To surely and efficiently separate a bundling material, etc., from a fiber bale, especially a cotton bale and a chemical fiber bale by moving the fiber bale to the front of a separator, then moving the separator to the position of the fiber bale, further moving the fiber bale along the separator while keeping the fiber bale under actions of the separator and returning the separator again to the original position.

Each fiber bale 6 is moved to the front of a separator 8 by placing thereof on a conveyor belt, a table roller, a truck, etc., and the separator 8 is then moved to the position of the fiber bale 6, which is moved along the separator 8 while being kept under actions thereof. The separator 8 is then returned to the original position again to separate a bundling material such as a wire, a band or a hoop iron and/or a baling material such as a packaging material. Furthermore, the end face of the fiber bale 6 is preferably moved to a stroke limiting device, e.g. an optical barrier at the front of the separator 8.