Apparatus and methods are provided to minimize waste and improve quality and production in web processing operations. The apparatus and methods provide defect detection in deposition of acquisition material, which on current machines frequently flips and is difficult to detect when it has flipped causing manufacturers to scrap thousands of products. Using the present invention, defects are able to be detected by discerning a difference in the appearance from side to side with a vision camera, and an acquisition inverter can flip the material to a correct orientation.

Apparatus and methods are provided to minimize waste and improve quality and production in web processing operations. The apparatus and methods provide defect detection in deposition of acquisition material, which on current machines frequently flips and is difficult to detect when it has flipped causing manufacturers to scrap thousands of products. Using the present invention, defects are able to be detected by discerning a difference in the appearance from side to side with a vision camera, and an acquisition inverter can flip the material to a correct orientation.

A feeding apparatus includes a roll support unit configured to rotatably support a roll sheet which is a sheet wound into a roll form, a drive unit configured to rotate the roll sheet in a first rotation direction for feeding the sheet into a conveyance path and a second rotation direction, an abutment portion provided so as to be capable of abutting against an outer peripheral surface of the roll sheet at a first position, and a rotation member configured to abut against the outer peripheral surface at a second position. The rotation member at the second position does not rotate with the roll sheet when the roll sheet is rotated in the first rotation direction, and rotates with the roll sheet when the roll sheet is rotated in the second rotation direction.

An adhesive tape dispensing device with a tape alignment mechanism, comprising a body formed from a rigid material or materials, configured to hold and dispense adhesive tape, and a tape alignment mechanism comprising at least one spring that presses laterally against the edge of the tape, the side of the tape form, or against a hub onto which the tape is mounted, wherein one edge of the portion of tape being dispensed is kept in a fixed alignment relative to the dispensing device while it is being dispensed.

An adhesive tape dispensing device with a tape alignment mechanism, comprising a body formed from a rigid material or materials, configured to hold and dispense adhesive tape, and a tape alignment mechanism comprising at least one spring that presses laterally against the edge of the tape, the side of the tape form, or against a hub onto which the tape is mounted, wherein one edge of the portion of tape being dispensed is kept in a fixed alignment relative to the dispensing device while it is being dispensed.

There is provided a medium feeding apparatus including a feeding roller that feeds a printing medium, a roll holding portion that holds a roll body on which the printing medium is wound, an intermediate roller that pulls out the printing medium from the roll body and feeds the printing medium on the feeding roller, a rotation amount detection portion that detects an amount of rotation of the intermediate roller and an amount of rotation of the roll body when the printing medium is fed by the intermediate roller, and a controller that calculates a roll diameter of the roll body based on the detected amount of rotation of the intermediate roller and the detected amount of rotation of the roll body.

A device for inserting a web of printing material into a flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine includes a compensator for converting a continuous movement of the web of printing material into an iterative movement of the web of printing material. A clamping unit clamps the web of printing material, a cutting unit carries out a cross cut through the web of printing material, and an inserting unit transports the web of printing material into the flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine. The device advantageously allows the web of printing material to be automatically clamped, cut and fed to the flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine. As a result, no further stopping of an upstream printing press is required and the amount of waste is reduced. A manufacturing system for producing packages and a method for feeding a web of printing material are also provided.

A device for inserting a web of printing material into a flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine includes a compensator for converting a continuous movement of the web of printing material into an iterative movement of the web of printing material. A clamping unit clamps the web of printing material, a cutting unit carries out a cross cut through the web of printing material, and an inserting unit transports the web of printing material into the flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine. The device advantageously allows the web of printing material to be automatically clamped, cut and fed to the flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine. As a result, no further stopping of an upstream printing press is required and the amount of waste is reduced. A manufacturing system for producing packages and a method for feeding a web of printing material are also provided.

The present invention provides a wire electrode supply apparatus for suppressing wire electrode driving vibration for wire electrodes having a wide range of diameters and formed of various materials, thereby improving processed surface roughness. The wire electrode supply apparatus includes a back tension adjustment unit that adjusts a back tension of the wire electrode drawn from a source bobbin, a tension applying unit, and a constant pressure ejecting unit that ejects the wire electrode with constant pressure and rate after the transference via the tension applying unit and an electrical discharge machining unit. The tension applying unit includes a low tension applying unit that applies a tension to the wire electrode, and a high tension applying unit that can supply a higher tension. After the high tension applying unit supplies a tension, the low tension applying unit supplies a tension. Otherwise, only the low tension applying unit supplies a tension.

The present invention provides a wire electrode supply apparatus for suppressing wire electrode driving vibration for wire electrodes having a wide range of diameters and formed of various materials, thereby improving processed surface roughness. The wire electrode supply apparatus includes a back tension adjustment unit that adjusts a back tension of the wire electrode drawn from a source bobbin, a tension applying unit, and a constant pressure ejecting unit that ejects the wire electrode with constant pressure and rate after the transference via the tension applying unit and an electrical discharge machining unit. The tension applying unit includes a low tension applying unit that applies a tension to the wire electrode, and a high tension applying unit that can supply a higher tension. After the high tension applying unit supplies a tension, the low tension applying unit supplies a tension. Otherwise, only the low tension applying unit supplies a tension.