A delivery device for feeding planar material webs, for example airlaids, wetlaids, non-wovens, or films/foils, to a processing installation is proposed, said delivery device having a splicing unit and a multiple-web unwinding device. The splicing unit is configured for connecting a fibrous-web end of a preceding individual fibrous web to a fibrous-web lead of a subsequent individual fibrous web, so as to in this way feed a non-interrupted fibrous web to the processing installation. The splicing unit is moreover configured for processing airlaid fibrous webs that are wound on winding cores and are thus made up as roll goods. The multiple-web unwinding device has at least two winding-core mounts that are capable of being loaded in a mutually independent manner. Each of the winding-core mounts may receive a plurality of comparatively narrow rolls having narrower individual fibrous webs, or alternatively also a comparatively wider roll having a wider multiple fibrous web that is perforated in the unwinding direction. By virtue of the perforation, the wider multiple fibrous web may be detached so as to form a plurality of individual fibrous webs by severing along the perforation, such that as a result narrow fibrous webs may likewise be fed to the splicing unit, as is possible in the case of correspondingly narrow rolls having narrower individual fibrous webs.

The present invention provides machinery used to create products (for instance disposable products). The machinery is operated at high speed, with the machine occupying a small footprint. Materials can be fed into the manufacturing process vertically (from above or below), using assembly stations to feed completed components into the system at appropriate stations. Additionally, restocking of raw components can be accomplished by robotic means of transferring the raw material from staging areas into infeeding or splicing stations, without the need for human operators.

A method for unwinding includes loading a first reel of web material into a first unwind position where the web is unwound. A splicing unit is then moved in the machine direction toward the first unwind position until there is sufficient space to allow a further reel to be loaded into a second unwind position where the web from the second reel is unwound once loaded. Then, the web from the first reel is spliced to the second reel, and the web of the first reel is thereafter cut. The process continues in the opposite direction after removing the first reel from the first unwind position. The web of the second reel is unwound in the second position, the splicing unit is moved toward the second unwind position until there is sufficient space to allow a further reel to be loaded into the first unwind position.

The invention relates to a device and a method for joining webs of material for the production of energy cells, wherein a running-out web of material can be joined to a new web of material. The running-out web of material and the new web of material are guidable at a distance from each other in a joining section, wherein two pivotable or rotatable pressure elements are provided with pressure surfaces which are adapted to press the running-out and the new web of material against each other in the joining section and to join the running-out web of material and the new web of material to each other. The pressure elements are adapted to join the webs of material during the movement in the conveying direction of the running-out and the new web of material. The device is adapted to produce a weakened line in the running-out and in the new webs of material and to separate the webs of material in each case by applying increased tensile stress in the webs of material at the weakened lines, preferably the perforation lines.

An electrode connection cause determination system includes a position measuring instrument. The position measuring instrument is configured to, when an electrode moves between an unwinder and a rewinder in a roll-to-roll state, acquire coordinate value data based on a longitudinal position of the electrode determined according to a rotation amount of the rewinder. The system includes a signal generator configured to generate a connection advance notice signal if the electrode includes a connecting portion corresponding to a cause event, a seam detector configured to detect a seam attached onto the electrode after the connection advance notice signal is generated, and a determination unit configured to, when the seam is detected within a predetermined distance from a first coordinate value of the electrode after the connection advance notice signal is generated, determine that a connection cause of an electrode connection by the seam corresponds to the cause event.

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.

An unwinder for unwinding reels of paper includes a supporting structure partially closed and defining an internal space suitable for unwinding at least one reel; the supporting structure includes: a first lateral support; a second lateral support spaced from the first support; a crosspiece interposed above between the first and the second support defining with the first support and second support the partially closed structure; the unwinder further includes: a first axial unwinding system placed at the first support and configured to axially unwind a first reel; a second axial unwinding system placed at the second support and configured to unwind a second reel; a joining device placed at the crosspiece and configured to make a joint between a first ply belonging to the first reel and a second ply belonging to the second reel to perform a reel exchange.