A method and a system for erecting boxes from box templates of different sizes, said method comprising the steps of: adjusting a size of a frame according to a size of a box template which should be erected; wrapping the box template to be erected around the frame; and separating the frame from the box template.

A kitting machine is disclosed. In various embodiments, the machine includes an actuator configured to move a surface or receptacle to a position associated with item retrieval; and a controller configured to control operation of the actuator to position an item in the position associated with item retrieval, in a manner that is synchronized at least in part with operation of a robotic retrieval device configured to retrieve the item from the position associated with item retrieval.

Bag-sealing apparatus is provided for heat-sealing a bag. The apparatus has a heater arrangement operable to apply heat to heat-seal an open end of the bag. A bag detector detects the location of the bag relative to the heater arrangement. The heater arrangement is formed of plural heater portions. The heater arrangement is operable such that only the or each heater portion that overlies the bag as detected by the bag detector is caused to operate to apply heat to the bag.

A feeding unit for feeding a plastic film in packaging machines for wrapping paper rolls, including: a unit for unwinding the film from a reel; a cutting device adapted to cut the film transversely; a transfer device including, on the right and on the left side of the feeding unit, drive belts configured for engaging the upper and lower faces of the film; and a positioning device including, on the right and on the left side of the unit, a predetermined number of drive belts configured for engaging the upper and lower faces of the film. On each side of the feeding unit, the transfer device comprises two pairs of belts. On each side of the feeding unit, the positioning device comprises a third pair of belts. The three pairs of belts are actuated by independent actuators.

Disclosed is a method for packaging articles (2). Hereby, outer packages (3) are moved by a first conveying device (10). Temporally following this, the outer packages (3) are moved by a second conveying device (20), which second conveying device (20) is located next to the first conveying device (10). Furthermore, articles (2) are inserted into a respective outer package (3), while the respective outer package (3) is located on the first conveyor (10) and/or while the respective outer package (3) is located on the second conveyor (20).

It is intended, that the outer packages (3) are received on the first conveyor (10) by format parts (5) and, together with their respective format part (5), are transferred to the second conveyor (20) located next to the first conveyor (10).

Furthermore, it is provided that the outer packages (3), which will be continuously arranged on the format parts until then, will be removed from the format parts (5) together with the inserted articles (2) and the format parts (5) will then be returned to the first conveyor (10) for renewed seizure of outer packages (3).

A mushroom packaging system 10 comprising a mushroom packaging apparatus 11 wherein empty containers 12 are at least partially filled with mushrooms 13. The system further comprises a mushroom loading apparatus 14 comprising a mushroom loading station 15 and a mushroom conveyor 16 for retaining and conveying mushrooms loaded thereon by an operator to the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. A container storage apparatus 50 is also provided which provides a container loading station 17 positioned such that an operator may load empty containers 12 thereinto. A container conveyance apparatus 22 conveys empty containers 12 from the container storage apparatus 50 to a packaged mushroom collection station 18 via the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. Packaged mushrooms 19 received at the packaged mushroom collection station 18 may be retrieved by the operator. A single operator may load mushrooms to the mushroom loading station 15, load containers to the container loading station 17, and retrieve containers from the packaged mushroom collection station 18.

The thermoforming assembly includes feeding devices for moving a continuous strip-shaped semi-finished product along a forwarding path, along which a forming mould is arranged defining a forming cavity delimited by a base wall, a first pair of respectively opposed side walls, and a second pair of respectively opposed side walls. Heating devices operate on the strip-shaped semi-finished product near the forming mould, and forming devices are operatively associated with the forming mould and configured to conform the strip-shaped semi-finished product against the base wall and the side walls defining the forming cavity. At least one of the side walls belonging to the second pair is a movable wall, positionable towards and away from the other side wall belonging to the second pair, to vary the dimension of the forming cavity.

A device for wrapping product wrappers including a winder, the winder including a gripper mechanically connected to a tubular shaft rotatable about and translatable along an approach axis, the gripper being rotatable and translatable integrally with the tubular shaft; an actuating rod active on the gripper and movable along an actuating axis, the actuating rod being movable along the actuating axis with respect to the tubular shaft and rotationally constrained to the tubular shaft, wherein the gripper is rotatable and movable following a translation of the actuating rod along the actuating axis; a first electric motor active on the actuating rod to translate the actuating rod along the actuating axis; and a second electric motor active on the tubular shaft to translate the tubular shaft along the approach axis. The device further includes a control unit configured to drive the first electric motor and the second electric motor.

The disclosure relates to a device for a packaging process, wherein the device is provided in the form of a step-by-step packaging machine, or is configured as a step-by-step packaging line. The device is configured to perform a recipe change from a first packaging recipe to another, second packaging recipe step by step at a plurality of work stations provided on the device. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a corresponding method.

An apparatus for shrinking film onto products moving along a conveyance path includes an elongated steam chamber shaped to form a shrink tunnel through which the conveyance path extends, wherein tunnel side surface portions of the elongated steam chamber bound the path at least in tunnel regions above a plane of the conveyance path and the tunnel side surface portions are heated by steam within the elongated steam chamber and the tunnel side surface portions thereby radiate heat into the shrink tunnel. At least one steam header is positioned within the shrink tunnel and extending along at least part of a length of the shrink tunnel, the steam header including a plurality of steam ejection orifices for ejecting steam into the shrink tunnel. At least one steam flow path feeds steam from an output of the elongated steam chamber to an input of the at least one steam header.