A device and a method for separating sheet material is provided. The separation of sheet material is not effected statically, but a suitable pick-up position and/or a suitable pick-up mechanism is selected for each sheet material piece, for example in dependence on the quality of a surface of the sheet material piece to be picked up, in order to pick up the sheet material piece from the sheet material stack and remove it from the same.

A pick-up device picking up stacked sheet-shaped workpieces from the top, the device includes a nozzle mechanism that pulls up a first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces by air blowing, a holding mechanism that holds the first workpiece, a separation mechanism that includes a claw member being inserted into a lower side of the first workpiece with respect to the stacked workpieces, and a forward and backward drive unit causing a tip part of the claw member to move forward and backward, a suction mechanism that pulls up the first workpiece, a control device that controls the above four mechanisms, and a selection unit that selects one or more combinations of the nozzle mechanism, the separation mechanism, and the suction mechanism. The control device controls an operation for picking up the stacked workpieces from the top according to the selection of the selection unit.

A pick-up device picking up stacked sheet-shaped workpieces from the top, the device includes a nozzle mechanism that pulls up a first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces by air blowing, a holding mechanism that holds the first workpiece, a separation mechanism that includes a claw member being inserted into a lower side of the first workpiece with respect to the stacked workpieces, and a forward and backward drive unit causing a tip part of the claw member to move forward and backward, a suction mechanism that pulls up the first workpiece, a control device that controls the above four mechanisms, and a selection unit that selects one or more combinations of the nozzle mechanism, the separation mechanism, and the suction mechanism. The control device controls an operation for picking up the stacked workpieces from the top according to the selection of the selection unit.

A printing plate picking mechanism includes a plate cassette stacking mechanism having an array of plate cassettes, each plate cassette adapted to hold a plurality of printing plates separated by intervening sheets of paper. A plate cassette movement mechanism is adapted to move a selected plate cassette to a printing plate loading position. A plate picker is adapted to contact and hold the leading edge of the topmost printing plate and transport it to plate transport pinch rollers. A paper picking unit includes a paper picker adapted to contact and hold a leading edge of a topmost sheet of paper in the selected plate cassette, and a plate guide positioned above the paper picker to guide the printing plate held by said plate picker. A vertical alignment system is adapted to vertically align the plate picker and the paper picking unit with the selected plate cassette.

A printing plate picking mechanism includes a plate cassette stacking mechanism having an array of plate cassettes, each plate cassette adapted to hold a plurality of printing plates separated by intervening sheets of paper. A plate cassette movement mechanism is adapted to move a selected plate cassette to a printing plate loading position. A plate picker is adapted to contact and hold the leading edge of the topmost printing plate and transport it to plate transport pinch rollers. A paper picking unit includes a paper picker adapted to contact and hold a leading edge of a topmost sheet of paper in the selected plate cassette, and a plate guide positioned above the paper picker to guide the printing plate held by said plate picker. A vertical alignment system is adapted to vertically align the plate picker and the paper picking unit with the selected plate cassette.

A manufacture of an electrode assembly in which first electrodes and second electrodes are alternately arranged between folded separators is described. The electrodes are stacked and stored in a magazine unit, and the plurality of electrodes are stored in a stacked manner. By disposing a stuck-electrodes prevention sheet between electrodes, the electrodes can be easily separated without sticking, and the stuck-electrodes prevention sheet removed after the electrodes are separated can be recycled.

A manufacture of an electrode assembly in which first electrodes and second electrodes are alternately arranged between folded separators is described. The electrodes are stacked and stored in a magazine unit, and the plurality of electrodes are stored in a stacked manner. By disposing a stuck-electrodes prevention sheet between electrodes, the electrodes can be easily separated without sticking, and the stuck-electrodes prevention sheet removed after the electrodes are separated can be recycled.