Process and apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels

An apparatus for building a tyre for a vehicle wheel, comprising:

• at least one forming drum;
• and
• at least one assembling device for assembling components of the tyre on the at least one forming drum, wherein said at least one assembling device comprises:
• a laying unit comprising two support elements for a strip-like element to be laid on the at least one forming drum;
• a transverse actuator, operating on the support elements for translating said support elements along a substantially axial direction of the at least one forming drum between a first operating condition, at which said support elements are disposed close to each other, and a second operating condition at which said support elements are moved away from each other;
• a radial actuator, operating on the support elements and designed to translate said support elements between a position at which said support elements are moved radially close to a deposition surface that is radially external to the at least one forming drum and a position at which they are moved radially away from said deposition surface;
• and
• a retaining unit comprising a counter-element movable between a first position at which said counter-element is spaced apart from the two support elements, and a second position at which said counter-element is placed in a fixed axial position between the two support elements and against said deposition surface to retain the strip-like element in a fixed axial position on the at least one forming drum while the strip-like element is laid on the at least one forming drum by the laying unit.