Abstract: Apparatus and process for at least one of winding and unwinding a material web. The apparatus includes a material web reel and a reel lightening device that includes a blow box and a compressed air supply coupled to the blow box. The blow box may direct the compressed air supply against a periphery of the material web reel to form a gap between the material web reel and the blow box. The apparatus also includes a regulating device coupled to the compressed air supply and adapted to control the gap formed between the material web reel and the blow box at a predefined set point. The process includes positioning the material web reel over the blow box, and blowing the compressed air upwardly toward a periphery of the material web roll, thus, forming a gap between the blow box and the periphery of the material web roll. The process also includes regulating the compressed air supply with the regulating device to maintain a predefined gap width between the blow box and the periphery of the material web roll.