Citation
(2003), "Pirelli Tire selected for 2003 Robots and Vision User Recognition Award", Industrial Robot, Vol. 30 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2003.04930fab.006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
Pirelli Tire selected for 2003 Robots and Vision User Recognition Award
Pirelli Tire selected for 2003 Robots and Vision User Recognition Award
Keywords: RIA awards
Pirelli Tire North America has been named as the recipient of the 2003 Robots and Vision User Recognition Award for its innovative robotic tire assembly process.
Known as MIRS, the system allows Pirelli to reduce the lead time to 72min from raw materials to finished product as opposed to 6 days with its traditional process. MIRS is currently used in four Pirelli factories with a planned output of 600,000 tires in 2003 alone (more than 150,000 of which will be produced in the United States).
According to Andrew Kearton, Director of Manufacturing at Pirelli Tire North America in Rome, Georgia, the application is so unique that five patents have been applied for, and two already have been issued. "The main innovation was to take a traditional six-axis Comau robot and to incorporate an additional auxiliary axis to provide drum rotation during the application of rubber to the tire drum. In this way, the robots move, not the rubber, which improves the process," Kearton explained.
"Our panel of judges was extremely impressed by this innovative robotic application," said Donald A. Vincent, Executive Vice President, Robotic Industries Association (RIA), one of the trade groups that sponsor the award. "Pirelli's success is a great example to other companies in all industries looking at their manufacturing processes to see how robots can help them make significant improvements."
Pirelli becomes the fourth company to win the award, which is presented every 2 years at the International Robots and Vision Show and Conference. Mr Kearton accepted the award on behalf of Pirelli at a special awards dinner on the night of Wednesday, 4 June, during this year's International Robots and Vision Show in Rosemont, Illinois.
Past recipients of the award include Pepperidge Farm, Honeywell and Pioneer Hi-Bred.
Founded in 1974, RIA is the North American trade group for the robotics industry, representing some 250 robot manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end-users, research groups, and consulting firms. RIA co-sponsors the Robots and Vision User Recognition Award with the Automated Imaging Association (AIA), the North American trade group for the machine vision industry, representing more than 200 companies.