Method for vulcanising a tyre blank

A method of vulcanizing a green tire, the method comprising:

• providing a vulcanization mold within a vulcanization press, the vulcanization mold having a heating bellows;
• determining an idle time of the vulcanization press;
• placing the green tire in the vulcanization mold during the idle time;
• performing an overall heat phase in which the green tire is heated for a duration of time to provide a selected input of thermal energy to vulcanize the green tire, the overall heat phase including a steam phase and a subsequent heat phase after the steam phase, wherein the overall heat phase comprises the steps:
• introducing steam into the heating bellows for a duration of time during the steam phase to heat the green tire;
• extending the duration of time of the steam phase based at least on the determined idle time and a defined idle time threshold;
• monitoring and measuring an actual temperature progression of the heating bellows over a duration of time during the subsequent heat phase;
• evaluating a difference between a target temperature progression and the measured actual temperature progression during the subsequent heat phase;
• extending the duration of time of the subsequent heat phase based at least on the difference between the target temperature progression and the measured actual temperature progression to achieve the selected input of thermal energy to vulcanize the green tire;
• and
• completing the tire vulcanization.