A system for wear and aging evaluation of a paper-based resource described herein is structured for determining a fitness state of a physical body structure of a paper resource item and for adaptive processing of the paper resource item in accordance with the fitness state. Specifically, the system comprises an item transfer unit configured to receive one or more paper resource items and a scanning device structured to retrieve a fitness state of a paper resource item from a physical state sensing component of the paper resource item. The system is structured to adaptively process the paper resource item based on determining whether (i) a wear level and (ii) an item age level of the paper resource item are associated with either a fit item type or an unfit item type.

A conveying direction switching apparatus includes a first switching gate that, at a joint portion of a first conveying path, a second conveying path, and a third conveying path, switches between a first conveyance route connecting the first conveying path and the second conveying path and a second conveyance route connecting the first conveying path and the third conveying path, a second switching gate that switches between the first conveyance route and a third conveyance route connecting the second conveying path and the third conveying path, and a free gate that is arranged on a same shaft as the first switching gate such that a second conveyance route side is opened by an elastic body at a joint portion of the second conveyance route and the third conveyance route.

A conveying direction switching apparatus includes a first switching gate that, at a joint portion of a first conveying path, a second conveying path, and a third conveying path, switches between a first conveyance route connecting the first conveying path and the second conveying path and a second conveyance route connecting the first conveying path and the third conveying path, a second switching gate that switches between the first conveyance route and a third conveyance route connecting the second conveying path and the third conveying path, and a free gate that is arranged on a same shaft as the first switching gate such that a second conveyance route side is opened by an elastic body at a joint portion of the second conveyance route and the third conveyance route.

A sheet processing machine has at least one shaping device and at least one sheet delivery unit, arranged downstream of the at least one shaping device along a transport path provided for a transport of sheets. The at least one shaping device has at least one shaping point which is formed by at least one forme cylinder, on one hand, and at least one impression cylinder, on the other hand. At least one separation device, for removing scrap pieces from sheets, is arranged downstream of the at least one shaping point along the transport path provided for the transport of sheets. The at least one separation device has at least one separation transport device. At least one transport device, configured as a selective transport device, is arranged following the at least one separation transport device along the transport path provided for the transport of sheets. The transport device is configured as at least one upper suction transport device for a hanging transport of sheets.

A medium transport device includes a first transport route for discharging a medium processed by a processing unit to an outer side of a housing in which the processing unit is provided, and a second transport route for discharging a medium processed by the processing unit to the outer side of the housing. The housing has an openable/closeable or detachable cover, and at least one of the first transport route and a route forming member constituting the first transport route and at least one of the second transport route and a route forming member constituting the second transport route to be exposed by opening or detaching of the cover.

A medium transport device includes a first transport route for discharging a medium processed by a processing unit to an outer side of a housing in which the processing unit is provided, and a second transport route for discharging a medium processed by the processing unit to the outer side of the housing. The housing has an openable/closeable or detachable cover, and at least one of the first transport route and a route forming member constituting the first transport route and at least one of the second transport route and a route forming member constituting the second transport route to be exposed by opening or detaching of the cover.

Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing products having custom graphic designed are disclosed. A method may comprise printing a first order identifier graphic on a substrate material, the first order identifier graphic associated with a first order for a first set of products, printing a first set of one or more graphic designs on the material, the graphic designs associated with the first order, combining the material with one or more product components to form the first set of products, each of the products of the first set of products being associated with the first customer order and at least one of the products of the first set of products comprising the first order identifier graphic, performing a print quality inspection on the print test graphic, and after determining the print test graphic failed the print quality inspection, culling each of products associated with the first order.

Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing products having custom graphic designed are disclosed. A method may comprise printing a first order identifier graphic on a substrate material, the first order identifier graphic associated with a first order for a first set of products, printing a first set of one or more graphic designs on the material, the graphic designs associated with the first order, combining the material with one or more product components to form the first set of products, each of the products of the first set of products being associated with the first customer order and at least one of the products of the first set of products comprising the first order identifier graphic, performing a print quality inspection on the print test graphic, and after determining the print test graphic failed the print quality inspection, culling each of products associated with the first order.

According to an embodiment, a stacking apparatus includes: a first precedent-stage conveyor unit that conveys first sheets; a second precedent-stage conveyor unit that conveys second sheets; a merging unit that guides, to a merge point, the first sheets output from the first precedent-stage conveyor unit and guides, to the merge point, the second sheets output from the second precedent-stage conveyor unit; a subsequent-stage conveyor unit that sequentially receives, at the merge point, the conveyed first sheets and the conveyed second sheets, and conveys the received first sheets and the received second sheets in order of the reception while lining up in a conveying direction; and a stacking unit that sequentially catches each of the first sheets and each of the second sheets and stacks, at a predetermined position, each of the first sheets and each of the second sheets in order of the catch.

The invention relates to a method for separating and categorizing at least one substrate (02; 03) that originates from a sheet source (47) or is transported in the form of a material web (02) to a cross-cutting apparatus and is separated into a multiplicity of sheets (03) there, wherein the respective sheets (03) are inspected in respective inspection operations with regard to at least one property that the substrate (02; 03) already had before the particular separating operation or severing operation, and wherein the sheets (03) are each assigned to one of at least three categories in an assigning operation on the basis of the result of the inspection carried out in the particular inspection operation, and wherein each of the sheets (03) is deposited on a delivery pile (06; 07; 08) corresponding to its category, and to a substrate categorizing machine (01), which has a sheet source (47) or a material-web source (09) and a cross-cutting device (11), wherein the substrate categorizing machine (01) has, downstream of the sheet source (47) or downstream of the cross-cutting device (11), a sheet transport device (12) having a gripper system (13), and an inspection device (14; 16; 17; 18), and, downstream of the inspection device (14; 16; 17; 18), a delivery apparatus (19), which has at least three depositing stations (21; 22; 23).