The invention comprises a method and a device for changing removable carrier units (8a, 8b) with flat packaging material (10) wound on supply rolls (9), in particular, packaging film (11) within a packaging machine (3), which is equipped with devices for at least partially wrapping piece goods, containers, article groups, etc., with flat packaging material (10). With the method removable carrier units (8a, 8b) with new supply rolls (9) are fed in a series one after the other to a work area (AB) of a handling device (5), the work area (AB) of which extends into at least one position of the operating position of the removable carrier unit (8a, 8b) arranged in the packaging machine (3), which is equipped with a supply roll (9), so that it replaces removable carrier units (8a, 8b) located in the packaging machine (3) and used up supply rolls (9) with new removable carrier units (8a, 8b) with in each case a new supply roll (9). Here respective removable carrier units (8a, 8b) are inserted alternately in at least two different installation positions of the packaging machine (3) and its flat packaging material (10) is connected with the packaging material still located in the packaging machine (3).

A method for joining unidirectional tapes is provided. The method includes placing a plurality of unidirectional tapes by abutting without overlapping an end of one of the unidirectional tapes with an end of other one of the unidirectional tapes at a butt joint. The unidirectional tapes includes a resin material and a plurality of fibers running in a running direction. The method further includes placing a prepreg including a resin material and a plurality of short fibers over the butt joint to cover an area surrounding the butt joint such that the short fibers run in the running direction. The method further includes fusing the prepreg by applying heat such that the short fibers are fused into a matrix of the unidirectional tapes at the butt joint.

In a bagmaking-and-packaging apparatus, when switching from bagmaking using a first film to bagmaking using a second film, a first impulse sealer interconnects an end-of-bagmaking film of the first film and a starting end scrap of the second film to form a first interconnected film. A second impulse sealer interconnects a third part on a starting end side of the first F1 and a fourth part of the second film to form a second interconnected film.

A method and system for joining strips of battery grid comprises feeding a first strip of battery grid into a processing station at a predetermined feed rate, and progressively increasing the path length of the first strip until a target path length is reached. When the end of the first strip is reached, the path length of the first strip is progressively decreased while holding the end of the first strip. The rate of decrease allows the first strip to continue to be delivered into the processing station at the predetermined feed rate. A second strip is advanced from a second feed supply to a position adjacent the end of the first strip. The adjacent ends are joined by laser welding. The decreasing of the path length is stopped, and the second strip of battery grid is fed into the processing station at the predetermined feed rate.

The sheet connection device (1) includes: adhesive rollers (10, 10); a joining unit (20) and a cutting unit (30); and feed rollers (40, 40). The cutting unit (30) is capable of forming a connected end portion (SE2) by cutting the second bonding sheet (S2). The adhesive rollers (10, 10) separate the first bonding sheet (S1) into an adhesive sheet (SA) and a release sheet (SP) to form a separated portion (50) by feeding the first bonding sheet (S1) while holding a connecting end portion (SE1) of the first bonding sheet (S1). The feed rollers (40, 40) inserts the connected end portion (SE2) into the separated portion (50) by feeding the second bonding sheet (S2) toward the connecting end portion (SE1). The joining unit (20) connects the connecting end portion (SE1) and the connected end portion (SE2) to each other by adhesion or welding.

A method is presented for providing a continuous web to an absorbent article manufacturing line. The method includes conveying a first roll of material through a splice box. The method also includes providing a second roll of the material extending into the splice box. The method also includes sensing upcoming expiration of the first roll of material. The method also includes using a first and second vacuum to hold a respective first portion of the first roll and a second portion of the second roll against first and second components of a thermal welding apparatus. The method also includes forming a thermal weld at the splice location between the first and second portions. The method also includes cutting the first roll of material upstream of the thermal weld. The method also includes conveying the second roll of material through the splice box without stoppage of the absorbent article manufacturing line.

There is provided a sealing material supply device that continuously supplies a sealing material to an uncoated portion on an edge portion of a current collector on which an electrode is coated, the sealing material supply device including a pair of main body portions disposed so as to sandwich an old sealing material and a new sealing material, a welding portion provided in each of the main body portions, the welding portion being configured to weld the old sealing material and the new sealing material to each other, and a half-cut portion provided in each of the main body portions, the half-cut portion being configured to cut off a surplus portion of the old sealing material and the new sealing material.