A tension-inducing shaft system includes a shaft, two shaft caps, and a biasing mechanism. A bore extends through the shaft between two ends of the shaft. The shaft caps are positioned on the two ends of the shaft. Each shaft cap includes a collar having a size that is larger than the bore, a keyed end, and an anchor. The biasing mechanism is arranged inside the bore and is coupled to the anchors of the shaft caps so that the biasing mechanism exerts inward forces on the shaft cap. The keyed ends of the shaft caps can be coupled to a housing so that the shaft caps do not rotate with respect to the housing. The shaft is configured to rotate with respect to the shaft caps such that, when the keyed ends are coupled to the housing, the shaft is capable of rotating with respect to the housing.

The unwinder includes an unwinding station, in which to arrange a reel to be unwound. In the unwinding station there is arranged a series of guide rollers, defining a feed path of the web material. There are also provided: a cutting member adapted to cut a web material coming from an exhausted reel, and splicing members, to splice a trailing edge of a first web material coming from an exhausted reel to a leading edge of a second web material coming from a new reel. A pick-up device is configured to pick up the leading edge of the second web material from a temporary retaining element, carried by a transfer unit to transfer reels to the unwinding station.

A system and method for performing a splicing operation where the splicing apparatus is configured to orient the web to ensure the two sealing sides are presented to each other and the splice is always made on one side of the web.

When a remaining amount of a sheet on one original sheet roll is equal to or less than a predetermined remaining amount, a pair of holding pads is brought into a first posture where holding surfaces are opened, and the holding surface of one holding pad is pressed to a joining end portion from the outside of the original sheet roll in a radial direction of another original sheet roll. Further, the holding pad is moved such that the joining end portion is separated toward the outside of the original sheet roll in the radial direction. Further, the posture of the pair of holding pads is changed into a second posture where the holding surfaces approach each other, and the joining end portion is conveyed to a joining part in a state where the joining end portion is sandwiched between the holding surfaces of the pair of holding pads.

A system and method for performing a splicing operation where the splicing apparatus is configured to orient the web to ensure the two sealing sides are presented to each other and the splice is always made on one side of the web.

A method for automatically replacing reels in an unwinding assembly capable of carrying out the handling operations of the reels, as well as preparing and joining the tail of the web of the finished reel with the head of the web of the new reel in a simple, efficient way, reducing the risk of malfunctions and maintaining the correct orientation of the new web as that of the finished web.

A bag-making and packaging machine has a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has a film conveyance mechanism that conveys a first film so that a trailing end portion of the first film heads toward a film splicing position for splicing to a leading end portion of a second film, a first sensor detecting a mark on the first film, a second sensor detecting the mark at downstream, and a controller for the film conveyance mechanism. The controller judges, based on detection of the second sensor, that the trailing end portion of the first film has reached the splicing position and stops conveyance of the first film. The controller controls the conveyance mechanism so that the conveyance speed of the first film before the detection of the mark by the first sensor is faster than the speed after the detection.

An apparatus, and a related method, for unwinding reels and for joining a ply between two reels including a first unwinder adapted to unwind a first reel, a second unwinder adapted to unwind a second reel, a joining device adapted to join a first ply belonging to the first reel with a second ply belonging to the second reel, the joining device including a first pulling bar is able to pull a flap of the first ply along a joining path with the second ply, a second pulling bar is adapted to pull a flap of the second ply along a joining path with the first ply, joining means configured to join, in a joining point along the joining path, the flap of the first ply with the second ply or the flap of the second ply with the first ply, first cutting means configured to cut the first ply or the second ply upstream of the joining point where the joint is performed between the first ply and the second ply, and second cutting means configured to cut the flap of the first ply or the flap of the second ply downstream of the joining point.

A method for splicing a web of packaging material is provided. The method involves guiding a first web of packaging material through an automatic splicing device, determining the position of at least one mark of the first web of packaging material by a detector, moving the first web of packaging material based on the position of the at least one mark of the first web of packaging material such that a specific area of the first web of packaging material is arranged in proximity to a cutting unit, and cutting the first web of packaging material in order to form a separate leading part of the first web of packaging material. The method may also involve introducing a new leading part of a second web of packaging material into the automatic splicing device, determining the position of at least one mark of the second web of packaging material, moving the second web of packaging material based on the position of the at least one mark of the second web of packaging material such that a specific area of the second web of packaging material is arranged in proximity to a sealing arm of the cutting unit, and sealing the separate leading part of the first web of packaging material and the second web of packaging material.

The apparatus and method for splicing substantially flat continuous material comprises a transport unit for transporting a first substantially flat continuous material and a second substantially flat continuous material to a splicing location. The transport unit is adapted to transport the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material parallel to each other forming an overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material in the splicing location. A pressure unit is arranged in the splicing location. The pressure unit is adapted to apply a mechanical impact onto at least a part of the overlap portion of the first substantially flat continuous material and the second substantially flat continuous material, thereby at least partially merging the first substantially flat continuous material with the second substantially flat continuous material.