A device for detecting the flatness of a sheet material includes a conveyor, a gantry, a beam, an industrial camera unit, a speed measurement unit, a vibration measurement unit, a multi-line laser, a cable carrier, an industrial controller, and a control cabinet. The conveyor is disposed beneath the gantry and includes a plurality of pinch roll assemblies for feeding a sheet material. The beam is disposed on the gantry and includes a first side and a second side. The industrial camera unit is disposed on the first side of the beam and includes at least two industrial cameras. The speed measurement unit is disposed between the at least two industrial cameras. The vibration measurement unit is disposed on the second side of the beam and includes at least two distance measurement devices. The multi-line laser is disposed between the at least two distance measurement devices.

An image forming device includes an image forming unit, a reading unit, a registration-less unit, and an engine control unit. The reading unit reads a sheet to be conveyed. The engine control unit moves the other end side of the registration-less unit to correct skew. The engine control unit obtains a deviation amount (first deviation amount) of the position of the sheet based on the correction, and changes a sheet conveyance speed from a first speed to a second speed when the sheet enters the registration-less unit. The engine control unit adjusts the timing to change from the first speed to the second speed based on the first deviation amount.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet loading table on which a bundle of sheets is stacked, an identification mark on an end face of the sheet loading table, and an imaging unit to identify the identification mark.

A mail processing system utilizes a conveyor to shingle or de-shingle mailpieces as they move through the processing system and utilizes belts to move the mailpieces. A first shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece to overlap with a second mailpiece to create shingled mailpieces. A second shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece away from a second mailpiece to de-shingle them to create singulated mailpieces. A camera takes images of the mailpieces in the conveyor and image analysis software is used to determine dimensional aspects of the mailpieces that are used to control the belt speeds to move mailpieces with respect to each other. A mail processing system may include a mail processing station that scans addresses, applies postage and/or weighs the mailpieces. Mail may be de-shingled prior to being weighed and then re-shingled for subsequent processing, or mail may be shingled prior to passing through a scale if weighing is not necessary.

A method for reel changing in automatic machines including: preparing a carriage having a robotic arm including a gripped with a gripper at its free end for retaining a reel; the carriage has a support for the reel and a container for collecting cores of empty reels; positioning the reel on the support defining a predetermined position and memorised by the arm; moving the carriage forward toward a rotating shaft in a position allowing movement of the arm towards the shaft; reading a code on the shaft by a reading device on the arm; sending a signal by the reading device corresponding to the reading of the code to a processing unit with memorisation of the position of the shaft; picking up of an empty core from the rotating shaft and releasing the core in the container; picking up the reel; inserting the reel in the rotating shaft.

A method of testing a functional unit includes an optical sensor system (28) for detecting an optical signal from at least a part of a moving material web (14), a data processing system (36) for valuating the optical signals, and a display (38) displaying a state of the material web (14) and arranged in a sensitive range (30) of the sensor system (28).

A measurement apparatus including: a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction; a measurement portion configured to measure an image formed on the sheet; a first movement unit configured to move the measurement portion in a predetermined direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction; a second movement unit configured to move the measurement portion to a first position and a second position farther apart from the sheet than the first position; and a first abutment member, a second abutment member, a third abutment member, and a fourth abutment member, which abut against the sheet when the measurement portion is located at the first position. When the measurement portion is moved from the second position to the first position, the third abutment member and the fourth abutment member are brought into abutment against the sheet earlier than the first abutment member and the second abutment member.

An inspecting apparatus for inspecting print images printed on a transparent printing medium. The apparatus includes a first transport roller for transporting the transparent printing medium; a second transport roller spaced from the first transport roller, and disposed downstream in a transport direction, for transporting the transparent printing medium; a photographing device for photographing the print images located in an inspection area; and a light emitting device for emitting light for photographing the print images located in the inspection area. The first transport roller and second transport roller have outer circumferential surfaces thereof each with a light absorbing member for absorbing the light from the light emitting device.

A corrugated sheet processing apparatus is disclosed, comprising feed and guide rollers for selecting, moving and supporting sheets or webs to a corrugator for forming a corrugated sheet; and a control system for controlling the sheet processing equipment or a cutter; the sheet processing apparatus further comprising a visual inspection unit for reading printed information markers on at least one printed sheet or web as the printed sheet or web pass through the corrugated sheet processing apparatus, or corrugator; and wherein the control system further has a data look-up table whereby the apparatus can identify what products will be produced downstream of the visual inspection unit, and the required settings for the sheet processing equipment or corrugator for those products.

Provided are systems and methods for identifying, isolating, and/or aligning sheets. An identification system can facilitate accurate identification of a sheet by (i) vacating one or more components of the system that are not the sheet from a zone of detection, and/or (ii) determining a reference axis of the sheet. An isolation system can facilitate accurate isolation of a sheet by (i) providing targeted air flow, and/or (ii) introducing a wave into the sheet. Identification systems and/or isolation systems described herein may facilitate isolation of sheets that were previously fastened together by one or more fasteners. An alignment system can facilitate accurate alignment of a first sheet at an upstream location relative to a second sheet at a downstream location via machine learning.