A packaging material web stock is provided. The packaging material web stock can include first and second plies overlaid and sealed to each other at a plurality of seals that include a plurality of transverse seals extending transversely across the plies, wherein a plurality of interior cavities are defined between the plies and the transverse seals, the first and second plies arranged in a web that includes a plurality of packaging units arranged longitudinally in a series along the web, wherein the first and second plies form walls of the packaging units, and at least some of the packaging units include at least one of the interior cavities, and an expansion material disposed in the interior cavities in an unexpanded configuration, wherein the expansion material is arranged within the inner cavities such that, when expanded to the expanded configuration, the expansion material is configured to provide cushioning in the walls.

A machine for pulling paper off of a roll and crumpling the paper increasing the surface area and bulk of the compressible crumpled paper. The crumpled paper is used as packing material, cushioning packaged parts and filling package voids.

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.

A method of making a dunnage product includes the following steps: (a) converting a sheet stock material into a lower density strip of dunnage having a width and a height that is less than the width; and (b) cutting the strip of dunnage to form a discrete dunnage product of a desired length by cutting across less than the width of the strip of dunnage to maintain a connection between the strip of dunnage and the discrete dunnage product. The connection between respective dunnage products in a string of connected dunnage products keeps the dunnage products together, in the order in which they were produced, and helps to ensure that the dunnage products do not shingle and can assist in feeding the dunnage products to a packing station.

A dunnage conversion machine converts a sheet stock material into a dunnage product that is relatively thicker and less dense than the stock material. The conversion machine includes a conversion assembly that draws the sheet stock material therethrough and randomly crumples at least a portion of the sheet stock material. Before severing a discrete dunnage product of a desired length from the substantially continuous length of sheet stock material, the random crumpling is minimized or eliminated in an area to be cut to reduce or eliminate the production of scrap shards of sheet stock material during the cutting operation.

A machine includes an inflation arrangement, a sealing arrangement, and a tensioning device. The inflation arrangement provides air at a first pressure to inflate a first web of a first type of inflatable material, provides air at a second pressure to inflate a second web of a second type of inflatable material, receives the first and second webs, and aligns the first and second webs on the machine. The first pressure is different from the second pressure. The sealing arrangement seals the first and second types of inflatable material. The tensioning device provides a first tensioning force to the first web as the first web moves between the inflation and sealing arrangements and provides a second tensioning force to the second web as the second web moves between the inflation and sealing arrangements. The first tensioning force is different from the second tensioning force.

An apparatus for providing packaging material (e.g. a corrugated board web section or a paper cushioning material strand) by manipulating (e.g. deforming, conveying and/or separating) a fiber starting material (e.g. a single or multi-ply paper web or a corrugated board web) may include at least one working device to be driven mechanically by at least one electric motor having a stationary stator and a rotor mounted movably thereto. An excitation current may be applied to a coil arrangement of the rotor or of the stator. The motor may be free of an electrical contact coupling for transmitting the excitation current between the stator and the rotor, and may include a detector to detect the position of the rotor. The working device may be a deformation device (e.g. a pair of deformation wheels), a conveyor (e.g. a pair of conveyor wheels), or a separating device (e.g. a rotary or translational cutter).

A bagger device is provided. The bagger device can include a bag handler configured to handle packaging material configured to define a bag that has first and second walls enclosing an interior cavity configured to contain an object therein for shipping, the first wall including an expansion material that has an expandable configuration and that is expandable to an expanded configuration for providing padding to the first wall to protect the object contained within the interior cavity. The bagger device can further include an expansion device configured to apply expanding conditions to the packaging material, the expanding conditions configured to cause the expandable material to expand from the expandable configuration to the expanded configuration.

Packaging material is provided. The packaging material can include at least one web layer having a surface that includes first and second regions. When corresponding first regions are overlaid with each other and corresponding second regions are overlaid with each other, the overlaid first and second regions can cooperatively surround a cavity. The packaging material further can include a first sealing material disposed in the first region and configured to seal together the corresponding first regions upon application of first conditions to the first sealing material, and a second sealing material disposed in the second region and configured to seal together the corresponding second regions upon application of second conditions to the second sealing material. The second sealing material can be configured such that the first conditions applied to the second sealing material are insufficient to cause the second sealing material to seal.

Various devices and methods for expanding and dispensing expandable slit sheet paper include a support member for a roll of expandable slit sheet paper. In some embodiments, the roll of expandable slit sheet paper has an interior core member and a roll of expandable slit sheet paper wound on said interior core member. The device preferably includes a tension device that is used to provide tension to resist rotation of the roll or the movement of the expandable slit sheet paper during use. The pressure of the tensioning device creates a friction required to enable the unexpanded slit sheet to be unwind and fed while simultaneously expanding.