Cutter and method of separation for sheets printed from a continuous web susceptible of longitudinal divisions and relative web

A longitudinal and transverse separation cutter for sheets printed from an incoming continuous web advancing along a machine direction, the web being longitudinally divisible into a plurality of working sections, each working section comprising a series of single sheets or side-by-side sheets to be separated and associated with sheet setting data, each sheet having a respective print area including texts and/or images, the cutter comprising:

• margining knives and longitudinal dividing knives positionable in a transverse direction based on the sheet setting data of a respective working section, servo-driven shifting mechanisms operatively associated with the margining knives and the longitudinal dividing knives, a transverse scanning sensor and an electronic control unit operatively connected to the transverse scanning sensor and to the servo-driven shifting mechanisms, wherein
• the cutter is configured to operate with webs in which, for each working section, a Print mark is printed at a predefined transverse distance from a lateral margin of the respective print area, and wherein,
• for a new working section, the electronic control unit is configured to
• detect a transverse position of the Print mark using the transverse scanning sensor;
• control the servo-driven shifting mechanisms to position the margining knives and the longitudinal dividing knives at transverse positions corresponding to the sheet setting data of the new working section with reference to the detected transverse position of the Print mark;
• and
• control execution of longitudinal and transverse separations of the sheets of the new working section based on the new sheet setting data.

A longitudinal and transverse separation cutter for sheets obtained from a continuous web advancing along a machine direction, the web defining a given side edge and an opposite side edge and being longitudinally divisible into a plurality of working sections, each working section comprising a series of single sheets or side-by-side sheets to be separated, and associated with sheet setting data, each sheet having a respective print area including texts and/or images, the cutter comprising:

• margining knives and longitudinal dividing knives positionable in a transverse direction based on the sheet setting data of a respective working section, servo-driven shifting mechanisms configured to shift the margining knives and the longitudinal dividing knives;
• a transverse scanning sensor configured to scan the web in a transverse direction between the given side edge and the opposite side edge and an electronic control unit operatively connected to the transverse scanning sensor and to the servo-driven shifting mechanisms,
• wherein the cutter is configured to operate with webs in which a lateral margin of the print areas is positioned at a predetermined transverse distance from:
• (a) a Print mark, when present, defining a print mark reference;
• or
• (b) the given side edge, in absence of the Print mark, defining a side edge 18 reference, and wherein, for a new working section, the electronic control unit is configured to:
• control the transverse scanning sensor to perform a transverse scan of the web;
• detect a transverse position of the Print mark, when present, and define the print-mark reference;
• detect a transverse position of the given side edge when the Print mark is absent and define the side-edge reference;
• control the servo-driven shifting mechanisms to position the margining knives and the longitudinal dividing knives at transverse positions corresponding to the sheet setting data of the new working section based on the print-mark reference or the side-edge reference;
• and
• control execution of longitudinal and transverse separations of the sheets of the new working section based on the sheet setting data.