A flexible thermoformed dispensing package for a flowable material that can be massed produced on a horizontal thermoform-fill-seal (HTFFS) machine includes a container portion that is dimensioned and configured with a flat self-supporting base, integral opposing side walls and a rear wall extending from the base, and a top wall or seam integrally formed from a single sheet or web, the side walls tapering from the base toward the integral rear wall and terminating at the top wall or seam; and a front wall that is heat-sealed as a separate sheet to the periphery of the periphery of the base, side walls and top wall to form a fluid-tight package that maintains a stand-up orientation when in use, and optionally includes an integral dispensing tube with an optional internal extension terminating proximate the supporting base for withdrawing liquid contents from the package.

A packaging machine is provided for producing single and multiple compartment film wrapped pouches. Multiple linear motors allow aspects of the forming, filling, cutting and discharging to run at different speeds. The pouches are formed, filled and discharged from platens that are secured to movers that proceed through the packaging process by following magnetic fields created by independently controlled linear motors. Overall, cycle time is decreased as a result of speeding up parts of the process, including the platen return process, possible because there is no mechanical connection and not a single conveyor moving the platens while the other parts of the process may be simultaneously slowed down or even temporarily stopped. Changeover of platens, to accommodate different products, such as single compartment pouch to multiple compartment pouches, is also simplified because platens are simply connected to the movers and are thus easily removed and replaced.

A multi-compartment pouch is formed from two water soluble substrates, wherein the pouch is substantially symmetrical about a weld line between the two substrates.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus for making pouch products includes a conveyor system. The conveyor system includes a first receiving location along a path of the conveyor system, and a dosing location along the path of the conveyor system. The apparatus also includes a first material dispensing station configured to transfer a first material to the first receiving location. The first material includes a first elastic layer and a first support layer. The first material dispensing station includes a dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the first material, a plurality of rollers configured to convey the first material from the dispenser roller to the first receiving location, and a stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the first support layer from a portion of the first elastic layer.

A cleaner assembly for an apparatus for making pouch products includes a cleaner roller and a poker roller. The cleaner roller may counter rotate with a rotatable drum of the apparatus, in contact with an upper surface of a first elastic layer on the rotatable drum, and at a greater tangential speed than at least one surface of an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or an upper surface of the first elastic layer. The poker roller includes projections that are each configured to extend into one or more divots of the rotatable drum. The poker roller may counter rotate with the rotatable drum and at a same tangential speed as the at least one surface such that the projections extend into and out of separate, respective divots of the rotatable drum based on the counter rotation of the poker roller and the rotatable drum.

Provided herein is a water-soluble film that includes carrageenan and 1 to 99% wt plasticiser, based on dry weight of the film. Also provided is a water-soluble capsule that includes the film.

A polyvinyl alcohol water-soluble film with excellent conformability to a mold during forming and capable of being formed into a package with excellent appearance is provided. A water-soluble film contains a polyvinyl alcohol resin (A). The water-soluble film has an initial elastic modulus of 2.5 to 10 MPa as obtained by performing a tension creep test using a dynamic viscoelasticity measurement device.

The invention relates to a system (100) for manufacturing a compostable pod (900) for brewing products. Therein, the pod (900) is made from a sheet (600) made of a biodegradable cellulose-based material. The system (100) comprises at least one shaping line (200), which comprises a handling unit (300) for transferring the sheet (600) along a transfer direction (TD) through the system (100). The shaping line (200) further comprises a humidifying unit (400) for moistening at least one side of the sheet (600) with a moistening agent (401), and a forming unit (800) for shaping a part of the moistened sheet (600) into a three-dimensional shape to form a pod element (910), which defines a pod cavity (911). The shaping line (200) comprises further a humidity sensor system (500) for visually sensing a level of humidity of at least a section of the moistened sheet (600). Values related to the level of humidity sensed by the humidity sensor system (500) are received by a control unit (700), which is further configured to control the humidifying unit (400) based on these values. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a compostable pod (900), whereby a level of humidity of at least a section of the moistened sheet (600) is visually sensed and forwarded for controlling the moistening process of the at least one side of the sheet (600) correspondingly.

Disclosed herein are a rotary die encapsulation system and process for manufacturing capsules and uses thereof. The rotary die encapsulation system and process may be used for improving content uniformity of a multi-phase fill composition in a capsule. The rotary die encapsulation system and process may also be used for tuning dose strength of a fill composition in a capsule.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus for making pouch products includes a conveyor system. The conveyor system includes a first receiving location along a path of the conveyor system, and a dosing location along the path of the conveyor system. The apparatus also includes a first material dispensing station configured to transfer a first material to the first receiving location. The first material includes a first elastic layer and a first support layer. The first material dispensing station includes a dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the first material, a plurality of rollers configured to convey the first material from the dispenser roller to the first receiving location, and a stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the first support layer from a portion of the first elastic layer.