THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



A Modern Tire Plant Layout. 



IN ..LANN. 



1 to be ct 



iNG a modern tire factory there are many problems 

 considered that involve the best engineering practice 



combined with practical knowledge of tire building. There is 

 also a great difference of opinion on important points as to the 

 method of manufacture and also the lay-out of a modern tire 

 factory. 



Large modern plants have three to six-story building units 

 and, to accommodate their phenomenal growth of the past few 

 years, changes in the location of departments have been frequent. 

 One of the first companies to manufacture pneumatic tires is 

 now erecting a large plant at Buffalo on the one floor plan. This 

 method, of course, is very practical but a considerable area of 

 land is required to build a plant on this plan for large production. 

 A smaller plant will produce much better results in a building 

 about 80 feet wide, 

 280 to 300 feet long 

 and two to three 

 stories high. If the 

 machines required for 

 the manufacture of 

 pneumatic tires and 

 tubes are laid out 

 properly the maxi- 

 mum production can 

 be reached and there 

 will be very little lost 

 motion throughout the 

 entire plant. A ma- 

 terial saving can be 

 effected, moreover, by 

 the use of gravity. 

 LOCATION. 



The plant should be 

 located close to ample 

 water supply and eco- 

 nomical electric cur- 

 rent should be available. The water should be analyzed to 

 discover if it has any undesirable properties. It is also desirable 

 to locate the plant near the railroad, so that a siding can be 

 obtained as well as advertising to the traveling public. 



In many instances an ample water supply is not available 

 when all other points that have to be considered in the location, 

 such as transportation facilities, etc., are met with. In such 

 cases there can be installed what is known as a spray or cooling 

 pond, connected to the city mains and the water cooled and 

 used over again. 



POWER, HEAT, AND LIGHT. 



It is generally found to be more economical to buy electric 

 power, the higher voltages being stepped down by transformers 

 which should be placed in a fire-proof building. .\Iternating 

 current is satisfactory for all purposes except calenders where 

 two-voltage direct current is necessary to give a 4 to 1 speed 

 range. The same applies to tubing machines for which variable 

 speeds are preferable, where direct drives are aiplied. 



To secure this direct current a motor generator set or rotary 

 converter is necessary. The rotary converter is more economical 

 and efficient but more diflicult to repair under ordinary conditions. 



Other power house equipment includes boilers of sufficient ca- 

 pacity to supply steam for heater presses, vulcanizers, mills, 

 calenders, dryers, pumps and heating. 



The lighting required is a good industrial lighting unit with 

 the exception of around the calenders, where a special unit is 



^tied by- 



Raymond Throsby.) 



Perspective View 



required so that there will be sufficient light both in front and 

 back of the calenders. The lighting unit for the plant as outlined 

 is one light to a bay, the bays being 20 feet square. 



FIRST FLOOR. 



WASHING ROOM. 



1-ur a daily production of 450 tires using 25 per cent of w^ild 

 rubber, two 16 by 36-inch cracker-washers can wash the rubber 

 in si.\ hours. The initial washer installation should consist of 

 one 16 by 36-inch machine with a 7S-h.-p. drive suitable for a 

 future cracker-washer of the same size. .\ soaking vat, cutting 

 machine, and drying apparatus will complete the washing room 

 equipment. 



MILL AND CALENDER ROOM. 



The mill line should consist of a unit of three 22 and 20 by 

 fiO-inch mills with a 

 250-h.-p. drive. Mill 

 Xo. 1 to be used for 

 breaking down and 

 mixing. Mill No. 2 

 for mixing and mill 

 X'o. 3 for mixing and 

 warming up the cal- 

 ender stock. A mixer 

 located next to the 

 mill unit can be used 

 to advantage in pre- 

 paring rubber for the 

 mills. 



The calender should 

 be not less than a 24 

 by 66-inch 3-roU ma- 

 chine with a lOO-h.-p. 

 drive. The delivery 

 speed ranges from 

 10 to 40 yards per 

 minute for which a 

 lOO-h.-p. direct current, two-voltage variable-speed motor is used. 

 Additional equipment includes fabric dn-er, tube machines for 

 beads and treads, cooling tables, stock bins, sifting machines, etc. 

 Endless cable bead wire has met with almost universal success 

 and can be purchased in the various sizes. .\ machine has been 

 developed that should be installed for insulating the bead wire. 

 The fabric dryer is a three-roll reversible machine operated 

 from one side and requires very little floor space. This should 

 be located at the rear of the calender. One 3-inch tubing machine 

 with a 7'/2-h.-p. alternating-current motor drive easily cares 

 for all bead requirements. A 6-inch tubing machine will provide 

 enough treads for all sizes up to and including 6-inch. A 

 variable-speed direct-current motor is used. 



Modern Tire Pla 



25-h. 



Co, 



f-Eir- 



Pen 



Xpert sales for the Allen Machii 



HYDRAULIC PLANT. 



The accumulators, pumps and air compressors are located in 

 the main building adjacent to the heater presses. 



SPREADER BUILDING. 



The spreading or impregnating of fabric must be done in an 

 absolutely fire-proof building. The cement-mixing room must 

 also be separated from the spreader room by a fire wall. Equip- 

 ment for this department should include churns and impregnating 

 machines. 



SECOND FLOOR. 



The second floor is devoted entirely to building, curing, and 

 finishing casings. The necessary equipment will include one bias- 

 cutting machine, heater presses, tire-building stands, cores, molds, 

 tables, etc. 



