Apparatus and method installing a packing disk of a structured packing into a vessel of a material-exchange column

An apparatus (13) for installing a packing plate (4-8) of a structured packing (3) into a vessel (2) of a mass transfer column (1), with a separating device (36) for separating an endless packing strip (19) into individual packing sheets (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″), a feeding device (20) for feeding the individual packing sheets (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″) to the vessel (2), in order to stack the individual packing sheets (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″) in the vessel (2) to form the packing plate (4-8), and a measuring device (39), which is designed to measure a distance (a39), in particular a horizontal distance (a39), between two points (64, 65) opposite one another of an internal contour (66) of the vessel (2), wherein the separating device (36) is designed to detach the individual packing sheets (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″) from the endless packing strip (19) in such a way that a respective length of the packing sheets (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″) is less than or equal to the measured distance (a39), and wherein a central axis (M2) of the vessel (2) is arranged horizontally in the apparatus (13).