A method for controlling the processing of varying shipment sets of one or more item(s) in an automated packaging system for packaging said varying shipment sets in custom-sized boxes made from cardboard blanks, said packaging system comprising a plurality of processing stations performing different operations on said shipment sets, said operations including transporting said shipments sets to and through said stations, said method comprising: acquiring information about one or more physical properties of a shipment set or the item(s) forming the shipment set, determining based on said information if the shipment set needs or allows a specific treatment in or on the transport to and through one or more of said processing stations within said packaging system, and configuring said one or more of said processing stations with instructions for said specific treatment of said shipment set.

The packaging machine includes a wrapping tunnel, adapted to form a tube of plastic film around a group of articles and a feed conveyor, adapted to feed articles to be packaged toward the wrapping tunnel. An elevator is positioned between the feed conveyor and the wrapping tunnel, and is movable vertically from a lower position, to receive articles coming from the feed conveyor, to a higher height, to transfer articles to the wrapping tunnel. A pusher is arranged to push articles to be packaged from the elevator into the wrapping tunnel. An auxiliary conveyor is also provided between the feed conveyor and the elevator. An upender is associated with the auxiliary conveyor, adapted to be arranged selectively in an active position, to co-act with the auxiliary conveyor to upend articles coming from the feed conveyor and transfer them toward the elevator, and in a deactivated position.

An optimal package structure and an amount of refrigerant to insert into the package structure are determined based upon product information, consumer preference information, and weather information. The optimal package structure and the amount of refrigerant are an optimized combination that is effective to both protect the product from damage and preserve the product from spoilage. A package is constructed to contain the product according to the optimal package structure and the amount of refrigerant is inserted into the structure.

A filling station includes a transport tray having a plurality of transfer receptacles, an optical detection device configured to generate one or more images of transfer receptacles having drug portions arranged therein and a control device coupled to the optical detection device. The control device causes display of a filling template of which transfer receptacles are to be filled with one or more drug portions and compares an actual filling of the transfer receptacles based on the one or more images of the transfer receptacles generated by the optical detection device to ta target filling. The control device also determines if no deviation exists between the actual filling and the target filling and releases the transport tray for transferring the drug portions to a secondary tray.

A system includes a wrapping machine for dispensing film to wrap a load disposed on a pallet, a plurality of sensors configured to detect operation of the machine, and a controller operably and communicatively connected with the sensors. The controller is configured to establish desired values of operating parameters of the machine, the parameters including a wrap pattern, weight of the film, a number of revolutions, a percent of stretch of the film, and a tension of film, during operation of the machine, monitor actual values of the operating parameters using data from the sensors, and in response to a difference between the desired values and the actual values being greater than a threshold, issue a command to adjust operation of the machine such that the difference is less than the threshold.

There are provided systems and methods relating to assembling unpacked merchandise in containers. In one form, the system includes an order of merchandise items to be assembled in containers, and a predetermined set of containers defining different sizes and including at least two different types of containers. The system also includes a control circuit configured to: receive notification of the order, select a first type of container, determine a first subset of the plurality of merchandise items to be received in the selected type of container, select a size of the selected type of container to receive the first subset of merchandise items, and instruct the disposition of the first subset of merchandise items within the selected type and size of container.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a random case sealer including a pneumatically-controlled top-head-actuating assembly configured to vary the speed of the top-head assembly when ascending (to make room for the case beneath the top-head assembly) and when descending onto the case (to engage the top surface of the case during sealing). The case sealer includes a pressure sensor that monitors the pressure of gas incoming from a gas source delivered to the top-head-actuating assembly via one or more valves. A controller controls the open level and/or the open time of the valves based on the pressure of the incoming gas to ensure the top-head-actuating assembly operates as desired regardless of whether the pressure of the incoming gas is equal to, below, or above a desired pressure. These features result in increased throughput compared to prior art random case sealers without requiring stronger cases or more protective dunnage.

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.

A system for packaging includes a continuous flow wrap machine, a product reader, and a labeling unit. The product reader is configured to sense each product of the series of products transported on the infeed conveyor of the continuous flow wrap machine and to provide detected information for facilitating access to unique product information associated with each sensed product of the series of products. The labeling unit is adapted to apply visual representation of the unique product information to the tube formed in the continuous flow wrap machine while the tube is moving or to the resulting packaged product while the packaged product is moving.

A device for automated packaging of articles, comprising a conveyor for feeding and transporting into the device a blank of corrugated cardboard, a pair of crease wheels for creating two longitudinal crease lines in the blank, a transversal blade or score applicator for successively creating four transversal crease lines in the blank as the blank is transported into the device, and opposite pressing members such as jaws of a press and/or pressing rollers, arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line of the device, whose lateral position is adjustable for their ends or tips to match the two longitudinal crease lines, and activated in a timely manner as the blank is transported into the device to crush the corrugated cardboard in the top, middle and bottom corners of the blank in order to make it easily foldable.