Process and plant for building tyres

A method of controlling the production cycle of a plant for manufacturing tyres, said plant providing a plurality of working locations including a first working location being associated with a final loading/unloading location positioned proximal to the first working location and an intermediate loading/unloading location positioned distal to the first working location, each of said working locations and loading/unloading locations being capable of being associated with a forming drum used to make the tyres, the method comprising:

• (i) working on a first forming drum loaded in said first working location,
• (ii) picking up and loading a second forming drum into said intermediate loading/unloading location from an entry location;
• (iii) at an end of the working provided in said first working location, picking up and unloading said first forming drum from the first working location and loading said first forming drum into said final loading/unloading location, said picking up being accomplished by grip members positioned at opposite ends of said first forming drum along a horizontal axis;
• (iv) mutually inverting positions of said second forming drum and first forming drum, respectively, wherein said inverting comprises a 180 degree rotation of a supporting structure holding the first and second forming drums about an axis parallel to the horizontal axis after moving the supporting structure linearly to a position where the grip members engage the first forming drum to perform the picking up of step (iii) and where the 180 degree rotation occurs;
• (v) picking up and loading said second forming drum into said first working location when the second forming drum is located in the final loading/unloading location following the inversion;
• and
• (vi) picking up and loading said first forming drum into an exit location when the first forming drum is located in the intermediate loading/unloading location following the inversion.