A method for separating blanks includes continuous conveying of a sheet metal strip in a transport direction to a laser cutting station, concurrent cutting of the sheet metal strip by at least one cutting laser, wherein a cut sheet metal strip is formed from successive sections of the same cutting geometry, transporting the cut sheet metal strip on a first conveyor belt in the transport direction, taking over the cut sheet metal strip from the first conveyor belt, transporting the cut sheet metal strip in the transport direction, separately ejecting the at least one residual blank of each section, transporting the at least one blank of each section into overlap with a second conveyor belt and ejecting the at least one blank from the suction conveyor, and transporting the blanks ejected one after the other from the suction conveyor horizontally in the transport direction to a collecting station.

A method and apparatus for transporting a discrete element is disclosed. A preferably rotatably driven vacuum commutation zone (or internal vacuum manifold), preferably internal to a preferably independently driven porous vacuum roll or drum is disclosed. The vacuum manifold applies vacuum through pores in the driven porous vacuum roll or puck in order to hold material against an external surface of the vacuum roll or puck. By independently controlling the vacuum commutation zone and the driven porous surface, unique motion profiles of the vacuum commutation zone relative to the driven porous surface can be provided. Micro vacuum commutation port structures are also disclosed.

A method and apparatus for transporting a discrete element is disclosed. A preferably rotatably driven vacuum commutation zone (or internal vacuum manifold), preferably internal to a preferably independently driven porous vacuum roll or drum is disclosed. The vacuum manifold applies vacuum through pores in the driven porous vacuum roll or puck in order to hold material against an external surface of the vacuum roll or puck. By independently controlling the vacuum commutation zone and the driven porous surface, unique motion profiles of the vacuum commutation zone relative to the driven porous surface can be provided. Micro vacuum commutation port structures are also disclosed.

An apparatus for forming and sorting informational items comprises a folding unit, a conveyor belt, a camera, a controller, and a diverter assembly. The folding unit forms a folded article from a sheet of paper. The conveyor belt transports the folded article. The camera captures an image of the folded article as it passes by the camera. The controller receives and processes the image, and the diverter assembly causes the folded article to move off of the conveyor belt when the controller determines that the folded article fails to satisfy at least one predetermined criteria.

An apparatus for forming and sorting informational items comprises a folding unit, a conveyor belt, a camera, a controller, and a diverter assembly. The folding unit forms a folded article from a sheet of paper. The conveyor belt transports the folded article. The camera captures an image of the folded article as it passes by the camera. The controller receives and processes the image, and the diverter assembly causes the folded article to move off of the conveyor belt when the controller determines that the folded article fails to satisfy at least one predetermined criteria.

A production line of absorbent sanitary articles and production control method. The line includes production devices configured to perform production operations on the absorbent sanitary articles; sensors adapted to detect current values of operating parameters indicative of the current operation of the production devices; and a control unit including a memory and a processor configured to perform a comparison between the current values of the operating parameters and respective predetermined reference values stored in the memory and, in the presence of an anomalous operating parameter, to identify, among a plurality of possible malfunctioning causes, a current malfunctioning cause responsible for the anomalous operating parameter. The processor is configured to perform the comparison independently of a detection of any defects in the absorbent sanitary articles and is configured to identify the current malfunctioning cause, among a plurality of possible malfunctioning causes, starting from the anomalous operating parameter.

A production line of absorbent sanitary articles and production control method. The line includes production devices configured to perform production operations on the absorbent sanitary articles; sensors adapted to detect current values of operating parameters indicative of the current operation of the production devices; and a control unit including a memory and a processor configured to perform a comparison between the current values of the operating parameters and respective predetermined reference values stored in the memory and, in the presence of an anomalous operating parameter, to identify, among a plurality of possible malfunctioning causes, a current malfunctioning cause responsible for the anomalous operating parameter. The processor is configured to perform the comparison independently of a detection of any defects in the absorbent sanitary articles and is configured to identify the current malfunctioning cause, among a plurality of possible malfunctioning causes, starting from the anomalous operating parameter.

A production line of absorbent sanitary articles and method of predictive detection of defects of absorbent sanitary articles, wherein it is provided to: detect current values of operating parameters which are indicative of the current operation of at least one production device adapted to perform respective production operations on the absorbent sanitary articles being processed along the production line; perform a comparison between the current values of the detected operating parameters and respective predetermined reference values; in the presence of at least one anomalous operating parameter that does not comply with the respective predetermined reference values, identify, among a plurality of possible malfunctioning causes of the line, at least one current malfunctioning cause responsible for the at least one anomalous operating parameter; and make a prediction of any defects in the absorbent sanitary articles being processed along the line starting from the at least one current malfunctioning cause identified.

A production line of absorbent sanitary articles and method of predictive detection of defects of absorbent sanitary articles, wherein it is provided to: detect current values of operating parameters which are indicative of the current operation of at least one production device adapted to perform respective production operations on the absorbent sanitary articles being processed along the production line; perform a comparison between the current values of the detected operating parameters and respective predetermined reference values; in the presence of at least one anomalous operating parameter that does not comply with the respective predetermined reference values, identify, among a plurality of possible malfunctioning causes of the line, at least one current malfunctioning cause responsible for the at least one anomalous operating parameter; and make a prediction of any defects in the absorbent sanitary articles being processed along the line starting from the at least one current malfunctioning cause identified.

A method for operating a postpress processing installation (1) for producing and processing product units, in particular completed final printed products (D) such as periodicals and newspapers, which are preferably compiled from a jacket product (A) and a plurality of part products and/or inserts (a, b, c, d), and a corresponding postpress processing installation (1). The final printed products (D) are produced according to a predetermined production plan in a manner adapted to the route along which they travel and are processed by means of at least one stacking device (70, 70.1) to form a sequence of standard packages (N) and part packages.