An example method comprises operating a drive unit to advance a substrate in a substrate advance direction toward a printing station. At the printing station, a first line is printed onto the substrate. A drive unit is instructed to advance the substrate in the substrate advance direction by a target amount, and a second line is printed onto the substrate. The distance between the first and second lines in a direction perpendicular to the substrate advance direction is calculated and, based on the calculated difference, a tension of the substrate is modified.

A splice arrangement includes an unwinding arrangement for unwinding a finite first material web from a first material roll or a finite second material web from a second material roll, a braking arrangement for applying a braking force to the unwinding arrangement and/or the finite material web being unwound, a connection arrangement for connecting the finite material webs to form an endless material web, a storage trolley for the uninterrupted conveying of the endless material web, at least one material web tension-influencing device arranged before the storage trolley, and an actuation device, which is in signal connection with the at least one material web tension-influencing device for actuating the same.

A splice arrangement includes an unwinding arrangement for unwinding a finite first material web from a first material roll or a finite second material web from a second material roll, a braking arrangement for applying a braking force to the unwinding arrangement and/or the finite material web being unwound, a connection arrangement for connecting the finite material webs to form an endless material web, a storage trolley for the uninterrupted conveying of the endless material web, at least one material web tension-influencing device arranged before the storage trolley, and an actuation device, which is in signal connection with the at least one material web tension-influencing device for actuating the same.

A control system for a converting line has a sensor configured to sense a distance between the sensor and a surface of a roll of web material as the roll of web material is unwound from an unwinder and directed to the converting line. The controller is configured to: (i) determine a diameter measurement of the roll as the roll rotates based upon the sensor signals; (ii) store a plurality of data structures in a memory of a controller of a control system wherein the data structures comprise a plurality of data items associated together as the diameter measurements of the roll of the web material; (iii) process by a statistical regression analysis the data structures associated with the diameter; and (iv) generate signals for controlling the converting line based upon the processed diameter measurements.

A control system for a converting line has a sensor configured to sense a distance between the sensor and a surface of a roll of web material as the roll of web material is unwound from an unwinder and directed to the converting line. The controller is configured to: (i) determine a diameter measurement of the roll as the roll rotates based upon the sensor signals; (ii) store a plurality of data structures in a memory of a controller of a control system wherein the data structures comprise a plurality of data items associated together as the diameter measurements of the roll of the web material; (iii) process by a statistical regression analysis the data structures associated with the diameter; and (iv) generate signals for controlling the converting line based upon the processed diameter measurements.

A meandering correction apparatus includes a transport mechanism, an orientation measurement part, a Young's modulus calculation part, a meandering prediction part and a meandering correction part. The transport mechanism transports an elongated strip-shaped base material in a longitudinal direction thereof along a transport path. The orientation measurement part measures fiber orientations of the base material in respective measurement regions on the transport path, the measurement regions being different in widthwise position from each other. The Young's modulus calculation part calculates Young's moduli of the base material for the respective measurement regions, based on the fiber orientations. The meandering prediction part predicts subsequent meandering of the base material, based on the Young's moduli, to output meandering prediction information. The meandering correction part corrects the widthwise position of the base material, based on the meandering prediction information. The meandering correction is made based on the fiber orientations of the base material. Thus, the widthwise position of the base material is corrected without depending on only edge sensors.

A meandering correction apparatus includes a transport mechanism, an orientation measurement part, a Young's modulus calculation part, a meandering prediction part and a meandering correction part. The transport mechanism transports an elongated strip-shaped base material in a longitudinal direction thereof along a transport path. The orientation measurement part measures fiber orientations of the base material in respective measurement regions on the transport path, the measurement regions being different in widthwise position from each other. The Young's modulus calculation part calculates Young's moduli of the base material for the respective measurement regions, based on the fiber orientations. The meandering prediction part predicts subsequent meandering of the base material, based on the Young's moduli, to output meandering prediction information. The meandering correction part corrects the widthwise position of the base material, based on the meandering prediction information. The meandering correction is made based on the fiber orientations of the base material. Thus, the widthwise position of the base material is corrected without depending on only edge sensors.

A method for implementing a correct winding of a wire on a spool. The method is characterized in that it comprises a step for calculating the angular speed of a motor displacing a wire dispensing device according to the wire winding pitch and according to the pulling error, detected in relation to a given pre-set set-point and to a tolerance value, in order to determine the presence of a possible “valley error”, or of a possible “peak error”. Furthermore, if during the spool winding a “valley error” or a “peak error” is detected, the control device decides whether to slow down or to increase the speed of the wire dispensing device with the aim of filling the valley or of skipping the peak.

Support pin for supporting reels of paper material, comprising an outer side (PX) and an inner side (PN), with the inner side (PN) that is adapted to be inserted into a reel (1) of paper material and with the outer side (PX) that remains on the outside of the same reel (1) when the inner side (PN) is inside the reel (1), said outer side (PX) being provided with a hooking portion (3) adapted to be engaged by means (CP) adapted to vertically move the pin (P). The outer side (PX) of the pin (P) is constituted by a shank (2) whose longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal axis (x-x) of the pin (P) and said hooking portion comprises an eyelet formed on the shank (2) and delimited by two parallel arms (30) that emerge radially from the shank (2) and are joined by a body (31) parallel to said longitudinal axis (x-x).

Device for handling paper reels, comprising a bridge crane (CP) with movable arms (BC) each of which is adapted to engage a pin (P) insertable into a corresponding side of a reel (1) and a platform (PB) adapted for supporting the reel (1). The device further comprises detection means adapted to detect load variations on said arms (BC) during insertion of the pins (P) inside the reel (1), and moving means adapted to achieve a relative movement between the reel (1) and the arms (BC) when the absolute value of a variation of the load detected by said detection means exceeds a predetermined limit up to bring said value below the predetermined limit.