Method and apparatus for controlling an operation performed on a continuous sheet of material

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a control unit, cause the processor to adjust components of an apparatus that performs an operation on a continuous sheet of metallic material, by:

• signaling a servo unit to move a predetermined length of the continuous sheet of metallic material into the apparatus;
• receiving an image collected by a camera of an indicia formed on the continuous sheet of metallic material;
• determining if the indicia in the image is in a predetermined location;
• preparing an instruction for the servo unit to alter the predetermined length when the indicia is not in the predetermined location, wherein preparing the instruction includes determining a magnitude of an error in a location of the indicia;
• and
• sending the instruction to the servo unit to alter the predetermined length when the indicia is not in the predetermined location, wherein the continuous sheet of metallic material is subsequently formed into tabs adapted for interconnection to container end closures.

A method of controlling an apparatus that performs an operation on a continuous sheet of metallic material, comprising:

• accumulating a first length of slack in the continuous sheet of metallic material before the apparatus performs the operation;
• feeding a predetermined length of the continuous sheet of metallic material into the apparatus by a servo feed unit;
• performing the operation on a first portion of the continuous sheet of metallic material by the apparatus, wherein the operation comprises forming an indicia;
• accumulating a second length of slack in the continuous sheet of metallic material after the apparatus performs the operation;
• determining if the apparatus performed the operation at a predetermined location of the first portion of the continuous sheet of metallic material based on a location of the indicia on the first portion of the continuous sheet of metallic material in an image of the indicia collected by a camera;
• and
• sending a signal by a control unit to the servo feed unit to adjust the predetermined length of the continuous sheet of metallic material fed into the apparatus when the operation was not performed at the predetermined location;
• and
• adjusting, by the servo unit, the predetermined length of the continuous sheet of metallic material fed into the apparatus such that the apparatus performs the operation at a predetermined location of a second portion of the continuous sheet of metallic material, wherein the continuous sheet of metallic material is subsequently formed into tabs adapted for interconnection to container end closures.