Robotized tire-changing and balancing workstation and associated method

A tire-changing and balancing workstation for assembling a tire to a wheel to create a wheel and tire assembly, the tire-changing and balancing workstation comprising:

• a tire changer for mounting the tire on the wheel, to thereby create the wheel and tire assembly;
• a wheel balancer for balancing the wheel and tire assembly;
• a robot having:
• a manipulator, the manipulator having a wrist and a gripper connected to the wrist, the gripper being operable to grip the wheel and tire assembly;
• a controller connected to the manipulator;
• and
• a securing device, the manipulator being configured to manipulate the securing device to secure the wheel on the tire changer or the wheel and tire assembly on the wheel balancer, wherein the manipulator is placed within reach of both the tire changer and the wheel balancer so as to grip and transfer the wheel and tire assembly in a transfer operation from the tire changer to the wheel balancer.