Method for controlling the position of a material web edge

A method for controlling a position of a lower material web on a packaging machine, the method comprising:

• unwinding the lower material web from a first supply roll,
• transporting the lower material web in a transport direction intermittently or continuously along the packaging machine by at least one chain run, the lower material web comprises a reference point, the reference point is an edge of the lower material web, a printed mark, and/or a printed image,
• sealing an upper material web to the lower material web in a sealing station, the upper material web being unwound from a second supply roll,
• detecting, by a first sensor located upstream from an entry region of the at least one chain run before grippers of the at least one chain run clamp the lower material web, a position of the reference point on the lower material web, and
• based on the detected position of the reference point on the lower material web, adjusting the position of the lower material web by axially moving the first supply roll in a direction transverse to the transport direction of the lower material web and/or by tilting the axis of rotation of the first supply roll,
• wherein the at least one chain run extends from a region of the packaging machine that is upstream of a forming station to a region of the packaging machine that is downstream of the sealing station,
• wherein the lower material web is mounted on a shaft that rotates as the lower material web is unwound from the first supply roll, the shaft is driven by a motor,
• wherein the packaging machine comprises a coupling between the motor and the shaft to allow the shaft and a frame on which the shaft and the motor are provided to be longitudinally movable along an axis of rotation of the first supply roll during the step of adjusting the position of the lower material web,
• wherein the at least one chain run comprises one or more grippers that clamp the edge of the lower material web,
• wherein the method comprises transmitting a signal from the first sensor to a control/regulating system, which evaluates the signal before the step of adjusting the position of the lower material web, the first sensor being arranged adjacent to the first supply roll,
• wherein the lower material web has a width between 200 millimeters and 1 meter,
• wherein a position of the first sensor is adjustable to account for a decreasing diameter of the first supply roll, and
• wherein the method comprises determining a distance between the reference point on the lower material web and a center of the packaging machine, and/or a frame of the packaging machine.

A method for controlling a position of an upper material web on a packaging machine, the method comprising:

• unwinding a lower material web from a first supply roll,
• transporting the lower material web in a transport direction intermittently or continuously along the packaging machine,
• unwinding the upper material web from a second supply roll, the upper material web comprises a reference point, the reference point is an edge of the upper material web, a printed mark, and/or a printed image,
• sealing the upper material web to the lower material web in a sealing station,
• detecting with a sensor, a position of the reference point on the upper material web, and based on the detected position of the reference point on the upper material web, the method comprises adjusting the position of the upper material web by axially moving the second supply roll in a direction transverse to a transport direction of the upper material web or by tilting an axis of rotation of the second supply roll, and
• wherein the method comprises adjusting a position of the sensor in response to a decreasing diameter of the second supply roll.