Maintaining a level of tension on material as it is processed in a manufacturing operation assists in the processing of the material. The tension of the material as it is fed through a process station is maintained by a material sag portion, such as an unsupported portion of the material extending between a roll of the material and the process station. The formation of the sag portion and the loading of the material forming the sag portion are automated and adjusted with a system having a material storage retrieval system, a shuttle, a tensioning device, and/or a processing station.

A method and an apparatus for producing and drawing-off a woven fabric web (2) with a weaving machine (1) make use of two clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) with clamps (10.1, 10.2). The clamp carriers are driven back and forth parallel to a drawing-off direction of the fabric web. The clamp carriers are respectively drivable with a pair of drive spindles (14.1, 14.2) arranged so that the web center of the fabric web within the apparatus extends in an area between the two drive spindles of the respective clamp carrier. The fabric web is produced with successive main sections (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) and auxiliary sections (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5). The clamps are actuated so that the opening and closing of the clamps takes place only in the time segments of the production in which an auxiliary section of the fabric web is being produced.

A stretch film dispenser with a tension adjustment device includes a frame. The frame is provided with a film dispensing unit and the tension adjustment device. The tension adjustment device includes an adjustment rod. One end of the adjustment rod is threadedly connected with an adjustment unit. An elastic unit is connected between the frame and the film dispensing unit. When the adjustment unit rotates along the adjustment rod to generate downward axial displacement, the adjustment unit pushes the frame and the elastic unit to press the film dispensing unit, so that the film dispensing unit can be quickly adjusted in a different tension state when the film of the film roll is stretched.

A packaging apparatus for packaging objects, in particular for packaging food portions, having a conveying device (10) for transporting a continuous web of a first packaging material (12), in particular of a bottom film, in a transport direction (TR); and having a feed device (14) for feeding a continuous web of a second packaging material (16), in particular of a top film, in the transport direction (TR), wherein the conveying device (10) comprises a first reception shaft (18) for receiving a first supply roll (20) of the first packaging material (12) and the feed device (14) comprises a second reception shaft (22) for receiving a second supply roll (24) of the second packaging material (16); wherein the first reception shaft (18) can be driven by means of a first drive motor (26) to carry out a rotational movement; and/or wherein the second reception shaft (22) can be driven by means of a second drive motor (28) to carry out a rotational movement, with the first and/or second drive motor (26, 28) in particular being a servomotor or servomotors.

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.

Maintaining a level of tension on material as it is processed in a manufacturing operation assists in the processing of the material. The tension of the material as it is fed through a process station is maintained by a material sag portion, such as an unsupported portion of the material extending between a roll of the material and the process station. The formation of the sag portion and the loading of the material forming the sag portion are automated and adjusted with a system having a material storage retrieval system, a shuttle, a tensioning device, and/or a processing station.

A controller, upon a web roll being set on a web roll support shaft: drives a brake to apply a braking force of a first value to the web roll support shaft, the first value being a value at which the web roll does not rotate when a predetermined tension is applied to a web, and drives a conveyance motor to generate a drive force for the predetermined tension; drives the brake with the drive force generated to gradually reduce the braking force from the first value while determining whether rotation of a conveyance roller starts; and upon determining that the rotation of the conveyance roller starts, determines a second value of the braking force as an initial value of the braking force in conveyance of the web for printing, the second value being a value at which the rotation of the conveyance roller starts.

A recording device includes: a transport unit configured to transport a medium in a plurality of transport speed modes; a driving unit configured to drive the transport unit with a plurality of speed profiles, each corresponding to one of the plurality of transport speed modes; a current sensor configured to measure a reference current the driving unit, the reference current being a current flowing in the driving unit when the medium is transported in a loosened state; and a control configured to acquire a plurality of current profiles, each corresponding to one of the speed profiles, based on the reference current. The control unit is configured to acquire a first current profile based on the reference current when the medium is transported in a first transport speed mode, and to generate a second current profile based on the first current profile.

An apparatus and method for supporting sheet material, comprising a frame including a first arm and a second arm, the second arm in communication with the first arm to support a roll of the sheet material there-between, and a drive roller for transporting the sheet material from the roll. The first arm and the second arm automatically resize the frame corresponding to the dimensions of the roll of the sheet material to provide constant tension in the roll of sheet material by controlling a position of the roll of the sheet material.

An apparatus and method for stretch wrapping of a palletized load uses film tension feedback derived from a film tension control load cell to control film dispensation. The load cell measures film tension and the film payout rates is determined by the film tension. Film tension values are used to determine when an out of bounds condition occurs, namely, when a film break has occurred, or when a possible film break is about to occur or when the film has been cut at the end of a wrapping cycle. To prevent film free end entanglement caused by a break, clamps engage the film so the film tail is controlled, eliminating the risk of recoil. The broken film tail may then be quickly and reliably reattached to the rotating load in a desired position.