The disclosure provides an automated container resizing apparatus and system, an automated method of resizing a container, and a cutting tool that can be used for the resizing. In one example, the system includes the cutting tool, a controller, a conveyor, and a moveable support that can be a robotic arm. The controller can operate the conveyor to position a container in a cutting zone. The dimensions of the box and product fill height within the container are obtained and translated by the controller into a programmed cutting pattern. The controller then operates the robotic arm to perform the programmed cutting pattern on the box with the cutting tool. The cutting tool can be mounted on the robotic arm that rotates about its axis to cut side walls of the container for resizing.

This box assembling and packing system is provided: a first jig which is fixed at a predetermined position and against which a side part of a body of a packing box is thrust; a second jig which is fixed at a predetermined position and against which a flap part and a tuck part of the packing box are thrust; and a robot having two articulated arms. A first articulated arm of the two articulated arms holds and moves the packing box in a flatly collapsed form by a packing box holding mechanism, folds and raises the body of the flatly collapsed packing box into a rectangular tubular shape in cooperation with the first jig, and maintains the folded and raised body of the packing box in the rectangular tubular shape by a packing box rectangular tubular shape maintaining mechanism. The second articulated arm moves a folding member into contact with the flap part and the tuck part of the packing box being held by the packing box holding mechanism of the first articulated arm, forms each of a bottom and a lid of the packing box in cooperation with the second jig, and moves an object-to-be-packed being grasped by an object-to-be-packed grasping mechanism and inserts it into the body from an end portion at a timing between forming the bottom and forming the lid.

A system for packing items into cases includes a computer system for receiving information regarding items to be packed into a case, the computer system configured to determine a needed case size for loading based upon physical information regarding the items to be packed. A case handling machine includes multiple components that are position-adjustable according to case size to be held, formed and sealed, the case handling machine including a control system including a memory storing a plurality of machine set ups, wherein each machine set up includes data corresponding to positions for the multiple components. The computer system is configured to communicate needed case size information to the case handling machine, wherein the control system of the case handling machine is configured to implement component position adjustment based upon the needed case size information.

A carton sizing system that has a frame, a controller, one or more cutters movably mounted to the frame and operatively connected to the controller, one or more markers movably mounted to the frame and operatively connected to the controller. The carton sizing system also has a measuring means that is operatively connected to the controller and configured to determine, in use, the footprint of an open top carton and to determine the height of one or more objects contained within the carton. The controller is configured to position the one or more cutters based on the determined footprint and to cut vertical edges of the carton based on the determined height and also to position the one or more markers based on the determined footprint and height and to score or crease vertical walls of the carton between the vertical edges to at least partially define foldable panels.

A bag transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holding units which include a first holding unit and a second holding unit provided to be adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and are provided to be able to move, wherein each of the plurality of holding units includes: a left support unit which supports one side portion of a bag; and a right support unit which supports another side portion of the bag, and wherein one of the right support unit of the first holding unit and the left support unit of the second holding unit is positioned above the other.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for smart auto-vending during a pandemic. The purpose is to increase efficiency in order fulfillment of prepacked and non-prepacked products in terms of speed, low cost, and sterilization. The system comprises: a box station; dispensers/dispensing subsystems; sterilization stations with different sterilization methods; a packaging station with different packaging methods; a shipping station for smart shipping with automatic self-driving vehicles or drones; a main conveyor and sub-conveyors that move an order through the system. In addition, there may be one dispensing subsystem for weighing, bagging, and sterilizing non-prepackaged grocery products. The system's AI function is also used to optimize items stored in each dispenser/dispensing subsystem. All of these components and methods come together to form an integrated, streamlined, and optimized system and method for carrying out online order fulfillment efficiently.

A rectangular blank has sides X and Y, where a and b are side dimensions, h is height, and r is width, or width reduced by height h, of the periphery region R of the finished packaging. The method includes: producing folding lines B in the blank parallel to side Y at these distances from the latter: B.sub.1: a.sub.1=h; B.sub.2: a.sub.2=h+a; B.sub.3: a.sub.3=2h+a; severing of two severing lines T, each starting from opposite sides X, along one of the folding lines B, or the extension thereof; selecting the distance between two end points E.sub.T of the severing lines T which are closer to an axis of symmetry S.sub.1 parallel to the side X, such that the distance corresponds to a side B″ of the finished packaging or length of a side M of a packaging insert.

An automated tying tool includes slider, guide rail, first guide claw, second guide claw, frame, tensioning wheel, cutter, stepwise material feeding mechanism, and material pushing rod. First and second guide claws are mounted on frame via rotation of central pin. Cutter and tensioning wheel are mounted in frame. Guide rail is adjacent to frame. Slider engages with guide rail. An automated tying method includes: stepwise material feeding mechanism being loaded with ties, and conveying ties at fixed interval in each binding cycle; slider driving ties to slide from predetermined position to binding position; tie body of ties being curled in guide slots in first and second guide claws; causing tail portion of ties to pass through a hole at head portion of ties; tensioning wheel rotating to tighten ties; and cutter cutting tightened ties. A tying tool may include a material feeding, distributing, and pushing mechanism.

An adjustable forming collar assembly is provided for a form, fill and seal apparatus having a forming tube about which packaging film is positioned for formation and filling of a package. The adjustable forming collar assembly includes a mounting plate positioned to extend laterally on opposite sides of the forming tube. To accommodate filling of packages of differing sizes, first and second forming segments are provided which can be adjustably positioned on the mounting plate. Each of the forming segments is shaped to guide the packaging film from a generally flat configuration to a tubular configuration extending about the forming tube. The forming segments are adjustably positionable on the mounting plate. By this arrangement, the first and second forming segments can be selectively positioned toward and away from to each other on the mounting place, and thus adjustably positioned with respect to the forming tube, to thereby selectively adjust that size of the package being formed and filled. The assembly further includes first and second rib cages which can be adjustably positioned with respect to the forming tube to further accommodate formation and filling of differently sized packages.

A packaging machine configured to form, fill, and seal individual packages is provided. The packaging machine includes a disinfection/sterilization station configured to treat ready-to-fill packaging containers passing through said disinfection station. The disinfection/sterilization station includes a supply section configured to provide gaseous sterilizing agent into open ends of the ready-to-fill packaging containers passing the supply section, and a holding section arranged downstream the supply section. The packaging machine is configured to keep the ready-to-fill packaging containers at the supply section such that the sterilizing agent will condense on areas of the ready-to-fill packaging container having a temperature below the dew point of the sterilizing agent, and the packaging machine is configured to keep the ready-to-fill packaging containers at the holding section such that the gaseous sterilizing agent will treat areas of the ready-to-fill packaging container having a temperature above the dew point of the sterilizing agent.