A film tensioning and steering system can be configured to extract a film from a film source. One or more film characteristics can require that the film tensioning and steering system be isolated from the film source so that a film tension can be maintained within the film tensioning and steering system. A first drive roller pair and a second drive roller pair can be configured to secure the film and enable a dampening roller to maintain the film tension between the first drive roller pair and the second drive roller pair. Additionally, the dampening roller can store an amount of the film as a film buffer. Accordingly, the film tensioning and steering system can maintain the film tension such that a steering system can align the film before the first drive roller pair provides the film at a proper alignment to a downstream system.

There is described a web alignment device for aligning a web comprising an engagement surface for supporting the web, a clamp assembly for clamping the web on at least a clamp portion of the engagement surface, an alignment control assembly for controlling a correct alignment of the web. The alignment control assembly comprises a control unit for generating a trigger signal if the web is correctly aligned, a first sensor device for detecting and/or determining a desired position of a first section of the web and to send at least a first signal to the control unit if the first section is positioned in the desired position, and a second sensor device for detecting and/or determining a desired position of a second section of the web and to send a second signal to the control unit if the second section is positioned in the desired position.

The apparatus for combining tobacco sheets (3, 4) comprises a first shaft for carrying a first bobbin (30) of tobacco sheet (3) and a second shaft for carrying a second bobbin (40) of tobacco sheet (4). The apparatus also comprises a splicing unit (2) for combining an end portion of tobacco sheet from the first bobbin (30) to a head portion of tobacco sheet from the second bobbin. The splicing unit comprises a cutting device (20) for cutting the tobacco sheets such as to provide complementary cuts to the tobacco sheets (3) from the first bobbin and from the second bobbin (4), a dispensing device (23) for dispensing water to at least one of the tobacco sheets (3, 4), and a combining device (24) for applying force onto the tobacco sheets thereby producing a spliced tobacco sheet.

Disclosed is a feedstock device (1) to deliver film (2) to a bundle-wrapping machine and including, on the one hand, at least one reel (3) to receive a roll (4) of the film (2) to be delivered, and, on the other hand, a joining unit (5) to attach the next film (2) to the film (2) that is currently being fed. This device includes a support (6) on which the at least one reel (3) is mounted, with the support (6) being mobile in relation to the joining unit (5) to bring the delivered film (2) to the latter. The invention also has as its object a machine and a corresponding method.

A description is given of a method for joining a first and a second film web (2, 2′) of a transfer film or laminating film, wherein the film webs (2, 2′) comprise a thermoplastic carrier film (21) and a decorative layer (23). Formed between the first and second film webs (2, 2′) is a common joining portion (3), in which the first and second film webs (2, 2′) are joined to each other by a welding process. A device for carrying out the method is also described.

The present disclosure relates to a method for splicing a web of packaging material, comprising: guiding the web of packaging material through a splicing device comprising one or more imaging devices, a slitter, and a sealing unit; acquiring a first set of images of one or more areas of the packaging material, storing the acquired first set of images, slitting the web of packaging material in one or more locations to form a tail end and a head end of a web of packaging material, aligning the head end and the tail end and superimpose one on the other in preparation for forming a splice, utilizing the imaging devices and the stored acquired first set of images to fine tune the alignment of the head end and the tail end, sealing the splice.

The apparatus and method for splicing substantially flat continuous material (10) comprises a transport unit (1) for transporting a first substantially flat continuous material (70) and a second substantially flat continuous material (71) 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 (3) 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.

A bag-making and packaging machine includes a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has a film roll holding unit that rotatably holds a first film roll, a film temporary placement member on which a vicinity of a leading end portion of a first film wound into the first film roll is manually temporarily placed when attaching the first film roll to the film roll holding unit, a leading end portion detection sensor configured to detect that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in a prescribed position, and a controller configured to control a rotating mechanism to convey the first film along a predetermined conveyance path until the leading end portion detection sensor detects that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in the prescribed position.

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.

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 holding mechanisms each having a shaft that holds a film roll, a holding mechanism support frame supporting the holding mechanisms, a moving mechanism that rotates the holding mechanism support frame to move each holding mechanism between a film roll setting position and a film supply position, a splicing mechanism splicing a trailing end portion of the film of the roll of one of the holding mechanisms and a leading end portion of the film of the roll of another one of the holding mechanisms, and a film drawing mechanism that rotates the shafts of the holding mechanisms to draw the film independently from the film rolls attached to the shafts of the holding mechanisms and changes the drawing speed of the film during bag-making and packaging.