APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A SEALING STRIP ONTO A WEB OF PACKAGING MATERIAL, REEL AND METHOD

There is described an apparatus (8) for applying a sealing strip (10) onto a web (3) of packaging material for producing sealed packages (2) containing a pourable product, the apparatus (8) comprises: a rotatable support shaft (13) configured to support a reel (12) onto which the strip (10) is initially wound, and to rotate the reel (12) for progressively unwinding the strip (10) therefrom; an application device for applying the strip (10) unwound from the reel (12) onto the web (3); a sensor (16) configured for detecting a detectable element (15) carried by one of said shaft (13) or reel (12) and for producing a correlated detection signal; and a control unit configured to receive the detection signal from the sensor (16); the detectable element (15) is controllable in a first condition, in which it is covered by the strip (10) and thereby undetectable by the sensor (16), and in a second condition, in which it is uncovered from the strip (10) and thereby detectable by the sensor (16); the control unit is configured to trigger a splicing operation of the strip (10) upon receiving the detection signal by the sensor (16).