Systems, apparatuses, and methods to secure a film to a container are provided. An example sealing device utilizes film from a supply of film to seal a lid onto a container. Various sizes of containers are usable with some example sealing devices. Additional features, such as printing on the film and piercing the film for ventilation and/or insertion of a straw are contemplated. One or more markings along the film may be utilized for confirming that an approved film has been loaded into the sealing device. In response, various components or features of the sealing device may be appropriately enabled or disabled. The one or more markings may also be utilized to convey data to the sealing device regarding the installed film, such as for improved operation thereof.

A joining element has an anchoring portion for in-depth anchoring in the object and a head portion arranged proximally of the anchoring portion with respect to an insertion axis. The head portion has a lateral outer surface that has a structure that is well-defined, especially within tight tolerances. The joining element is positioned relative to an object of a non-liquefiable material such that the anchoring portion reaches into an opening of the object or is placed adjacent a mouth thereof. Then, the joining element is pressed towards a distal direction, to press the anchoring portion into the opening, while mechanical vibration energy is coupled into the joining element by a tool, in an amount and for a time sufficient for liquefaction of a portion of the thermoplastic material to cause interpenetration of the thermoplastic material into structures of the object.

A first object is anchored in a second object. The first object has a material with thermoplastic properties, and the second material has a material that is solid and is penetrable by the first material when in a liquefied state. The second object has an insertion face with an opening having a mouth in the insertion face, and the first object has an insert portion that for anchoring is placed in the opening or about the mouth thereof. For anchoring, energy suitable for liquefaction of the first material impinges in an amount and for a time sufficient for at least partial liquefaction of the first material and interpenetration of the first and second materials. The second object, around the opening, has an anisotropic strength with respect to forces perpendicular to the opening axis.

A method for connecting a thermoplastic line element to a connecting element includes the steps of: providing the at least one thermoplastic line element; providing the connecting element having a thermoplastic body wherein a heating element is embedded in the body for generating heat in a welding region for welding the body to the at least one line element; joining the connecting element to the at least one thermoplastic line element; providing a welding device for welding the connecting element to the at least one thermoplastic line element; welding the connecting element to at least one thermoplastic line element by generating heat in the welding region using the welding device. The welding of the connecting element to the at least one thermoplastic line element is stopped by the welding device before the end of the planned welding duration if an error criterion is met.

A methods of executing start, run, and stop sequences on a machine for converting a web of preformed pouches into inflated dunnage units. The pouches are defined by transverse seals extending from a remote edge to within a predetermined distance from an inflation edge.

There is described a unit (1, 1, 1) for forming/advancing at least one pack (3) or at least one portion of a pack (3), comprising a frame (11, 12a, 12b), a selectively activatable/deactivatable source of power (42) and at least one carriage (14a, 14b) operationally coupled with source of power (42), movable along a path (13a, 13b) comprising at least one vertical portion (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b), and adapted to convey said at least one pack (3) or said at least one portion of a pack (3); unit (1, 1, 1) comprises stopping means (45) fitted to frame (12a, 12b) and which can be operated: to leave carriage (14a, 14b) free to advance along vertical portion (18a, 18b; 19a, 19b), when source of power (42) is activated, and to stop carriage (14a, 14b) along vertical portion (18a, 18b; 19a, 19b), when source of power is, in use, deactivated.

The present invention relates to a welding machine for continuous welding of two layers of plastic film material together in a welding pattern, including a welding drum, welding means arranged on the peripheral surface of the welding drum that exhibits a welding pattern, a heating arrangement arranged to heat the welding means to a welding temperature, an endless welding band, a set of band guidance rollers comprising a first application roller and a second application roller arranged to apply the welding band to the welding means on the surface of the welding drum over a peripheral extend of at least 900? of the welding drum with a force radial to the welding drum in a first operational mode of the welding machine, the set of band guidance rollers comprising at least one displaceable tensioning roller for maintaining a tension of the welding band, a web guidance arrangement for guiding the two layers of plastic film material in between the welding drum and the welding band, and a control means for controlling the operation of the welding machine, wherein the machine comprises one or more separation rollers, and is arranged in a second operational mode of the welding machine to displace the one or more separation rollers from a first position thereof and in between the welding means on the peripheral surface of the welding drum and the two layers of plastic film material to a second position of the one or more separation rollers where the two layers of plastic film material and the welding band are separated from the periphery of the welding drum by means of the separation rollers. Furthermore is disclosed the use of such welding machine for forming pockets between the two layers of plastic film material, in particular closed pockets for air cushions.

An apparatus may include a film support roller supporting a film roll and a housing that may include a sealing portion having an aperture sized to receive a top portion of a container. The housing may define a film path leading from the film roll to the sealing portion. A guide support assembly may have a ramp and at least one guide truss positioned along the film path. The ramp and the guide truss may guide the film across the aperture within the sealing portion, covering the aperture. The motor may advance the film along the film path. The heating element may emanate energy. The controller may cause the motor to advance the film onto the ramp and cause the heating element to emanate energy to cause the film to seal the top portion of the container.

The present disclosure can provide for an ultrasonic welding method for a pair of workpieces. The method can include first pressing an ultrasonic welding stack against a first workpiece in the pair so that the first workpiece comes into contact with a second workpiece in the pair. The method can then provide for initiating a weld phase by outputting energy from the ultrasonic welding stack to the first workpiece. The method can provide for monitoring, with at least one sensor, a sensed parameter. The sensed parameter can be, for example, weld force and/or weld force rate of change. The method can provide for determining whether the sensed parameter has reached a predetermined level. Based on determining that the sensed parameter has reached the predetermined level, the method can provide for ending the weld phase.

A laser welding apparatus is provides that includes: a support member including a heat generation portion which has a size that is limited to correspond to a size of a welding area of a plurality of plastic components and is made from a material that absorbs a laser beam and generates heat, and which generates heat of a temperature that is equal to or greater than a melting temperature of the plastic components; a laser beam irradiation unit for converging a laser beam to be transmitted through the plurality of plastic components, and irradiating the laser beam toward the heat generation portion through the plurality of plastic components; and a welding controller for causing a laser beam to be irradiated at the heat generation portion using the laser beam irradiation unit to thereby cause the heat generation portion to generate heat, and welding abutting faces of a welding area of the plurality of plastic components with heat that is generated.