Automatic plant for cleaning molds for tires

An automatic plant for cleaning molds for tires, wherein the molds are constituted of sectors and cheeks, comprising:

• an apparatus for internal cleaning of the sectors and cheeks, comprising:
• a fixing device including a fixing surface for fixing the sectors and cheeks in a stable treatment position,
• a generating device configured for generating ultrasonic vibrations,
• a transmitting device configured for transmitting the ultrasonic vibrations from the generating device to a sector or cheek to be treated of the sectors and cheeks,
• an identification device configured for identifying a resonant frequency of the sector or cheek to be treated based on the ultrasonic vibrations transmitted to the sector or cheek to be treated,
• the generating device further configured to generate the ultrasonic vibrations at a frequency equal to the resonant frequency to subject the sector or cheek to be treated to the frequency equal to the resonant frequency via the transmitting device, thereby cleaning the sector or cheek to be treated;
• a checking device configured for checking a cleanliness of ventilation valves of the sectors and cheeks;
• wherein the checking device includes:
• a mapping tool configured for mapping positions of the ventilation valves,
• an identification tool configured for visually identifying blocked valves of the ventilation valves by at least one chosen from:
• directing a light beam towards the ventilation valve and analyzing light reflected from the ventilation valve at subsequent instants while the generating device is operating to determine whether the ventilation valve is mobile and operating properly, or static and blocked;
• visually checking an amount of protrusion of a portion of the ventilation valve protruding from a housing of the ventilation valve such that a lack of protrusion indicates a blocked ventilation valve;
• and
• a display tool configured for displaying positions of the blocked ventilation valves.