A substrate handling system including an infeed system for feeding stacked substrates and including a processing machine for processing stacked substrates, and in particular a printing press for printing stacked substrates. A robot cell is provided between the infeed system and the processing machine. The robot cell comprises one or two gripper systems, each for handling a plurality of substrates. The robot cell is configured in such a way, that selectively differently stacked substrates, which are feedable by the infeed system, can be handled.

A method and apparatus for automated aerating and handling a sub stack of a stack of rectangular paper sheets where the sub stack is gripped near or at opposed corners of a common edge of the sub stack by means of two robotic grippers (A, B) having two opposed gripping fingers (A1, A2, B1, B2), lifting and rotating the corners in mutually opposite first directions such that the work stack achieves an upwards concave form, gripping the corners by the robotic grippers (A, B), and rotating the grippers in second directions opposite to the first directions such that the upper sheet of the sub stack has a curvature smaller than the bottom sheet of the sub stack, preferably a substantially plane form.

A sheet takeout and separation device of an embodiment has a takeout section, a sending section, a separation portion. The takeout section takes out a sheet. The sending section sends out the sheet taken out by the takeout section. The separation portion is provided so as to come in contact with the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section, and separates the sheets one by one. In addition, the separation portion has a separation portion main body and a cover. The separation portion main body elastically deforms in accordance with a thickness of the sheet. The cover is provided on the separation portion main body so as to come in contact with the sheet. And, on a surface of the cover, a surface roughening treatment for enhancing a friction coefficient of the relevant surface is performed.

A sheet takeout and separation device of an embodiment has a takeout section, a sending section, a separation portion. The takeout section takes out a sheet. The sending section sends out the sheet taken out by the takeout section. The separation portion is provided so as to come in contact with the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section, and separates the sheets one by one. In addition, the separation portion has a separation portion main body and a cover. The separation portion main body elastically deforms in accordance with a thickness of the sheet. The cover is provided on the separation portion main body so as to come in contact with the sheet. And, on a surface of the cover, a surface roughening treatment for enhancing a friction coefficient of the relevant surface is performed.

A sheet processing device separates a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and partially bonded and sandwich a sheet medium between the two sheets. The sheet processing device includes a relay conveyance path, a sheet loader, and control circuitry. The sheet medium is fed from an image forming apparatus connected upstream of the sheet processing device through the relay conveyance path. The sheet loader loads at least one of the two-ply sheet and the sheet medium. The control circuitry performs a mixing mode to feed the two-ply sheet or the sheet medium from the sheet loader.

A sheet processing device separates a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and partially bonded and sandwich a sheet medium between the two sheets. The sheet processing device includes a relay conveyance path, a sheet loader, and control circuitry. The sheet medium is fed from an image forming apparatus connected upstream of the sheet processing device through the relay conveyance path. The sheet loader loads at least one of the two-ply sheet and the sheet medium. The control circuitry performs a mixing mode to feed the two-ply sheet or the sheet medium from the sheet loader.

Material moving apparatus, systems and methods are presented which can include an air material mover. Airflow through orifices can create a localized vacuum such that the uppermost or top layer of material can be separated from the stack of material. The airflow can interact with the material to produce flutter, which assists in separating lower layers from the uppermost layer. A material gripper can grip the uppermost or top layer of material for removal from the stack and repositioning in a work area.

A pick-up device picking up stacked sheet-shaped workpieces from the top, the device includes a nozzle mechanism that includes a pick-up nozzle pulling up a first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces by air blowing, and a holding mechanism that holds the first workpiece from the top. The pick-up nozzle includes a ventilation groove provided on a bottom surface opposite to an upper surface of the first workpiece from the top and passing through to an air blowing side end part of the bottom surface, and a nozzle port blowing air toward the air blowing side end part of the bottom surface along the inside of the ventilation groove, and the air blowing side end part of a groove inner bottom surface of the ventilation groove is formed in a shape directed in a direction of being separated from the workpiece.

Disclosed is an automated insert feeding system and related methods, capable of removing bulk-packaged items from a tray or other package, and separating the bulk-packaged items individually for distribution into individual packages in high speed reliable fashion. The disclosed systems can also be loaded with multiple packages of the pre-packaged items for automatic feeding into the system which allows human operators to load several packages and allow the system to work unattended, thereby reducing man-hours spend on the process.

Disclosed is an automated insert feeding system and related methods, capable of removing bulk-packaged items from a tray or other package, and separating the bulk-packaged items individually for distribution into individual packages in high speed reliable fashion. The disclosed systems can also be loaded with multiple packages of the pre-packaged items for automatic feeding into the system which allows human operators to load several packages and allow the system to work unattended, thereby reducing man-hours spend on the process.