The present invention relates to a gripper for gripping a product, in particular a food product, having a suction device which has a contact surface which can be brought into contact with a section, in particular with an end section, of the product, wherein the suction device comprises at least one first suction section which is bounded in the radial direction by a sealing device and which is in communication with a pumping device generating a vacuum; and at least one sealing section which is arranged outside the first suction section viewed in the radial direction of the contact region and at least sectionally, in particular completely, surrounds it in the radial direction. The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus having a corresponding gripper and to a method for cutting a product.

A food slicer assembly includes a housing defining a first opening and a second opening perpendicularly arranged. A slicing blade received at the second opening enters the first opening of the housing. A coupling releasably couples a food product or a food product packaging to the housing. The first opening receives a food product therethrough, the second opening receives the slicing blade therethrough, and the slicing blade slices the food product arranged in the first opening such that the food product is divided into multiple portions using the food slicer assembly. The slicing blade may pass into the first opening from a first end, and upon reaching the second end, the slicing blade seals the food slicer assembly at the first opening. The assembly may be a cheese slicer assembly for slicing a block of cheese so that a slice of cheese can be removed from the first opening.

A food slicer assembly includes a housing defining a first opening and a second opening perpendicularly arranged. A slicing blade received at the second opening enters the first opening of the housing. A coupling releasably couples a food product or a food product packaging to the housing. The first opening receives a food product therethrough, the second opening receives the slicing blade therethrough, and the slicing blade slices the food product arranged in the first opening such that the food product is divided into multiple portions using the food slicer assembly. The slicing blade may pass into the first opening from a first end, and upon reaching the second end, the slicing blade seals the food slicer assembly at the first opening. The assembly may be a cheese slicer assembly for slicing a block of cheese so that a slice of cheese can be removed from the first opening.

The invention is directed to a re-sealer for a multi-ply cutter including a cutter table and a cutter frame. The cutter frame includes a fixed re-sealer end attached to an overlay film. The overlay film covers a workpiece on the cutter table through a movable re-sealer end, which is longitudinally displaced along the table and includes a swing arm on each side of the table. The cutter frame further includes a mandrel attached between the swing arms of the movable re-sealer end and the overlay film. Each of the swing arms include an actuator attached thereto, providing rotation of each of the swing arms in a first direction about an axis of the actuator thereby raising the mandrel above the table. The actuators also include a down stop preventing rotation of the swing arm in a second direction thereby establishing a minimum height of the mandrel above the table.

Disclosed is a battery cell with improved weldability and an apparatus for processing the same, and more particularly to a battery cell including an electrode assembly received in a cell case; and a pair of electrode leads constituted by a negative electrode lead and a positive electrode lead protruding outwards from the cell case, wherein: the negative electrode lead is made of a nickel material and is provided with one or more embossed portions, and the positive electrode lead is made of an aluminum material and is provided with no embossed portion.

In various embodiments, a dynamically directed workpiece positioning system may include a transport, a sensor positioned to detect a workpiece on the transport, a cutting member positioned along or downstream of the transport, and a computer system. The sensor may scan the workpiece as the workpiece is moved relative to the transport by a human operator or a positioning device. Based on the scan data, the computer system may generate commands to guide the human operator or positioning device in moving the workpiece to a desired position corresponding to a cut solution for the workpiece. Optionally, the computer system may cause the cutting member to be repositioned while the workpiece is being moved relative to the transport. Once the workpiece is in the desired position, the transport may be used to move the workpiece toward the cutting member. Corresponding methods and apparatuses are also disclosed.

In various embodiments, a dynamically directed workpiece positioning system may include a transport, a sensor positioned to detect a workpiece on the transport, a cutting member positioned along or downstream of the transport, and a computer system. The sensor may scan the workpiece as the workpiece is moved relative to the transport by a human operator or a positioning device. Based on the scan data, the computer system may generate commands to guide the human operator or positioning device in moving the workpiece to a desired position corresponding to a cut solution for the workpiece. Optionally, the computer system may cause the cutting member to be repositioned while the workpiece is being moved relative to the transport. Once the workpiece is in the desired position, the transport may be used to move the workpiece toward the cutting member. Corresponding methods and apparatuses are also disclosed.

In order to be able to implement a plurality of gripper functions acting independently of one another in a slicing machine without requiring a separate drive unit for each gripper function, a switching unit displaceable along an axial shifting distance is provided. Upon displacement of the switching unit along a first partial distance of a plurality of partial distances of the shifting distance, a caliber contact element is actuated in such a way that a caliber is pushed away from a caliber gripper, and upon shifting of the switching unit along a second partial distance, gripper claws of the caliber gripper are actuated in such a way that they are moved into an engagement position, in which they engage with the caliber, or into a release position, in which they release the caliber.

In order to be able to implement a plurality of gripper functions acting independently of one another in a slicing machine without requiring a separate drive unit for each gripper function, a switching unit displaceable along an axial shifting distance is provided. Upon displacement of the switching unit along a first partial distance of a plurality of partial distances of the shifting distance, a caliber contact element is actuated in such a way that a caliber is pushed away from a caliber gripper, and upon shifting of the switching unit along a second partial distance, gripper claws of the caliber gripper are actuated in such a way that they are moved into an engagement position, in which they engage with the caliber, or into a release position, in which they release the caliber.

A method of processing a food item that includes moving a food item along a direction towards an automated slicer, wherein prior to the food item being sliced by the automated slicer the food item that is being moved has a length, L, as measured along the direction. The method further includes determining a thickness, T, of a slice of the food item to be generated by the automated slicer and slicing the food item that has the length, L, by the automated slicer so that a maximum possible number, N.sub.max, of slices of the food item are generated that have the thickness, T.