The present technology is generally directed to methods and systems for automated food packaging. The method and system includes singulating a plurality of elongate food products into a plurality of individual product pieces, conveying the plurality of individual product pieces along a moving surface, depositing a portion of the individual product pieces into a bucket, where the products are deposited such that a length of greater than about 90% of the individual product pieces are generally aligned parallel with the first side or second side of the bucket. Methods and systems include measuring a height between a top surface of the deposited portion of produce pieces and a top side of the moving surface, vertically lowering the bucket if the measured height is less than a threshold amount, and depositing a second portion of individual product pieces into the vertically lowered bucket.

A packaging assembly (10) including a weighing machine (11) that is located above a former (22). Located below the former (22) is a packaging machine (29), with strip bag material (25) being pulled through the assembly by a film drive assembly (46) that pulls the bag material past the former (22) to form tubular bag material (26) that is delivered to the packaging machine (29) together with product to form bags of the product.

Systems and methods are provided for dispensing medication in a predetermined amount. An exemplary system and method may include operations and/or instructions comprising dispensing medicine from a first medicine container to a transfer device; dispensing medicine from the transfer device to a second medicine container, monitoring a medicine distribution relative to the first medicine container, the second medicine container, and the transfer device by way of at least one monitoring device, and automatically adjusting the medicine distribution among the first medicine container, the second medicine container, and the transfer device.

Systems and methods are provided for dispensing medication in a predetermined amount. An exemplary system and method may include operations and/or instructions comprising dispensing medicine from a first medicine container to a transfer device; dispensing medicine from the transfer device to a second medicine container, monitoring a medicine distribution relative to the first medicine container, the second medicine container, and the transfer device by way of at least one monitoring device, and automatically adjusting the medicine distribution among the first medicine container, the second medicine container, and the transfer device.

A weighing and packaging system includes a combination weighing apparatus including a plurality of weighing units that accumulates and weighs supplied articles, a combination calculator that performs combination calculation using weighing values weighed by the weighing units and selects a combination of corresponding articles, and a collecting chute that collects and discharges the articles pertaining to the combination and a packaging apparatus including a former that receives the articles discharged from the combination weighing apparatus disposed on an upper side and forms a belt-shaped package into a cylindrical shape such that the articles fill an inside thereof, a seal portion disposed below the former to seal the cylindrical package, thereby forming a bag, and a discharge portion that discharge the bag formed by the seal portion, wherein a first opening that opens to a lateral side of a discharge direction of the bag and exposes the collecting chute and the former on the lateral side is provided.

A weighing and packaging system includes a combination weighing apparatus including a plurality of weighing units that accumulates and weighs supplied articles, a combination calculator that performs combination calculation using weighing values weighed by the weighing units and selects a combination of corresponding articles, and a collecting chute that collects and discharges the articles pertaining to the combination and a packaging apparatus including a former that receives the articles discharged from the combination weighing apparatus disposed on an upper side and forms a belt-shaped package into a cylindrical shape such that the articles fill an inside thereof, a seal portion disposed below the former to seal the cylindrical package, thereby forming a bag, and a discharge portion that discharge the bag formed by the seal portion, wherein a first opening that opens to a lateral side of a discharge direction of the bag and exposes the collecting chute and the former on the lateral side is provided.

A method for filling bags with metered quantities of bulk products includes providing a first container and a second container having an assigned total volume. Each container is divided into two respective half-volumes, each half-volume being designed to feed product to a first station or a second station for filling bags, so that each container has a half-volume connected to the first station and a half-volume connected to the second station of the two stations. A first predefined metered quantity of product is provided inside the first container by dividing-up the metered quantity of product into two quantities equal to approximately half the metered quantity, each fed to a respective half-volume of the first container. A bag is conveyed to the first filling station. The bag is filled with the quantity of product of the first half volume of the first container.

A method for filling bags with metered quantities of bulk products includes providing a first container and a second container having an assigned total volume. Each container is divided into two respective half-volumes, each half-volume being designed to feed product to a first station or a second station for filling bags, so that each container has a half-volume connected to the first station and a half-volume connected to the second station of the two stations. A first predefined metered quantity of product is provided inside the first container by dividing-up the metered quantity of product into two quantities equal to approximately half the metered quantity, each fed to a respective half-volume of the first container. A bag is conveyed to the first filling station. The bag is filled with the quantity of product of the first half volume of the first container.

A method for producing bags containing fiber material, comprises the steps of forming at least one continuous layer of fiber material; separating in succession portions of fiber material from the continuous layer and moving them along a predetermined path; feeding each portion of fiber material to respective containment and compaction elements of a first transfer conveyor; feeding an ordered succession of bags containing respective portions of fiber material to respective supporting elements of a second transfer conveyor; transferring the portions of fiber material into respective housings of a third transfer conveyor; transferring the portions from the third transfer conveyor inside respective containment bags carried by a second transfer conveyor; transferring the containment bags from the second transfer conveyor to a fourth transfer conveyor; and moving in succession the bags housing respective portions of fiber material to a folding unit at which the bags are closed.

A method for producing bags containing fiber material, comprises the steps of forming at least one continuous layer of fiber material; separating in succession portions of fiber material from the continuous layer and moving them along a predetermined path; feeding each portion of fiber material to respective containment and compaction elements of a first transfer conveyor; feeding an ordered succession of bags containing respective portions of fiber material to respective supporting elements of a second transfer conveyor; transferring the portions of fiber material into respective housings of a third transfer conveyor; transferring the portions from the third transfer conveyor inside respective containment bags carried by a second transfer conveyor; transferring the containment bags from the second transfer conveyor to a fourth transfer conveyor; and moving in succession the bags housing respective portions of fiber material to a folding unit at which the bags are closed.