A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

A control system is provided for a converting line. The converting line has an unwinder for unwinding web material from a roll of web material and at least one independently driven roll for directing the web material unwound from the unwinder to the converting line. The control system has a controller and a tension sensor configured to be arranged downstream of the at least one driven roll. The tension sensor is configured to sense a tension in the web as the web is passed downstream of the driven roll, generate a signal indicative of sensed web tension, and transmit the signal of sensed web tension to the controller. The controller is configured to a generate and transmit to the unwinder a signal to change the speed of the unwinder based upon the tension sensed by the tension sensor.

A spool unloading device comprising: a spindle; a first bulk spool of material is mounted on the spindle, wherein the spindle is rotatably controlled to dispense the material; a series of pulleys for receiving the unspooled material such that a variable length of the material is stored within the device before exiting the device to an upstream equipment; and a drive mechanism for indexing the unspooled material exiting the spool unloading machine at a controlled rate.

A unit for applying opening devices to a web of packaging material at predetermined areas of the web arranged at a non-zero distance from one another along the web; the unit comprises a feeding group configured for feeding the web along an advancing path; at least one first tool, arranged at a first desired position along the path and configured to apply a first opening device to a corresponding first predetermined area arranged at the first desired position; and at least one second tool, arranged at a second desired position along the path and configured to apply a second opening device to a corresponding second predetermined area arranged at the second desired position; and a buffer portion arranged along the path, downstream of the second tool and upstream of the first tool, and configured to include and/or accumulate a web portion having a number of predetermined areas which is an integer multiple of the number of tools of the unit.

A machine for unwinding and rewinding a covering tape (800) includes a first support shaft to coaxially receive a reel of covering tape, a second support shaft, parallel to and distanced from the first support shaft, which is adapted to coaxially receive a tubular support, a motor adapted to put the second support shaft in rotation around its own axis, a plurality of contrast rollers arranged around the second support shaft and oriented parallel thereto, and a movement apparatus adapted to move the contrast rollers towards and away from the axis of the second support shaft.

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for transporting a web through a web processing apparatus. In one aspect, a web tension adjustment unit for guiding a web. The web tension adjustment unit includes a first guide roller. The first guide roller includes an adjustment unit. The web tension adjustment unit further includes one or more first non-contact sensors positioned to measure displacement data of the web at a first location. The web tension adjustment unit further includes a system controller for controlling the adjustment unit based on the measured displacement data.

A web processing system which includes two rollers configured to rotate at the same phase while being in contact with a web which continuously exists along a movement passage and a suppressing mechanism for suppressing a tension variation of the web between the two rollers.

Methods and apparatus provide for sourcing a glass web, the glass web having a length and a width transverse to the length; continuously moving the glass web from the source to a destination in a transport direction along the length of the glass web; and cutting the glass web at a cutting zone into at least first and second glass ribbons as the glass web is moved from the source to the destination, the first glass ribbon having a first width and the second glass ribbon having a second width, where the first and second widths are not equal.

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

An apparatus (1) serves to influence a running material web (2). To this end, the apparatus (1) has at least one adjustable roller (4), which deflects the material web (2). In order to improve the web running characteristics of the material web (2), the at least one roller (4) is adjustable by at least two degrees of freedom. Moreover, the at least one roller (4) is operatively connected to at least two actuators (17) such that at least one of the actuators (17) is assigned to each of the degrees of freedom.