A package comprises a plastic bag delimiting a seat sealingly housing a product. The plastic bag has plastic film walls (4) and at least one sealing band connecting together opposed wall portions of the plastic film walls at a connecting zone. A tab is coupled with the connecting zone of the plastic bag. The tab includes an easy opening feature at one or more of its perimeter edges.

Heat shrink apparatuses and devices can heat shrink selected portions of containers made from heat shrinkable plastic film. The apparatuses and devices selectively heat shrink a main portion of the container where a product is housed, or a terminal portion of the same container. A packaging line including one or more of the heat shrink apparatuses and devices.

It is described a package (1) comprising a plastic bag (2) delimiting a seat (3) sealingly housing a product (P): the plastic bag (2) has plastic film walls (4) and at least one sealing band (5) connecting together opposed wall portions (4a) of the plastic film walls at a connecting zone (6) of the plastic bag; a tab (10) is coupled with the connecting zone (6) of the plastic bag: the tab (10) includes an easy opening feature (11) at one or more of its perimeter edges. A process of making packages (1) of the above type is also described.

It is described a package (1) comprising a plastic bag (2) delimiting a seat (3) sealingly housing a product (P): the plastic bag (2) has plastic film walls (4) and at least one sealing band (5) connecting together opposed wall portions (4a) of the plastic film walls at a connecting zone (6) of the plastic bag; a tab (10) is coupled with the connecting zone (6) of the plastic bag: the tab (10) includes an easy opening feature (11) at one or more of its perimeter edges. A process of making packages (1) of the above type is also described.

A heat-seal band system is provided with an air gap arrangement that facilitates heat tunability and corresponding balancing of heat distribution through a tab to band (tab/band) junction of a heat-seal band. The heat-seal band may be implemented as a closed-contour heat-seal band with a band that has a workpiece facing surface that directs heat toward a workpiece and an opposite surface from which a pair of conductive tabs extend. Tab covers engage at least portions of the tabs to establish air gaps with dimensions that influence energy transmissibility at the tab/band junction. The tab covers may be fixed such as those defined by portions of clamps that hold the tabs and/or variable such as those implemented as replaceable gap gauges of different dimensions. Selecting and mounting different gap gauges facilitates heat tunability through adjusting the air gap to help identify an acceptable amount of heating uniformity about an entire workpiece facing surface of the heat-seal band.

A heat-seal band system is provided with an air gap arrangement that facilitates heat tunability and corresponding balancing of heat distribution through a tab to band (tab/band) junction of a heat-seal band. The heat-seal band may be implemented as a closed-contour heat-seal band with a band that has a workpiece facing surface that directs heat toward a workpiece and an opposite surface from which a pair of conductive tabs extend. Tab covers engage at least portions of the tabs to establish air gaps with dimensions that influence energy transmissibility at the tab/band junction. The tab covers may be fixed such as those defined by portions of clamps that hold the tabs and/or variable such as those implemented as replaceable gap gauges of different dimensions. Selecting and mounting different gap gauges facilitates heat tunability through adjusting the air gap to help identify an acceptable amount of heating uniformity about an entire workpiece facing surface of the heat-seal band.

A packaging apparatus (1) for heat sealing packages (P) comprising a vacuum chamber (4) having an elongated opening (5) extending along or parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4) and a conveyor (8) configured for receiving semi-sealed packages (P) and for moving the semi-sealed packages (P) relative to the vacuum chamber (4) along a main movement direction (M) such that each semi-sealed package (P) positioned on the conveyor (8) may have, during the relative movement of the semi-sealed package (P) with respect to the vacuum chamber (4), a terminal portion (TP) passing through the elongated opening (5) with its opening relatively moving within the vacuum chamber (4), while the main portion (MP) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (4). The packaging apparatus (1) further comprises evacuation means (9) fluidly communicating with the vacuum chamber (4) for evacuating gas present in the semi-sealed packages (P) and forming evacuated semi-sealed packages (P). The packaging apparatus (1) further comprises a heat sealer (13) configured for heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) thereby forming heat sealed packages (P). The packaging apparatus (1) is provided with at least one pre-heating unit (39, 40) arranged along the main movement direction (M) upstream of the heat sealing station (14) for pre-heating at least a band of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P). A packaging process is also disclosed. The packaging process may use the packaging apparatus (1).

A packaging apparatus (1) for heat sealing packages (P) comprising a vacuum chamber (4) having an elongated opening (5) extending along or parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4) and a conveyor (8) configured for receiving semi-sealed packages (P) and for moving the semi-sealed packages (P) relative to the vacuum chamber (4) along a main movement direction (M) such that each semi-sealed package (P) positioned on the conveyor (8) may have, during the relative movement of the semi-sealed package (P) with respect to the vacuum chamber (4), a terminal portion (TP) passing through the elongated opening (5) with its opening relatively moving within the vacuum chamber (4), while the main portion (MP) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (4). The packaging apparatus (1) further comprises evacuation means (9) fluidly communicating with the vacuum chamber (4) for evacuating gas present in the semi-sealed packages (P) and forming evacuated semi-sealed packages (P). The packaging apparatus (1) further comprises a heat sealer (13) configured for heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) thereby forming heat sealed packages (P). The packaging apparatus (1) is provided with at least one pre-heating unit (39, 40) arranged along the main movement direction (M) upstream of the heat sealing station (14) for pre-heating at least a band of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P). A packaging process is also disclosed. The packaging process may use the packaging apparatus (1).

A folding unit for producing packages from sealed packs having at least one flap to be folded, the folding unit including a conveying device carrying at least one pushing element arranged for interacting with the at least one flap, and a supporting element onto which the conveying device abuts when the at least one pushing element interacts with the at least one flap. The conveying device also includes at least one rolling element rolling onto the supporting element.

A flexible structure inflation device, comprising an inflation assembly configured for insertion between first and second overlapping film layers of a web of material, the inflation assembly having a fluid conduit configured directing a fluid in between the layers to inflate the web; and a cutting member held magnetically in an operative position adjacent the inflation assembly to cut the film passing over the inflation assembly.