Process and system for controlling the addition of water during a mixing cycle for producing a rubber mixture

A process for controlling an addition of water to a rubber mixture during a mixing cycle in which the rubber mixture is transported as a continuous sheet along a transport route, the transport route including at least one spray system that sprays water on at least a portion of the continuous sheet, the water being controllably evacuated by at least one aspiration system, the process comprising steps of:

• obtaining data for the rubber mixture, the data including at least:
• a predetermined water flow rate for the at least one spray system,
• a predetermined air flow rate for the at least one aspiration system, and
• a target temperature value and a target water-content value for the rubber mixture;
• adding water to the continuous sheet of the rubber mixture while the rubber mixture is being prepared in the mixing cycle in progress;
• detecting an amount of water added at an elapsed time during the mixing cycle in progress;
• determining, using the amount of water detected in the detecting step, a predicted temperature value and a predicted water-content value for the rubber mixture at an end of the mixing cycle in progress;
• comparing the target temperature value with the predicted temperature value, and the target water-content value with the predicted water-content value;
• and,
• after the end of the mixing cycle in progress and before a next mixing cycle, adjusting an actual water flow rate for the next mixing cycle when a comparison result from the comparing step indicates non-equivalence between the target temperature value and the predicted temperature value, and between the target water-content value and the predicted water-content value.