A method for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels, comprising the steps of:
- a) building in a building station a substantially cylindrical carcass structure comprising at least one carcass ply operatively associated with annular anchoring structures axially spaced apart from each other;
- b) manufacturing in a finishing station a substantially cylindrical sleeve comprising a tread band applied at a radially outer position with respect to a belt structure comprising at least one belt layer, said step b) comprising the steps of:
- b1) assembling a first belt structure at a first working position on a first auxiliary drum of the finishing station;
- b2) applying a tread band at a second working position at a radially outer position with respect to a second belt structure previously assembled on a second auxiliary drum of the finishing station, said application step being carried out by laying down contiguous circumferential coils arranged in mutual side by side relationship of a first and a second continuous elongated element of green elastomeric material a radially outer position with respect to said second belt structure;
- b3) positioning the first auxiliary drum supporting the first belt structure at said second working position;
- and
- b4) positioning said second auxiliary drum supporting the substantially cylindrical sleeve thus obtained at a picking position of the finishing station;
- and
- c) transferring said substantially cylindrical sleeve from said picking position of the finishing station to a radially outer position with respect to a carcass structure built in the meantime in the building station, wherein said steps from b1) to b4) are repeated cyclically;
- wherein steps b1) and b2) are carried out at least in part simultaneously with one another,
- wherein steps b3) and b4) are carried out at least in part simultaneously with one another,
- wherein said step b2) is carried out by delivering said first and said second continuous elongated elements from respective delivery members arranged at said second working position near said second auxiliary drum,
- wherein said first and second auxiliary drums are slidably supported by a substantially turret-like displacing apparatus,
- wherein said step b2) is effected by carrying out, simultaneously with the application of said first and second continuous elongated elements, controlled relative displacements between said at least one auxiliary drum and the delivery members by moving said at least one auxiliary drum with respect to said delivery members by means of the turret-like displacing apparatus to form with said first and second continuous elongated elements a plurality of said contiguous circumferential coils, and
- wherein the method comprises the step of translating said at least one auxiliary drum towards a rotation axis of the turret-like displacing apparatus before carrying out a rotation step of said apparatus.