A cutting unit in a packaging machine for separating a series of finished packages containing a predetermined number of products from a continuous packaging or bundle advancing on a conveyor, comprising a frame, which supports a pair of side cutting blades and a pair of upper cutting and lower cutting blades arranged facing four sides of the continuous bundle, wherein the two pairs of blades can be alternately moved forward and backward between a rest position separated from the continuous bundle, and an engagement position on the continuous bundle containing groups of the products arranged on two flanked rows and wrapped in a film of extendable plastic material, each pair of blades being driven in an alternating forward and backward movement for engagement with and disengagement from the continuous bundle by a double crank actuated by a single motor.

A cutting unit in a packaging machine for separating a series of finished packages containing a predetermined number of products from a continuous packaging or bundle advancing on a conveyor, comprising a frame, which supports a pair of side cutting blades and a pair of upper cutting and lower cutting blades arranged facing four sides of the continuous bundle, wherein the two pairs of blades can be alternately moved forward and backward between a rest position separated from the continuous bundle, and an engagement position on the continuous bundle containing groups of the products arranged on two flanked rows and wrapped in a film of extendable plastic material, each pair of blades being driven in an alternating forward and backward movement for engagement with and disengagement from the continuous bundle by a double crank actuated by a single motor.

A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. An article protection insert comprises a plurality of features for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles. At least one access feature is in the top panel for positioning the article protection insert to a position wherein the features engage at least one article of the plurality of articles.

A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. An article protection insert comprises a plurality of features for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles. At least one access feature is in the top panel for positioning the article protection insert to a position wherein the features engage at least one article of the plurality of articles.

A cutting method in a packaging machine using extensible film includes feeding products, wound in a continuous packaging or in a bundle of products, to a cutting unit; cutting the continuous packaging into finished groups of products using a movable cutting device that advances with the packaging to be cut and makes a transversal cut along the perimeter of the packaging; and bringing the movable cutting device back and performing a new cutting step simultaneously in two points of the packaging spaced from each other, with two vertical sections cut at a first point and two horizontal sections are cut at a second point to create a finished packaging. The packaging machine includes a cutting device, a slide moving forward and backward, and a side cutting device and an upper and lower cutting device spaced apart and acting simultaneously on the packaging to cut in two points vertically and horizontally.

Multi-layer collation shrink film comprising a main layer based on a polyethylene mixture comprising 75 to 85 wt.-% low density polyethylene and 15 to 25 wt.-% high density polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene and a skin layer based on a polar ethylene copolymer with vinyl acetate or alkyl (meth)acrylate with a vinyl acetate or alkyl (meth)acrylate content of at least 15 wt.-% and containing 5000 to 20000 ppm silica and a slip agent, use of the film in multi-layer packaging films and method for packaging objects together with the multi-layer collation shrink film including printing the skin layer with a digital ink printing process before or after packaging the objects.

A carton for holding a plurality of articles. The carton comprises a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton and a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels. The plurality of end flaps are at least partially overlapped with respect to one another to thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton. The carton also can comprise at least one article protection flap foldably connected to at least one end flap of the plurality of end flaps for engaging at least one article of the plurality of articles. The at least one article protection flap extends from the closed end at least partially into the interior of the carton.

A carton for containing at least one article. The carton comprises at least one panel that can form an interior of the carton. The carton comprises at least one protection feature for protecting the articles from breakage. The article protection feature can comprise at least one feature in end flaps of the carton. The article protection feature can comprise an article protection flap foldably connected to the at least one panel. The article protection flap can be moveable between a first position and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel.

A carton for containing at least one article. The carton includes a plurality of panels at least partially forming an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels includes a top panel. The carton includes an article protection flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels. The article protection flap is moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the top panel and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the top panel. The at least one access feature in the top panel is for positioning the article protection flap from the first position to the second position.

A system including a pair of prongs extending in a transverse direction, spaced apart from one another by a gap configured to receive carton blanks and product containers therein, and to crease retention flaps of the carton blank, wherein each prong travels along a cam path, a panel extending in a longitudinal direction in-between the pair of prongs configured to support the product containers and guide the retentions flaps, a pair of asymmetrical guide rails underneath the panel configured to alternatingly crease a first primary flap and a second primary flap of the carton blank, and a conveyor mechanism proximate to the panel configured to move they product container and a carton blanks along the panel.