DE20310931U1 - Assembly to mark vehicle pneumatic tires, with an identity showing its type and size, scans the production barcode for a laser to engrave the identity in the side wall at a registered location - Google Patents

Abstract

At the assembly to give an individual identification mark to pneumatic vehicle tires, a barcode is scanned to give the tire type and size. The position for the mark at the tire side wall is registered optically, and the mark is engraved in the rubber by a laser beam. The barcode scanner (7), the camera (8) to measure the tire side wall, the laser (10) with a galvanometer scanner (11) and the suction jet (12) to extract vapors are integrated on a swing beam which moves to and fro, to give the characterizing and measurement and working actions.

Description

Task:

Within the scope of product liability for automotive tires as a safety-relevant component increasingly the need to mark them individually so that in the event of damage or in the event of defects the history of the tire up to its various production steps traced can be. This marking should be legible and permanent in plain text i.e. be abrasion resistant. Thus, the marking from a letter and / or sequence of digits and in a clearly visible place (side wall) be engraved.

Tire factories use for production control individual barcode labels for the tires that are glued to the bead of the tire in the first manufacturing step and with the tire all manufacturing steps up to vulcanization run through. After the tires are finished, they are individual Information available, but not in plain text and not in permanent form because the labels are not resistant to abrasion.

The laser engraving station described solves the Task to recognize the information on the barcode label and this to be engraved on the tire in plain text using a laser.

Basic structure of the Laser station and engraving process:

The laser system described exists from a station in which the following four processes are carried out:

• - Detect of the barcode
• - positioning of the marking window
• - engrave
• - Check

It is shown schematically in the 1 . 2 and 3 shown.

The mature 4 is on a conveyor belt 1 ( 1 ) fed to the laser station. As soon as he has reached the laser station and the light barrier 2 has activated, the conveyor belt stops 1 ,

In the conveyor belt 1 are small ball rollers 3 ( 2 ) on which the tire can be moved easily. With the help of a pair of pneumatic grippers 5 the tires are centered on a given point regardless of their size.

There is a swivel arm above the tire 6 whose axis of rotation coincides with the axis of symmetry of the tire. There is a barcode scanner on the swivel arm 7 that recognizes the code label on the tire bead while swiveling. The swivel arm makes one revolution. When the label is recognized, the arm swings back and the camera 8th for image recognition is activated, which is also integrated in the swivel arm. This camera picks up the side wall of the tire and compares it with a stored pattern, which is retrieved from the central control computer of the tire plant with the aid of the barcode information. In order to achieve a sharp image, the vertical distance of the swivel arm may have to be via the integrated Z-axis 9 can be adjusted according to the tire height. The information required for this is also accessible via the barcode. The image evaluation recognizes a characteristic feature of the side wall and thus allows the window for the engraving to be positioned relative to this feature. A continuous wave carbon dioxide laser is used for engraving 10 used, the beam of which is focused on the tire surface and that by means of a computer-controlled galvanometer scanner 11 is distracted. In this way, characters, numbers and letters can be freely engraved in the rubber of the tire in just a few seconds.

Since lasers and galvanometer scanners are also can be located on the swivel arm them for engraving on the one you want Pass over be positioned on the tire.

The smoke gases and dusts that are created are replaced by a nozzle at the point of laser processing 12 aspirated.

After the laser processing is finished, the camera 8th the image of the marking was recorded and compared with the target image also generated by the control computer.

Then the tire is removed, where the system control is not ok Signal bit received when the barcode or the image of the side wall were not recognized or if the marking is incorrect.

The laser station is at home and with supply and discharge bulkheads to protect the surroundings from scattered radiation and smell-intensive vapors to protect. This is not detailed here described and shown only schematically in the figures.

Histogram

The sequence of the individual steps is characteristically as follows:

• - Tires is fed Photo eye is activated <1.5s
• - gripper center the tire <1.0s
• - swivel beam makes one turn <1.5s with activated scanner
• - swivel beam swings back with activated camera system <1.5s
• - evaluation of camera data for the side wall <1.5s
• - Positioning of the laser and engraving <5.0s
• - Admission and evaluation of the image of the marking <1.0s
• - Tire discharge synchronized with tire supply
• –Cycle time <13 s

Claims (7)

Device for the individual marking of automobile tires different sizes and types of tires of a barcode, the position of the marking on the side wall of the tire by optically recognizing a suitable feature and the marking as an engraving using laser radiation in the rubber is introduced. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the Barcode scanner, the camera for measuring the side wall, the laser with galvo scanner and the suction nozzle for the vapors generated and flue gases are integrated on a swivel bellows for characterization, Measurement and processing of the tire swings back and forth. Device according to the claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the tire by means of synchronous exciting gripper centered under the axis of rotation of the swivel beam becomes. Device according to the claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the distance between the tire surface and Swivel bar over a regulated vertical axis is adjustable, so that with the help of Barcode read information, the distance of the laser automatically can be adjusted to the different widths of the tires. Device according to the claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that laser unit and camera regulated for optical recognition of the side shell on the swivel arm can be moved in the radial direction, so that with the help of information read from the barcode, despite the limited facial or processing field of the camera or laser scanner, tires processed different sizes can be. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that for Marking the laser uses a continuous wave carbon dioxide laser becomes. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the Camera system for the detection of the side shell also for checking the Marking is used in which after laser processing Camera over the marking is pivoted and the image thus obtained is based on the quality of the engraving and correctness of the information is checked.