This invention relates to a tire curing system having a plurality of molds disposed in side by side relation, transporting means for transporting green tires to the tire curing system, loading means for loading a green tire into a bottom mold half of one of the molds, mold closing means for closing a top mold half over the bottom mold half, self-locking means for locking the top mold half to the bottom mold half, curing means for curing the green tires, mold opening means for opening the top mold half from the bottom mold half, unloading means for unloading the cured tire from the bottom mold half and take-away means for carrying the cured tires away from the curing system. The loading means and the unloading means include a movable robot and the mold closing means and the mold opening means include a movable manipulator. The robot and the manipulator move in straight lines.