A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

A defect inspection device includes: a radiation source configured to emit an electromagnetic wave radially to a separator roll; a TDI sensor configured to detect the electromagnetic wave which has passed through the separator roll; and a moving mechanism configured to move an inspection region of the separator roll with a distance kept substantially constant between the radiation source and the separator roll and with a distance kept substantially constant between the radiation source and the TDI sensor.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting unit, a sheet feed unit, an air separation unit configured to separate the uppermost sheet by blowing the air onto a side surface of the sheet bundle supported by the sheet supporting unit, a velocity detection unit configured to detect actual velocity of a sheet fed by the sheet feed unit, a drive load detection unit configured to detect an actual drive load for feeding the sheet by the sheet feed unit, and a controller configured to control the sheet feed unit and the air separation unit. In a case where the sheet is fed by the sheet feed unit, the controller is configured to control an operation of the air separation unit depending on the actual velocity of the sheet detected by the velocity detection unit and the actual drive load detected by the drive load detection unit.

This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for unstacking preformed products (2), for example packaging units, stacked in a stack, these products comprising for example planar parts (4) and projecting parts (3) which are all stacked onto and into each other in line, wherein the method comprises,placing a gripper with at least a single suction cup unit (51) of flexible material, more particularly a suction mouth thereof, on a planar product part (4) of such a product,suction-engaging such a product,conveying the product to a delivery location, andreleasing the product, wherein upon suction the planar product part (4) is pulled against a plate (55) which is part of the apparatus. It has been found that in this way in a suitable manner stacks of flexible and thin-walled packaging units can be unstacked, without the stack being disturbed or the packaging unit taken off being damaged or being picked up in the wrong position.

Methods and systems of using pocket roller (110, 130) to place objects on a continuously moving web (2) are provided. The objects are received in an array of pockets (124) on a major surface of a roller sleeve (120). The roller sleeve (120) engages with an adhesive surface (22) of the continuously moving web (2) to place the objects on the web (2).

Methods and systems of using pocket roller (110, 130) to place objects on a continuously moving web (2) are provided. The objects are received in an array of pockets (124) on a major surface of a roller sleeve (120). The roller sleeve (120) engages with an adhesive surface (22) of the continuously moving web (2) to place the objects on the web (2).

Provided are an image forming apparatus and methods for controlling the apparatus, which includes a central processing unit (CPU) configured to set whether to operate an air blowing fan before a paper type detection sensor detects a type of sheet. In a case where a setting to blow the air is made by the CPU, the air blowing fan blows the air when a sheet feed unit feeds the sheet before the paper type detection sensor detects the type of the sheet. In a case where a setting not to blow the air is made by the CPU, the air blowing fan does not blow the air when the sheet feed unit feeds the sheet before the paper type detection sensor detects the sheet type.

Provided are an image forming apparatus and methods for controlling the apparatus, which includes a central processing unit (CPU) configured to set whether to operate an air blowing fan before a paper type detection sensor detects a type of sheet. In a case where a setting to blow the air is made by the CPU, the air blowing fan blows the air when a sheet feed unit feeds the sheet before the paper type detection sensor detects the type of the sheet. In a case where a setting not to blow the air is made by the CPU, the air blowing fan does not blow the air when the sheet feed unit feeds the sheet before the paper type detection sensor detects the sheet type.