The present invention relates to a sheetlike composite comprising, as mutually superposed layers, a) a carrier layer, b) a barrier layer, and c) an inner polymer layer,
wherein the sheetlike composite has a multitude of groove lines arranged and configured such that, by folding the sheetlike composite along the groove lines and joining seam areas of the sheetlike composite thereby obtaining seams, a closed container is obtainable, wherein the closed container has a roof area, wherein a first portion of the groove lines of the multitude of groove lines at least partly forms a circumference of a first part-area of the roof area, wherein the groove lines of the first portion, relative to the first part-area of the roof area, have at least partly convex curvature, wherein the first part-area of the roof area has a first length in a longitudinal direction and has a second length in a circumferential direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction, wherein a ratio of the first length to the second length is in a range from 0.2 to 2.0. The invention further relates to methods of producing a sheetlike composite, a container precursor and a closed container, and to the aforementioned method products; to a further container precursor; to a further closed container; and to a use of the sheetlike composite.

There is described a sonotrode for sealing an opening device onto a hole of a packaging material destined to from a sealed package, comprising: a sealing surface adapted to cooperate with a said packaging material in order to seal the opening device to the packaging material; a cavity bounded by an opening of sealing surface and adapted to receive the opening device; and a ring made in an elastomeric material, partially protruding inside the cavity, and adapted to center a first axis of the opening device on a second axis of the sonotrode.

A packaging unit of articles in boxes includes a mandrel, a movement device, a feeding device, a folding device, and a first retaining device. The mandrel is configured to accommodate at least one of the articles therein. The movement device is configured to move the mandrel along a movement trajectory. The feeding device is configured to feed at least one blank towards the mandrel. The folding device is configured to cooperate with the mandrel to fold at least one panel of the blank being wound around the mandrel, and to form one of the boxes. The first retaining device is movably guided parallel to the movement trajectory and is configured to cooperate with the mandrel, along a section of the movement trajectory, retaining the at least one panel of the blank, wound on the mandrel, against an abutment surface of the mandrel extended parallel to the movement trajectory. A packaging method of articles into boxes by means of such a unit is also described.

A sheet of packaging material to form a package, comprises a receiving region to receive an opening device of the package attached thereon, the sheet of packaging material further comprises two reference marks detectable by a detecting unit of an applying device arranged for applying the opening device on the receiving region. A method for producing a package comprises folding, filling and sealing a sheet of packaging material to obtain the package, the packaging material comprising a receiving region to receive an opening device and two reference marks, the method comprising detecting the reference marks and selecting a subsequent action to be performed on the package and/or the opening device on the basis of the detected position of the reference marks.

An improved container blank of foldable material and resulting structure to hold a fluid filled carton is provided.

A gable top packaging container has a plurality of upstanding side walls including a first side wall, a front wall, a rear wall and a second side wall, wherein the front wall connects to a front gable panel and the back wall connects to a back gable panel, both extending up to a sealed top fin, the first side wall connects to a first side gable panel, and the second side wall connects to a second side gable panel, wherein the walls are separated by crease lines extending in a longitudinal direction of the packaging container, characterized in that the front wall is continuous with the front gable panel, and the back wall is continuous with the back gable panel.

A filling machine (100) is disclosed having a processing unit (600) including a processing station (612, 614, 616) and a conveyor system (601) configured for conveying container precursors through processing station. The conveyor system has comprising a plurality of shuttles or carriers (602) configured for carrying the container precursors along a track (604) through the processing station and a shuttle propulsion system allowing each shuttle to be individually propelled along the track. A corresponding method is also disclosed.