A compact device for controlling the supply of a textile or metal thread to a processing machine, such as a textile machine or a spooling or winding machine, includes a body, at least one rotary member with which the thread cooperates, the member associated with a rotation velocity detector for detecting the rotation velocity thereof, the detector connected to a control unit, a tension detector provided for detecting the thread tension connected to such control unit. The rotary member is idle and is placed in rotation by the thread which is moved thereon, in proximity to such member the tension detector being placed. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the supply of thread actuated by such device.

A method improves a winding process of a textile machine and a winding station of a textile machine having a machine controller (11), a yarn sensor (4), a yarn quality monitor, in particular a yarn clearer (5), and a yarn connecting device, in particular a splicing device (3). A yarn (1) is wound onto a bobbin (2). The yarn (1) is analyzed with regard to its length, quality, and/or speed, and is cut if necessary in order to clear a quality defect and two yarn ends are connected to one another by means of the yarn connecting device after the quality defect has been removed. The yarn (1) is analyzed with regard to foreign material, yarn speed, and/or yarn length by means of a capacitive yarn sensor (4), and is analyzed with regard to the yarn body and the yarn characteristic by means of an optical yarn quality monitor. The yarn (1) is subsequently optionally cleared. Data of the capacitive yarn sensor (4) with regard to the foreign material and/or the yarn speed is provided to the yarn quality monitor, in particular the yarn clearer (5), and with regard to the yarn length and/or the yarn speed are provided to the machine controller (11).

A method for detecting a characteristic of a textile or metal thread fed to an operating machine, by the generation of a light signal impacting the thread to create a shadow on an optical sensor device connected to means for monitoring a characteristic of the thread on the basis of an electrical signal emitted by such sensor device as a function of the shadow generated on said sensor device by the thread itself, the characteristic being a physical characteristic of the thread such as its diameter or a characteristic of the feed of the thread when in movement, such as its speed. The signal may be detected in analog mode or a digital mode, the signal detected in the digital mode providing real time calibration of the signal detected in analog mode to generate an electrical signal used by the monitoring means to monitor the characteristics of the thread.

A method for detecting a characteristic of a textile or metal thread fed to an operating machine, by the generation of a light signal impacting the thread to create a shadow on an optical sensor device connected to means for monitoring a characteristic of the thread on the basis of an electrical signal emitted by such sensor device as a function of the shadow generated on said sensor device by the thread itself, the characteristic being a physical characteristic of the thread such as its diameter or a characteristic of the feed of the thread when in movement, such as its speed. The signal may be detected in analog mode or a digital mode, the signal detected in the digital mode providing real time calibration of the signal detected in analog mode to generate an electrical signal used by the monitoring means to monitor the characteristics of the thread.

A consumable material and sensor assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising an exterior surface having encoded markings that are configured to be read by the sensor assembly, where the consumable material is configured to be consumed in the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of a three-dimensional model.

The present technology is generally directed to a cord winding system and a method of using thereof. In various embodiments, a cord winding system including: a motor; a winding assembly operably coupled to the motor, the winding assembly having an interior side and an exterior side, the winding assembly being configured to hold on the interior side respective first portions of a set of cords, and wind, driven by the motor, respective second portions of the set of cords around the exterior side, a second portion of a respective cord extending from the first portion thereof along a length of the cord, and a control unit programmed to actuate the motor for winding the set for a cycle time that relates to lengths of the cords.