WHITE PAPER Tire Track and Trace Solutions - White Paper
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White Paper
WHITE
PAPER
Tire Track and
Trace Solutions
www.datalogic.comWhite Paper
Modern tire manufacturing is an intricate Tires need to be tracked in every phase up to the increasing scrutiny placed on
blend of custom materials, running of their handling. This task is made the integrity of the tire manufacturing
through multiple machine processes in harder by the variability of modern tire process. Modern bar code reading
a harsh mass-production setting. An styles and designs. In addition, capturing systems should minimize maintenance
industry-wide environment of increasing bar code data is especially challenging costs, measure dips in performance, and
safety and regulatory concerns, has because the codes are small and located catch potentially costly mistakes before
developed a need for reliable traceability in the bead area of the tire, making they spread.
of all tire components, as well as the it difficult for automated equipment
requirement for stringent production and to read. Bar code systems must be A comprehensive look at current tire
quality control. In meeting these needs, robust while providing reliable readings, tracking solutions used throughout
the now standard, marking of tires with seamless integrations, and easy the manufacturing process can reveal
bar codes places a high demand for maintenance. a number of best-practices and best-
reliable and robust tracking solutions in in-class solutions that can provide
the unique industrial environments of In addition to mere traceability, tire significant cost-savings & efficiency
tire production. tracking solutions must continually live improvements.
Tire Assembly Manufacturing Multiple bar code reading applications • Reliability / Accuracy
are required during the Tire Assembly Tire industry barcodes are
The first major stage of Tire Manufacturing. The codes on the inherently short in height and
Manufacturing is the assembly process. spools of component materials are also suffer from poor printing
At this point, a series of component read & verified as they are placed on which creates ‘quiet zones’. These
materials are dispensed off of their the assembly machine. The assembled issues are particularly problematic
specific spools and placed together Green Tire must also have its bar code for Laser Scanners (even with
on a building drum. Each of these read, after it has been applied. Typical raster patterns), while 2D Imagers
components are themselves a complex tracking solutions at this stage include can compensate for bad quiet
assemblage of rubber, textile fabric, and laser scanners (raster or oscillating zones, have higher resolution, are
specialized additives which have been mirror) and 2-D imagers. unaffected by code height, and
designed and pre-manufactured for provide multiple reads of the bar
use in specific tires. These components Best Practices for bar code code.
include the inner liner, body plies & capturing solutions in Tire Assembly
sidewalls. Once assembled on the drum, include: • Positive Feedback
the tire bead is married to the tread wall, Bar code capturing systems that
the tire is inflated, and finally the side- • No Moving Parts provide the operator a positive
tread, steel belts and caps are applied. Use of scanners with feedback sign (stack light or other
The result is a Green Tire that has been oscillating mirrors creates visible sign), when the code has
assembled from very specific component an unnecessary additional been correctly read.
materials and is ready to be cured or point of wear and failure.
vulcanized.
The final step before the Green Tire
leaves the assembly process is the
application and reading of a bar code that
will allow for the tracking of the tire as
it proceeds through its manufacturing.
The bar codes are small (3/8 – 1/2 inch
in height), low-aspect ratio, and placed in
the hard-to-see bead area of the tire.
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Curing / Vulcanizing curing process, the inherently short
The need to effectively track Green Tires bar codes degrade and become
Once a Green Tire has been assembled though the curing stations requires increasingly harder for lasers to find
and coded, it will be cured at high specialized bar code capturing solutions. and identify. 2D imager solutions can
temperature and pressure in order to A combination of the harsh environment more accurately identify individual tires
give it its final shape as well as to create surrounding the curing presses, in as they are conveyed to the press, or
a chemical reaction in the components addition to the small sized codes placed on the racks of multiple tires even in
to give the tire the resistance, strength on tires of varying shapes, requires start-and-stop applications.
and elasticity it requires to perform as a robust and reliable solutions. The quality
finished tire. The Green Tire is conveyed of bar codes themselves continues to • Positive Feedback
into a mold, which closes and heats the degrade as they are scuffed by handling In situations where directing tires
tire for approximately 15-20 min. When and curing. This intensifies the need for to the wrong press can be costly
the mold opens, a patterned finished tire bar code capturing solutions that can and time consuming, it is especially
is removed and conveyed to the Final reliably identify the tire’s code. important to provide the operator a
Finishing and Inspection stages. positive feedback (stack light or other
Best Practices for bar code capturing visible sign), when the codes have been
The Green Tires must be tracked as they solutions in Curing Station include: read and processed accurately.
are conveyed into the curing mold. The • Easy of Integration
nature of the tire curing press is such • Robust
Whether capturing codes on individual Bar code capturing solutions should
that it can suffer severe damage if a support the communication protocol
Green Tire is cured in the wrong size tires or on racks of them, minimizing
the use of solutions with moving parts used through the manufacturing
mold. At the very least, the materials process. Devices that come with
used in the tire must be scrapped if (such as scanners with oscillating
mirrors) will keep bar code trackers in ‘backup & restore’ modules or come
used in an incorrect press. In addition to pre-configured & pre-calibrated,
directing each tire to the correct press, operation longer.
allow for ease of installation and
the temperatures and pressures applied • Reliable / Accurate replacement by non-skilled operators.
to the specific tire should be recorded, As Tires are handled through the
tracked, and stored for future analysis.
Final Finishing & Inspection Final finishing and inspection stations code makes the laser scanning
are such that bar code readers can not be solutions less accurate & reliable than
Many tires require additional operations placed near the tire during the process. 2D Imagers.
before they receive their inspection. This necessitates solutions that can be
The final finishing can include multiple small and unobtrusive while accurate • 2D imager solutions can be
processes such as balancing, white- from a distance. In addition, the small turned on when needed, based on tire
walling, the removal of excess rubber left bar codes tend to have become distorted, presence inputs, as opposed to laser
from the curing mold and the grinding of dirty, or degraded in quality from rough scanners. This increases the
sidewalls. These steps raise rubber dust handling and the curing processes. functioning life-span of 2D imagers
particles into the air. These codes now need to be read on a over Laser-based solutions.
high skew angle near the bead of the tire • Instant Positive Feedback (light stack
After all final finishing steps are as it is spun in a finishing or inspection or similar) can be easily provided with
concluded, tires undergo visual and station. 2D imagers. As the codes on the tires
machine inspections. These include degrade through rough-handling, it
tests where the tires are spun and 2D imaging solutions outperform laser- is important for operators to know if
verified for uniformity, quality, balance, based scanners during Final Finishing & the codes have become unidentifiable,
as wells as x-ray verification of the steel Inspection: as these tires need to be taken off the
cord structure. production line for re-inspection, or
• The far-distance required combined
with the low-aspect ratio of the bar removal.
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SORTING & SHIPPING easy for laser scanners to miss. repair and re-calibrate it. Long lapses
• The varying height of the bar code in coverage or costly production stops
Once tires have passed their inspection, (due to tires of varying design and size) are caused by complicated maintenance
they travel through a network of decreases reliable scanning & repair.
conveyor systems to arrive at their final • Laser scanning solutions attempt
packaging destination. Bar code tracking to overcome the inherent Multi-head 2D imager arrays
determines the path of the tire through low performance in the laser scanner • 2D imagers are not affected by varying
the conveyor system. It is essential that by adding lots of scanners in different height to bar code.
the codes on the tires are read accurately patterns. This creates more points of • Multiple images of the same bar code
as the progress down the conveyor. Loss failure, and greater maintenance costs. are taken to compensate for glare and
of data in the production plant due to a • Skilled technicians are required to poor-quality codes.
reader failure, can incur huge costs to calibrate and recreate the • No moving parts = lower failure rate.
ensure traceability and in productions patterns of a laser tunnel, when • By using multiple imagers in an array,
stops. a scanner fails. there is redundant area coverage. If
one imager fails, there is only a small
Current bar code capturing solutions over Long Range Linear Cameras reduction in read rate.
sorting conveyors include: • Creates a single, full image of the tire, one • Best in Class: Utilize arrays with 5-6
line at a time. imagers (more redundant coverage)
Laser scan tunnels • Since only one image of the tire is made, • Best in Class: Pre-configured solutions
• Many (Up to a dozen+ lasers scanners only one chance to read bar code require no calibration, can be installed
in a pattern) exists. If the code happens to have a and replaced by non-skilled operators.
• Laser scanners are inherently inferior glare, reflection, or dark-spot at the point • Best in Class: Solutions with positive
at scanning the codes on tires in this the camera finds the code, it will not be visual indicators for operators (light
environment. read. on tire or stack light), can quickly lead
• The small, poor-quality (scuffed & • When a linear camera fails, highly operators to issues before they can
damaged), high skew angle bar code is specialized technicians are required spread and become costly.
Additional Benefits to manually inspected/rejected. In these can distinguish if a code was present (but
Reliable Bar Code Capture: cases there are new benefits to be not read), or if the code was not present
gained from implementation of the more on the tire at all. By identifying this
Efficient processing of tires as they are reliable bar code capturing solutions. additional state (No Code Present), the
conveyed through the Sorting & Shipping Traditional bar code reading solutions 2-D imager arrays, allow for automatic
process is essential in the high volume return a state of ‘successful bar code sorting of tires missing codes vs. unread
modern tire production. Tires with and reading’ or ‘unsuccessful’. A Solution codes. This logistical improvement can
without barcodes are mixed together, built from an array of 2-d imagers create large efficiency impacts to the tire
requiring these labeled & unlabeled can accomplish a double functionality handling and transportation systems.
tires to be sorted out and consequently from a single location: if a code is not
re-processed through the conveyors, or successfully read, the 2-D imager arrays
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System-Wide Benefits to with monitoring software, can identify About Datalogic
Compatible Bar Code huge cost efficiencies. Throughput
Capturing Solutions can be monitored from any location. Datalogic Group is a global leader in
Maintenance can be automatically Automatic Data Capture and Industrial
Solutions utilizing 2D imagers have directed where needed. Work-In- Automation markets. As a world-class
shown to be at the top of the tire Progress inventories can be analyzed producer of bar code readers, mobile
tracking options available for each real-time. Images & information is computers, sensors, vision systems
manufacturing stage. Though each stored system-wide for troubleshooting and laser marking systems, Datalogic
process has unique code reading and efficiency analysis. offers innovative solutions for a full
requirements, there are cost and range of applications in the retail,
efficiency benefits to be gained from Future-Flexible Solutions: transportation & logistics, manufacturing
analyzing all the solutions used. As bar codes may change over time, and healthcare industries. With
2D imagers are capable of handling 2D products used in over a third of world’s
Lower Inventory Costs: barcodes if industry standards change. supermarkets and points of sale,
By utilizing the same imager throughout airports, shipping and postal services,
the manufacturing process, a much Datalogic is in a unique position to deliver
smaller number of replacements need Coding and tracking of tires throughout solutions that can make life easier and
to be held in inventory. The same 2D manufacturing has become a more efficient for people. Datalogic
imagers used in arrays over conveyors requirement in the industry. The S.p.A., listed on the STAR segment of
can also be used individually at other traditional reading systems based the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001
stations. on laser technology have permitted as DAL.MI, is headquartered in Lippo di
good reading performance only in Calderara di Reno (Bologna). Datalogic
Lower Maintenance Costs: some situations, utilizing sophisticated Group as of today employs about 2,400
In addition, by choosing 2D imagers with configurations and with low flexibility. 2D members of staff worldwide distributed
no moving parts, and ‘Backup & Restore’ imaging solutions offer excellent reading in 30 countries. In 2012 Datalogic Group
functionality, replacement can be performance even under the unique & achieved revenues for 462,3 million
performed by non-skilled operators. harsh conditions of tire manufacturing. Euro and invested over 32 million Euro
in Research and Development with a
System-Wide Monitoring: portfolio of over 1,000 patents across the
A large deployment of 2D imagers world. For more news and information
collecting data through the tire on Datalogic, please visit www.datalogic.
manufacturing process, in conjunction com.
Datalogic and the Datalogic logo are registered trademarks of Datalogic S.p.A. in many countries, including the U.S.A. and the E.U.
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