A packaging machine comprising an orientation system for orientating an article within a package, the orientation system comprising at least one carriage (240) moveable about an endless path comprising a working reach and a return reach, a drive mechanism for propelling the at least one carriage about the endless path, an engagement member (250) for frictionally engaging with an article (B) in a package (1), the engagement member moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position wherein the engagement member is rotationally driven by a rotary drive mechanism comprising a first component (244) rotationally mounted to the carriage and a second component (234) which engages with the first component such that the first component rotates as the carriage is driven about the endless path.

A packaging machine comprising an orientation system for orientating an article within a package, the orientation system comprising at least one carriage (240) moveable about an endless path comprising a working reach and a return reach, a drive mechanism for propelling the at least one carriage about the endless path, an engagement member (250) for frictionally engaging with an article (B) in a package (1), the engagement member moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position wherein the engagement member is rotationally driven by a rotary drive mechanism comprising a first component (244) rotationally mounted to the carriage and a second component (234) which engages with the first component such that the first component rotates as the carriage is driven about the endless path.

The present application discloses an automated kitchen system comprising: a plurality of ingredient containers configured to contain food ingredients, and a plurality of caps each configured to cap an ingredient container; a storage apparatus configured to store capped ingredient containers; a first transfer apparatus configured to move capped containers in the storage apparatus to a location at a cap opening apparatus as to remove the cap from the ingredient container; a cyclic transfer apparatus comprising a loop of container holders and a cyclic motion mechanism configured to periodically move the loop of container holders, wherein each container holder is configured to hold an ingredient container; a second transfer apparatus configured to move an uncapped ingredient container to a holder in the cyclic transfer apparatus. The automated kitchen system further comprises one or more cooking systems, where each cooking system comprises: a cooking apparatus comprising a cooking container configured to hold food or food ingredients during cooking, and a stirring mechanism configured to move the cooking container as to stir, mix or distributed the food or food ingredients container in the cooking container; an unloading apparatus configured to unload food ingredients in an ingredient container to the cooking container of the cooking apparatus; a transfer apparatus configured to move an ingredient container held in a container holder of the cyclic transfer apparatus to a position at the unloading mechanism.

An automated decant system is disclosed for processing pallets of cased goods received at a facility, extracting packaging for the cases and transferring eaches within the cases to totes, possibly organized by SKU in sub-totes within the tote.

A system, method and an end effector may arrange into a group two articles within a stream of articles moving spaced apart and in a line in a conveying direction on a conveyor. The system, method, and end effector may contact and slow the more downstream of the two articles and then contact the more upstream of the two articles without substantially slowing the more upstream article to form the group. The end effector may include a downstream stop portion for contacting at least one of the articles.

A container-orienting device includes container-holder groups, each having rotatable container-holders separated from each other by at least one rotatable container-holder from another container-holder group such that no two rotatable container-holders from a particular container-holder group are next to each other. The device also has a plurality of drives, each of which rotates only container holders from a corresponding container-holder group. The container holders are organized into container-holder sequences, each of which comprises equal numbers of container holders from different container-holder groups arranged in a particular order. These sequences following one another along the conveying direction.

The invention relates to a packaging or palletizing machine, a system and a method for automated generation of motion and position parameters for a packaging or palletizing machine for bundle arrangements. Layer and/or packaging parameters can be entered at a user interface that is used to generate parameters for controlling the packaging or palletizing machine. A digital twin of the packaging or palletizing machine can be used to generate or calculate the parameters. This allows the calculated parameters to be tested and validated by simulation using the digital twin. The parameters are generated such that the packaging machine being controlled using the parameters creates a package for a bundle according to the packaging and/or layer parameters and/or the palletizing machine being controlled using the parameters arranges bundles according to the layer and/or packaging parameters. After generating the parameters, the packaging or palletizing machine is configured based on the calculated parameters.

The invention relates to a packaging or palletizing machine, a system and a method for automated generation of motion and position parameters for a packaging or palletizing machine for bundle arrangements. Layer and/or packaging parameters can be entered at a user interface that is used to generate parameters for controlling the packaging or palletizing machine. A digital twin of the packaging or palletizing machine can be used to generate or calculate the parameters. This allows the calculated parameters to be tested and validated by simulation using the digital twin. The parameters are generated such that the packaging machine being controlled using the parameters creates a package for a bundle according to the packaging and/or layer parameters and/or the palletizing machine being controlled using the parameters arranges bundles according to the layer and/or packaging parameters. After generating the parameters, the packaging or palletizing machine is configured based on the calculated parameters.

Disclosed is a product case packing system with a gripping head assembly and a packaging grid assembly linked by a coordination arm that synchronizes the delivery of the product to be packaged and with the positioning of the grid assembly into the packaging container. The system includes a gripper head assembly extension control module, capable of controlling multiple travel distances of the gripper head assembly in a single packing cycle, a product assembly detection module, and a packaging release control element for subtle separation of individual packed containers.

A method for producing multipacks of containers includes placing adhesive spots on surfaces of the containers. At least two kinds of adhesives are used, both of which plastic melt adhesives that melt as a result of exposure to heat and that develop cohesion after cooling. After placing the adhesive spots, the containers are connected to each other using the adhesive spots so as to form a multipack.