Apparatus and method for aligning rod-shaped articles

An apparatus for aligning rod-shaped articles comprising a reference element, the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor configured to accommodate and to transport a rod-shaped article comprising a reference element;
• a holding means for holding the rod-shaped article in the conveyor, the holding means allowing temporary rotation of the rod-shaped article;
• a detection device configured to detect a rotational position of the rod-shaped article by detecting a position of the reference element;
• a mechanical positioning unit to rotate the rod-shaped article held by the holding means around a longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped article;
• and
• a controller configured to submit information on the rotational position of the reference element of the rod-shaped article provided by the detection device to an actuator of the mechanical positioning unit,
• wherein the actuator is configured to activate the mechanical positioning unit such that the rod-shaped article is rotated around the longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped article from a detected position to a defined position by the mechanical positioning unit.

A method for aligning rod-shaped articles comprising a reference element, the method comprising:

• receiving a rod-shaped article comprising a reference element in a seat of a conveyor;
• transporting and holding the rod-shaped article comprising the reference element;
• detecting a rotational position of the rod-shaped article by detecting a position of the reference element of the rod-shaped article, while holding the rod-shaped article;
• and
• using information on a detected position of the reference element of the rod-shaped article and mechanically rotating the rod-shaped article around a longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped article from the detected position to a defined position by a mechanical positioning unit.