Included are a feeding shaft configured to hold a printing medium, a first transporting belt, a second transporting belt, a first driving roller on which the first transporting belt is wound, a second driving roller on which the second transporting belt is wound, a first driving unit configured to drive the first driving roller, a second driving unit configured to drive the second driving roller, a winding roller on which the printing medium is wound, a first winding roller bearing, a second winding roller bearing, a first load cell configured to detect a load exerted by the printing medium on the first winding roller bearing, a second load cell configured to detect a load exerted by the printing medium on the second winding roller bearing, and a control unit configured to control the first driving unit and the second driving unit based on detection results of the load cells.

A device for laterally guiding (1) a metal strip (2) running over a metal strip conveyor device. The device has at least one main part module (3) with a guiding plane (4) and at least one grinding body with a grinding surface (5a, 5b, 5c) for contacting the metal strip (2) to be guided for guiding purposes. The grinding body (6) is attached to a support element (7), or the grinding body (6) includes the support element (7). The support element (7) is mounted in the main part module (3) in a movable manner in the direction of the rotational axis (10) and in a rotatable manner. The position of the grinding body in relation to the guiding plane (4) is modified by moving the support element (7) prior to or while laterally guiding metal strips running over a metal strip conveyor device, prior to contacting a first metal strip for guiding purposes, and/or while contacting a first metal strip for guiding purposes.

A folding apparatus for a continuous web being fed in a plant for the production of hygienic absorbent articles and intended to be folded into a “V” or “U” shape in a first and in a second longitudinal portion according to a longitudinal folding line parallel to a feeding line of the continuous web comprises a folding section including a first and a second power-driven, movable suction belt and an adjusting system for adjusting a relative position of the longitudinal edges of the continuous web once it has been folded; the adjusting system is configured to adjust the position of the first belt and/or of the second belt depending on at least a first information sent by the first sensor to the computerised control unit.

A folding apparatus for a continuous web being fed in a plant for the production of hygienic absorbent articles and intended to be folded into a “V” or “U” shape in a first and in a second longitudinal portion according to a longitudinal folding line parallel to a feeding line of the continuous web comprises a folding section including a first and a second power-driven, movable suction belt and an adjusting system for adjusting a relative position of the longitudinal edges of the continuous web once it has been folded; the adjusting system is configured to adjust the position of the first belt and/or of the second belt depending on at least a first information sent by the first sensor to the computerised control unit.

Unwinder of a thin ply product wound on a roll, comprising a first roll-holder assembly equipped with a first unwinding rod for a respective roll, on which the roll is adapted to be supported, and which has an axis of rotation transversal to the direction of movement of the ply unwound from the roll, a second roll-holder assembly equipped with a second unwinding rod of a respective roll, on which the roll is adapted to be supported, said second rod being parallel to said first unwinding rod of the first roll-holder assembly, said second roll-holder assembly facing said first roll-holder assembly in an unwinding zone, a ply splicing assembly placed above said first and second facing roll-holder assemblies, a ply accumulation unit to allow automatic switching between a roll being unwound in one said roll-holder assembly and a spare roll provided in the other roll-holder assembly, a system for the lateral movement of each of said unwinding rods with respect to said unwinding zone, from said unwinding zone to a loading zone wherein said rolls are outside said winding zone to facilitate loading the rolls into the respective roll-holder assemblies, wherein said splicing assembly can be moved from a working position above the two said roll-holder assemblies in said unwinding zone, to a working position above an extracted roll assembly in the loading zone, to allow preparation for splicing of the leading edge of the ply wound on the spare roll.

The present application relates to rolled good feeding device and method. Material feeding devices and methods are provided for conveying material from material rolls. The material roll may be adjusted in the longitudinal direction during the feeding process by a rectifying frame to aid in maintaining alignment during the unrolling. Tension of the unrolled material may be monitored and unrolling speeds of the feeding device can be adjusted to maintain tension of the material within a range for that material. Aspects also contemplate elements to feed multiple rolled materials simultaneously for subsequent processing in combination as layered materials.

The present application relates to rolled good feeding device and method. Material feeding devices and methods are provided for conveying material from material rolls. The material roll may be adjusted in the longitudinal direction during the feeding process by a rectifying frame to aid in maintaining alignment during the unrolling. Tension of the unrolled material may be monitored and unrolling speeds of the feeding device can be adjusted to maintain tension of the material within a range for that material. Aspects also contemplate elements to feed multiple rolled materials simultaneously for subsequent processing in combination as layered materials.

An automated photovoltaic (PV) subassembly manufacturing method involves in-line cutting of material strips. A tape is cut longitudinally into multiple strips. The strips are separated and guided into spaced apart positions relative to a surface of the PV cell subassembly comprising one or more PV cells. The multiple strips remain attached to the tape while the strips are guided to the spaced apart positions. The multiple strips are positioned at attachment locations on the surface of a PV cell subassembly.

An automated photovoltaic (PV) subassembly manufacturing method involves in-line cutting of material strips. A tape is cut longitudinally into multiple strips. The strips are separated and guided into spaced apart positions relative to a surface of the PV cell subassembly comprising one or more PV cells. The multiple strips remain attached to the tape while the strips are guided to the spaced apart positions. The multiple strips are positioned at attachment locations on the surface of a PV cell subassembly.

Apparatus and methods are provided for automatic edge positioning and guiding of a moving web, such as a textile fabric or carpet, onto a conveyor system comprising manufacturing operations such as sewing, for example. More in particular an apparatus is provided including mechanics, optics and control for steering and positioning the side edges of the moving web in order to correct for misalignment, and hence sewing can occur appropriately.