A dunnage producing system is disclosed. The system comprises a material feed section configured to feed a sheet stock material into the system to convert it into a dunnage product. The system further comprises a drive belt having a plurality of lugs fixed on the drive belt configured to engage one or more die-cut openings in the sheet stock or roll stock material. The system further comprises one or more folding mandrels and a glue feed section. The folding mandrels capture the engaged sheet stock or roll stock material between the drive belt and folding mandrels. the glue feed section comprises a tank loaded with pre-melted adhesive material, a hose to transfer the post melted adhesive materials, and a dispensing nozzle to pump the melted adhesive material to the sheet stock material. A controller then receives measurement information and control the functions of the system to produce dunnage product.

A packaging apparatus with an improved pinch roller apparatus, fluid supply apparatus, and/or a sealing apparatus. The pinch roller apparatus (e.g., comprising one or more guide and/or pinch rollers) is used to deliver film material to the fluid supply apparatus (e.g., nozzle and blower apparatus, or the like) that fills one or more chambers of the film material with fluid (e.g., air, gas, or other like fluid), and the film material is then sealed by a sealing apparatus (e.g., using one or more heating elements with an improved temperature sensor configuration) that seals the fluid within the one or more chambers in order to form the inflated article (e.g., inflated packaging material). In particular, the sealing apparatus provides improved sealing through the improved accuracy of the temperature reading in the heating zone, in part, by locating a sensor between a heating element and a protective member that covers the sensor.

A packaging material production machine for manufacturing a packaging material product may include a feed funnel for introducing packaging material from a web-shaped packaging material supply into the packaging material production machine, and a deflection shaft supported rotatably in a free-wheeling manner on the packaging material production machine for introducing the packaging material into the feed hopper. The deflection shaft may include lateral end portions whose diameters continuously increase outwardly at least in sections. The packaging material may be in the form of a leporello stack or in roll form.

A driven crimping gear (10) cooperates with the first idler crimping gear (12) and the second idler crimping gear (14). The gears pull paper of a roll (12) which paper has had the edges curled over. The paper is guided through the gears by plates (28) and (30).

An inflatable packaging structure, including at least one inflatable panel made of a plurality of layers of thermoplastic material, the at least one inflatable panel includes a plurality of fluid chambers, whereas a one-way check valve is incorporated into at least one of the plurality of fluid chambers, an air supply line, configured to commonly communicate with each of the one-way check valves to supply fluid into the fluid chambers; and at least two heat sealed edges formed on the at least one inflatable panel, each of which is configured to attach a portion of the at least one inflatable panel to another portion thereof; and wherein the at least two heat sealed edges extend generally in parallel with respect to each other and configured to form the inflatable packaging structure with at least partially rectangular cross-section, having at least four faces.

A machine converts a web of preformed pouches, which are defined by transverse seals extending from a remote edge, into inflated dunnage units. A sealing arrangement is positioned to provide a longitudinal seal intersecting the transverse seals to close the preformed pouches and form a dunnage unit. The sealing arrangement has at least two sealing belts. Each belt is positioned so that respective first sides engage a surface of the web and pull the web through sealing elements positioned on either side of the web. A heating element is on a second side of the first belt not engaging the web. A compliant material is on a second side of the second belt not engaging the web. As the web passes between the heating element and compliant material, imperfections in the web are smoothed by the compliant material and the layers of the web are sealed by the heating element.

A dunnage system may include a converting station including a converter configured for pulling in a stream of sheet material and converting the material into dunnage, and an inlet guide having an inlet surface that is coiled such that first and second ends of the inlet surface are discontinuous with each other to define a gap therebetween, the inlet surface configured to channel the sheet material into the converter. A cutter for a dunnage system may include a blade with first and second phases of serrations that are coextensive over at least a portion of the blade, the first phase providing cutting serrations for cutting the dunnage, and the second phase comprising ledges for focusing the cutting and preventing or reducing bunching of the dunnage towards a side of the blade. A method of converting dunnage may also be provided.

Method for producing a padding product, comprising the following steps: providing a flat, elongate paper strip, which has a central region extending in the longitudinal direction and two-layered or multi-layered adjacent edge regions, which are not joined to one another, opening up adjacent edge regions, and crumpling the paper strip along the central region, characterized in that before the crumpling along the central region the edge regions are turned over towards the center region, and a device for producing a padding product, and a padding product.

The present disclosure relates generally to an inflation and sealing machine and in particular to a method for modifying one or more parameters of the machine. The method includes identifying a configuration of a supply material to be used with the inflation and sealing machine, such as by receiving a user input, automatically detecting characteristics of the material, and/or receiving data such as from a sensor regarding the characteristics of the material. Once the configuration of the supply material is identified, the method includes receiving a selection of a prestored recipe according to a configuration of the supply material, where the recipe determines or sets the value for one or more operating parameters of the machine.

Methods and structures are provided for a dunnage system to facilitate efficient coupling together of supply units of pre-configured sheet stock material, such as, for example, separate units of fanfold stacks of pre-configured sheet stock material, in a manner of continuous supply with a continuous pocket extending longitudinally between the separate supply units, so that they can interact with an expander of the dunnage system without disruption as one supply unit is depleted and a next supply unit is fed through the dunnage system. Also, various methods, apparatus, and systems are provided to facilitate smooth operation of a dunnage machine of the dunnage system to reduce a tendency of the pre-configured sheet stock material to jam and to increase the tendency of dunnage product generated to reflect a desired shape and stability.