A packaging machine, comprising a control unit, a plurality of measuring devices and a plurality of working units for different processes. The control unit is functionally connected to the working units and the measuring devices. A work cycle at the packaging machine comprises at least a first functional process and a second functional process at one or at different working units, the second functional process starting later than the first functional process. The control unit may execute an early start for the second functional process of a working unit, when an actual process value of the preceding first functional process of the program sequence of one of the working units has not yet reached the respective target process value. The control unit may control the early start of the second functional process based on an approximation method for predetermining the temporal end of the first functional process.

Systems are provided for automatically optimizing packaging and dunnage for a group of objects. The systems calculate dimensions for a custom-made packaging template. The dimensions for the custom-made packaging template are adjusted to allow for a specific amount of dunnage. The systems generate a packaging command that causes a packaging-production machine to generate custom-made packaging templates based upon the calculated dimensions for the custom-made packaging template. The systems also generate a dunnage command that causes a dunnage-production machine to generate the specific amount of dunnage.

A method of tracking a box and correlating a quality characteristic of the box to an overall equipment effectiveness of a packaging line that manipulates the box during a product packaging process includes: at a location, associating a unique identifier with a pre-erected form of the box, capturing at least one quality characteristic of the box, and storing the at least one quality characteristic and the associated unique identifier in a database; moving the pre-erected form of the box to another location; at the another location, converting the pre-erected form of the box into an erected box, manipulating the erected box through the packaging line, and in an event where the erected box is involved in a disruption in the packaging line correlating the unique identifier of the associated erected box with the associated disruption and saving a record of the disruption and the unique identifier in a storage medium.

A method for operating a packaging machine having at least one electric drive motor, the drive motor driving at least one functional unit of the packaging machine in a program-controlled manner when producing packaging using the following steps: (a) loading a parameter set into the control of the packaging machine, the parameter set containing at least one load parameter which limits the torque or the current consumption of the drive motor to a maximum when producing packaging; (b) operating the packaging machine for producing packaging, the maximally occurring actual value of the torque mustered at the drive motor or the current consumed by the drive motor being measured during operation; (c) determining a new load parameter as a function of the maximum actual value; (d) saving the new load parameter in a parameter set allocated to the packaging to be produced.

The present disclosure relates generally to a method and a machine for creating protective packaging. The machine includes a controller including a processing element and a display in electrical communication with the processing element. In response to a user input or a machine operation input, the processing element selects demonstrative content corresponding to the user input or the machine operation input and the display displays the demonstrative content. Examples of demonstrative content include tutorial videos or photographs illustrating how to operate the machine, how to replace consumables used by the machine, replace or repair machine components, and/or how to package certain items using packaging materials created by the machine.

A control apparatus for controlling a packaging machine that includes a conveyance mechanism for conveying an item to be packaged includes: an acquirer configured to acquire a detection result from a sensor for detecting an item to be packaged; a determiner configured to obtain elapsed time from a predetermined time point until when the item to be packaged is detected by the sensor, based on the detection result acquired by the acquirer, and determine a shift direction in which the item to be packaged is shifted from a predetermined position, based on the elapsed time; and a controller configured to control, for the item to be packaged for which detection is performed by the sensor, implementation of any one of downstream units that are downstream of a unit in which the detection is performed by the sensor, based on the shift direction that is determined by the determiner.

A method for monitoring a packaging process of at least one article. In the method, a sort of an article is acquired before it is placed in a transport container. At least one image and at least one depth measurement of the article are recorded after it is placed in the transport container. The three-dimensional dimensions of the article are calculated and are compared with a specification for the acquired sort of the article. If the dimensions of the article do not agree with the specification, a warning is issued.

A control apparatus that controls a first robot arm provided with a first force detection part and a second robot arm provided with a second force detection part, includes a processor that configured to move the first robot arm until a target force is detected by the first force detection part and performs impedance control on the second robot arm based on output of the second force detection part in at least a part of a movement period in which the first robot arm is moved.

A system and method for operating a robotic system to coordinate and integrate multiple tasks for performing operations is disclosed. The robotic system may identify a set of tasks associated with a triggered operation. Accordingly, the robotic system may coordinate and control actions across subsystems, robotic units, task stations, or a combination thereof to sequentially perform the set of tasks and complete the operation.

A method for producing packaging, in particular tubular bags, by means of a packaging machine (1) having a PLC control (20). The packaging machine (1) includes several electronic drive units (3, 6) capable of being controlled independently of each other by the PLC control (20) and which can drive the different functional elements (8) of the packaging machine (1) in a manner synchronous to a clock cycle when trailing predefined movement trajectories, and several setting parameters of the production process, in particular the number of objects to be packed per time unit, the packaging dimensions, the sealing times, being predefined, the capturing of the setting parameters at the PLC control (20), which controls the drive units (3, 6) of the packaging machine (1), being followed by the transfer of the setting parameters from the PLC control (20) to a PC control (23).