Abstract: A method for moving a stack of products by a robot. The robot has an articulated arm and at least one gripper disposed on the articulated arm for gripping the stack of products. The stack of products is turned, before being moved by the robot, with a pivoting device that is separate from the robot. The stack of products is turned about a horizontal axis and the stack of products, while out of the horizontal orientation, is aligned and/or straightened in one direction and/or straightened in two mutually orthogonal directions and/or vibrated and/or aerated and/or modified from a fanned-out stack of products to become an unfanned stack of products. The robot then takes the stack from the pivoting device and subsequently moves the stack.

Abstract: A method moves a stack of products by a robot. The robot has an articulated arm and at least one gripper disposed on the articulated arm to grip the stack of printed products and the stack of products selectively being turned. The method includes pivoting the stack of products through an effective angle ?1< >180° and subsequently pivoting the stack through an effective angle ?2=180°??1 or pivoting the stack back through an effective angle ?2=??1. This method of moving stacks of products is performed in an automated way and in particular of depositing them in a turned or unturned arrangement.

Abstract: In the manufacture of optical fiber having a core of a core material and a cladding of a cladding material by drawing the fiber from an optical glass preform, the preform is manufactured by reacting a first plurality of initial reactants in their vapor state to obtan core material particles, by producing a coherent core body from the core material particles, by reacting a second plurality of initial reactants in their vapor state to obtain cladding material particles, by providing a coherent porous cladding on the core body from the cladding material particles, and by sintering the resulting composite body to convert the same into the preform. The core body can either be sintered before combining the same with the porous cladding material, or it may remain in its initial porous state until the sintering of the composite body.