A sealing station configured to heat seal a wall made from heat-sealable film material, preferably metal-free heat-sealable film material, onto one another wall of heat-sealable material, e.g. another wall of heat-sealable film material, to create a sealed seam. The sealing station comprises an impulse sealing device comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein at least the first jaw comprises at the respective front surface thereof at least one, e.g. a single elongated, impulse heatable member that extends along the respective front surface and that is covered by a heat-resistant non-stick covering.

A device (1) for evacuating gas from a package (50) in a packaging apparatus, the package (50) having an open end (55), the open end (55) having a terminal portion (54), a non-terminal portion (52), and an intermediate portion (53) located between the terminal portion (54) and the non-terminal portion (52) of the open end (55), the device (1) comprising a vacuum chamber (10) having an elongated opening (14) extending along a longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber (10), an evacuation means configured for providing the vacuum chamber (10) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (10), means for moving (30) a package (50) relative to the vacuum chamber (10), and a control unit (60) programmed for controlling the means for moving (30) to relatively move a package (50) to be evacuated with respect to the vacuum chamber (10), the package (50) and the means for moving (30) each being arranged with respect to the vacuum chamber (10) so that a main movement direction (40) of packages (50) placed on the means for moving (30) and the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber (10) are substantially parallel to one another, the package (50) to be evacuated being positioned so that, during the relative movement of the package (50) with respect to the vacuum chamber (10), a terminal portion (54) of the open end (55) of the package (50) relatively moves within the vacuum chamber (10) and a non-terminal portion (52) of the open end (55) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (10), an intermediate portion (53) of the open end (55) passing through and relatively moving along the opening (14), and activating the evacuation means to provide the vacuum chamber (10) with the internal vacuum pressure. A packaging process using the gas evacuation device and a packaging apparatus including the device are also disclosed.

A method for handling containers (I) of collapsible type in a filling machine (20) comprising consecutively arranged stations (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) comprising a filling station (S3) and a gas filling station (S5), the method comprising intermittently moving the containers (I) to the consecutively arranged stations (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6), supplying, at the filling station (S3), liquid product into the product compartment (5) and supplying, at the gas filling station (S5), gas into the handle compartment (7). The filling station (S3) and the gas filling station (S5) are operated such that liquid product is supplied to the product compartment (5) of one of the containers (I) while gas is supplied to the handle compartment (7) of another of the containers (I). The step of supplying gas at the gas filling station (S5) comprises providing a first gas flow (Qi) at a first pressure (Pi) and delivering said first gas flow (Qi) from the nozzle (30) to the handle compartment (7) via said inlet (11), and subsequently providing a second gas flow (Q.sub.2) at a second pressure (P.sub.2), lower than said first pressure (P.sub.1), and delivering said second gas flow (Q.sub.2) from the nozzle (30) to the handle compartment (7) via said inlet (11) for establishing a target pressure (P.sub.T) inside said handle compartment (7) corresponding to said second pressure (P.sub.2).

A method for handling containers (I) of collapsible type in a filling machine (20) comprising consecutively arranged stations (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) comprising a filling station (S3) and a gas filling station (S5), the method comprising intermittently moving the containers (I) to the consecutively arranged stations (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6), supplying, at the filling station (S3), liquid product into the product compartment (5) and supplying, at the gas filling station (S5), gas into the handle compartment (7). The filling station (S3) and the gas filling station (S5) are operated such that liquid product is supplied to the product compartment (5) of one of the containers (I) while gas is supplied to the handle compartment (7) of another of the containers (I). The step of supplying gas at the gas filling station (S5) comprises providing a first gas flow (Qi) at a first pressure (Pi) and delivering said first gas flow (Qi) from the nozzle (30) to the handle compartment (7) via said inlet (11), and subsequently providing a second gas flow (Q.sub.2) at a second pressure (P.sub.2), lower than said first pressure (P.sub.1), and delivering said second gas flow (Q.sub.2) from the nozzle (30) to the handle compartment (7) via said inlet (11) for establishing a target pressure (P.sub.T) inside said handle compartment (7) corresponding to said second pressure (P.sub.2).

The present invention relates to a machine (1) for filling bags (100) with a granular product comprising a filling station (2), a welding station (4), and a cooling station (6). The machine comprises a supporting device (8) for supporting the bags (100) below the stations (2, 4, 6). The device (8) comprises a supporting surface (10) assembled in a pivoting manner on a pivot shaft (12), and actuating means (14). The supporting surface (10) has a first supporting segment (16) for supporting the bags of the filling and welding stations (2, 4) on one side of the pivot shaft (12) and a second segment (18) for supporting the bag (100) of the cooling station (6) on the opposite side of said pivot shaft (12). The supporting surface (10) can pivot in an alternating manner around said pivot shaft (12) for moving the base of the bag (100) which, in operation, is located in the filling station (2) during filling. The invention also relates to a filling method.

In a packaging machine, a work station has an interior, which is surrounded by a wall and which has arranged therein a tool with at least one heating element or actor. The invention is characterized by a bus node assembly that is attached to the outside of the wall facing away from the interior and which comprises a housing cap, a circuit board and an interface connected to the circuit board and used for connection to a communication bus.

Provided are a method and an apparatus for sterilizing a sleeve that can shorten a sterilization process for a paper container sleeve and ensure a sterilization effect. In a method for sterilizing a sleeve in an aseptic filling system that molds the sleeve into a paper container having a bottomed tubular shape by closing surfaces of an open end part of the sleeve and performs sterilization, filling and sealing of the paper container, the sleeve being a tubular body having walls formed by laminating at least paper, in a state where the sleeve stands in a columnar shape, heated air containing a sterilizer is blasted to an inner surface of the sleeve that is to form a bottom part of the paper container to perform sterilization of the inner surface of the bottom part and heating for the closing at the same time.

A sealing device for sealing a lid material to sealing areas of a blister web comprises a first, heated sealing tool and a second sealing tool arranged opposite each other and movable relative to each other. A first intermediate element of elastic material is attached to the first sealing tool on a side facing the second sealing tool, and a second intermediate element of thermally-insulating material is attached to the second sealing tool on a side facing the first sealing tool. The first and second sealing tools are movable relative to each other between an opened position and a closed position, in which at least sections of the first intermediate element and of the second intermediate element exert pressure on each other. In the closed sealing position, the first intermediate element rests on the lid material and the second intermediate element rests on lands of the blister web.

A sealing device for sealing a lid material to sealing areas of a blister web comprises a first, heated sealing tool and a second sealing tool arranged opposite each other and movable relative to each other. A first intermediate element of elastic material is attached to the first sealing tool on a side facing the second sealing tool, and a second intermediate element of thermally-insulating material is attached to the second sealing tool on a side facing the first sealing tool. The first and second sealing tools are movable relative to each other between an opened position and a closed position, in which at least sections of the first intermediate element and of the second intermediate element exert pressure on each other. In the closed sealing position, the first intermediate element rests on the lid material and the second intermediate element rests on lands of the blister web.

A capping station has a first conveying system designed to move a plurality of full bottles; a second conveying system, arranged above the first conveying system, designed to move a plurality of caps; a capping device designed to pick up at least one cap from the second conveying system to apply the cap to a bottle carried by the first conveying system; and a heating unit comprising at least one heating device, a support beam carrying the heating device, a main operating device designed to move the support beam between a rest position in which the heating device is far from the bottles and a work position in which the heating device is close to the bottles to heat at least the neck of the bottles, and a safety operating device independent of the main operating device, designed to move the support beam between the work and rest positions.