subsystem (110) and the trays in the tray subsystem (200).

13. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a step of emptying the container filled with recycled products and a step of emptying the built tray.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of the following steps:

stacking empty containers on empty trays;

a pallet is constructed that includes empty containers to be sent to one or more sources of complex products.

15. The method of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the step of identifying the container filled with recycled product is performed by one or more RFID tags indicating a location where the container is to be removed.