An apparatus is configured to make containers from sheet material. The apparatus includes a supply station for supplying a film having at least one folded portion having three or more film flaps folded and superimposed with respect to each other; a welding station configured to receive the film. The welding station comprises a welding head configured for welding the folded portion of the film and forming a container defining a housing compartment; the welding head comprises a heater made of electrically conductive material whose electrical resistivity, at least in a predetermined temperature range, decreases upon the increase of the temperature of the same electrically conductive material.

A vacuum packaging device includes a hexahedral housing having a space inside; a grip unit in which a pair of grip bars selectively come into surface contact with each other above a front side of the housing; a suction nozzle unit which moves forward and backward along a guide inside an inner space of the housing; a pair of heat-pressing members which are respectively provided in the pair of grip bars; and lifting and lowering means for lifting and lowering an upper grip bar of the pair of grip bars and an upper heat-pressing member of the pair of the heat-pressing members inside the inner space of the housing by a process step.

A vacuum packaging device includes a hexahedral housing having a space inside; a grip unit in which a pair of grip bars selectively come into surface contact with each other above a front side of the housing; a suction nozzle unit which moves forward and backward along a guide inside an inner space of the housing; a pair of heat-pressing members which are respectively provided in the pair of grip bars; and lifting and lowering means for lifting and lowering an upper grip bar of the pair of grip bars and an upper heat-pressing member of the pair of the heat-pressing members inside the inner space of the housing by a process step.

The present disclosure relates to an induction sealing system for heat sealing packaging material for producing sealed packages of pourable food products, said sealing system may include a sealing jaw and a counter-jaw. In some embodiments, the sealing jaw may include at least one inductor device having at least one active surface configured to contact said packaging material; at least one flux-concentrating insert; a supporting body including heat-conducting material, said supporting body housing, said at least one inductor device and said flux-concentrating insert; and an interactive surface configured to press against said packaging material. In some embodiments, the counter-jaw may include at least one pressure pad made of elastomeric material, said at least one pressure pad configured to provide a counter pressure to the sealing jaw, wherein said at least one pressure pad has an arched convex contact area with height in the direction towards the sealing jaw.

The present disclosure relates to an induction sealing system for heat sealing packaging material for producing sealed packages of pourable food products, said sealing system may include a sealing jaw and a counter-jaw. In some embodiments, the sealing jaw may include at least one inductor device having at least one active surface configured to contact said packaging material; at least one flux-concentrating insert; a supporting body including heat-conducting material, said supporting body housing, said at least one inductor device and said flux-concentrating insert; and an interactive surface configured to press against said packaging material. In some embodiments, the counter-jaw may include at least one pressure pad made of elastomeric material, said at least one pressure pad configured to provide a counter pressure to the sealing jaw, wherein said at least one pressure pad has an arched convex contact area with height in the direction towards the sealing jaw.

An apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing a package includes a plurality of platens and vacuum chambers, each chamber adapted to mate with a dedicated one of the platens; a conveying system for conveying the platens and chambers along a generally angular path having a single axis of rotation; an automated loading assembly having a linear component and configured to load a package onto each of the platens; an automated unloading assembly having a linear portion and configured to unload a vacuumized, sealed package from each loaded platen onto an outfeed conveyor; and a vacuumizing/sealing system configured to cause relative movement of each chamber/platen pair, along a portion of the angular path, to form therebetween an air-tight enclosure accommodating the package and effect vacuumization and sealing of the package.

An apparatus for heat-sealing a lidding film (2) to a supporting element (3), comprising a movement track (5), which extends between an infeed zone and an outfeed zone, a conveying unit (8) and a heat-sealing device (6) which is fitted along the movement track (5), the device (6) comprising a supporting unit (10) and a closing unit (11) which are movable between a home position in which they are at a distance from each other and an operating position in which they are coupled to clamp, in use, the lidding film (2) and a supporting element (3); wherein the conveying unit (8) is configured to support the supporting element (3) and to move and is associable with the movement track (5) for moving on it; the conveying unit (8) comprising one or more active portions (12) which are configured to support the supporting element (3) from below and to couple to the supporting unit (10) to define with it a clamping unit for clamping the supporting element (3) against the closing unit (11).

An apparatus for heat-sealing a lidding film (2) to a supporting element (3), comprising a movement track (5), which extends between an infeed zone and an outfeed zone, a conveying unit (8) and a heat-sealing device (6) which is fitted along the movement track (5), the device (6) comprising a supporting unit (10) and a closing unit (11) which are movable between a home position in which they are at a distance from each other and an operating position in which they are coupled to clamp, in use, the lidding film (2) and a supporting element (3); wherein the conveying unit (8) is configured to support the supporting element (3) and to move and is associable with the movement track (5) for moving on it; the conveying unit (8) comprising one or more active portions (12) which are configured to support the supporting element (3) from below and to couple to the supporting unit (10) to define with it a clamping unit for clamping the supporting element (3) against the closing unit (11).

A process is provided for heat sealing substrate layers. The process comprising: conveying an upper die having a heating conductor and a lower die having a heating conductor to a sealing region, where a substrate is applied to one or more items; activating a power supply system; monitoring, via the power supply system, a temperature of the heating conductor of the upper die when in the sealing region; monitoring, via the power supply system, a temperature of the heating conductor of the lower die when in the sealing region, wherein the monitoring of the temperature of the heating conductor of the upper die is performed independently of the monitoring of the temperature of the heating conductor of the lower die; supplying power to the upper die based on the temperature of the heating conductor of the upper die; supplying power to the lower die based on the temperature of the heating conductor of the lower die, wherein the power is supplied to the lower die independently of the power being supplied to the upper die.

A workstation for a film-processing packaging machine defines a film transport plane in which the packaging film can be transported. In addition, the workstation comprises an electrically operable heating assembly. The latter in turn comprises an electrically conductive planar resistance heating element which in a plane parallel to the film transport plane has dimensions that are greater by a factor of at least 5, preferably at least 10, than in a direction perpendicular to the film transport plane. The resistance heating element is arranged between a heating plate and a clamping plate. The disclosure also relates to a packaging machine with such a workstation and to a method for operating such a workstation.