A control apparatus for controlling a production or manufacturing apparatus that performs processing for sequentially producing an item to be produced through units arranged in a line, includes: a physical quantity acquirer that acquires a physical quantity representing a state of processing in a unit subjected to monitoring for each cycle, the cycle being defined as unit processing time of processing performed by each unit; an abnormality determiner that determines occurrence of an abnormality in the unit, based on the physical quantity or a feature value extracted from the physical quantity; and a control instructor that specifies, when it is determined that an abnormality occurs in the unit, a cycle during which a downstream unit performs processing on an item to be produced that is affected by the abnormality, and perform control so that abnormality handling processing is performed as processing in the specified cycle by the downstream unit.

In a method of making disposable, flexible containers for fluent products, methods of opening the flexible containers are disclosed, including methods of opening multi-layer structures to enable filling of fluent product(s). The methods may include opening a partially complete container blank made of three or more layers by separating a portion of one layer from a portion of another layer by bending portions of all of the layers outward toward a first direction; and then bending portions of at some of the layers outward toward a second direction that is within 20 degrees of opposite to the first direction.

Systems for marking a moving film that include a triggering apparatus (140) that repeatedly provides a trigger signal, a controller (120) that receives the trigger signal and generates a marking signal, and a marking device (130) that receives the marking signal and marks the film are provided Also provided are methods for marking a moving film that employ the systems. Apparatuses for marking a moving film that include the triggering apparatus and the controller are also provided. Methods for making metallized marked films that include a film marked by these systems and a metallized layer, in which at least one marking is embedded within the film are also provided. Also provided are methods for making packages and packing a product in these packages, in which the packages include the metallized marked films are also provided.

Systems for marking a moving film that include a triggering apparatus (140) that repeatedly provides a trigger signal, a controller (120) that receives the trigger signal and generates a marking signal, and a marking device (130) that receives the marking signal and marks the film are provided Also provided are methods for marking a moving film that employ the systems. Apparatuses for marking a moving film that include the triggering apparatus and the controller are also provided. Methods for making metallized marked films that include a film marked by these systems and a metallized layer, in which at least one marking is embedded within the film are also provided. Also provided are methods for making packages and packing a product in these packages, in which the packages include the metallized marked films are also provided.

A packaging machine for producing packages (2) from a sheet of packaging material (3), said packaging material (3) comprising a plurality of marks (20) associated with corresponding portions (21) of said packaging material (3), said packaging machine comprising a working unit (30) having a track arrangement (31) and a plurality of transporting elements (32), each transporting element (32) supporting a tool (40) arranged for carrying out a working operation on said packaging material (3), said transporting elements (32) being movable on said track arrangement (31) (independently from each other, each of said transporting elements (32) comprising a sensor device (33) arranged for detecting a corresponding mark (20) and generating a signal indicating the position of said mark (20) with respect to said transporting element (32), said packaging machine further comprising a control unit arranged to control the position of said transporting element (32) along said track arrangement (31) on the basis of said signal; a method for producing packages (2) from a sheet of packaging material (3) is also disclosed.

A packaging machine for producing packages (2) from a sheet of packaging material (3), said packaging material (3) comprising a plurality of marks (20) associated with corresponding portions (21) of said packaging material (3), said packaging machine comprising a working unit (30) having a track arrangement (31) and a plurality of transporting elements (32), each transporting element (32) supporting a tool (40) arranged for carrying out a working operation on said packaging material (3), said transporting elements (32) being movable on said track arrangement (31) (independently from each other, each of said transporting elements (32) comprising a sensor device (33) arranged for detecting a corresponding mark (20) and generating a signal indicating the position of said mark (20) with respect to said transporting element (32), said packaging machine further comprising a control unit arranged to control the position of said transporting element (32) along said track arrangement (31) on the basis of said signal; a method for producing packages (2) from a sheet of packaging material (3) is also disclosed.

Methods of making flexible containers that include structural support frames, including methods for sealing such containers.

A first film can be conveyed through a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that contains tooling stations in which bottom sealer bars are positioned in different tooling stations relative to side sealer bars. The first film can be processed by the machine to form a first pouch. After the first pouch is formed, a vertical height of one or more of the side sealer bars and/or one or more of the bottom sealer bars can be selectively adjusted. The same bottom and side sealer bars remain in the machine during the selective adjusting of the vertical height. After the selective adjusting of the vertical height of the component, a second film can be conveyed through the horizontal form-fill-seal machine. The second film can be processed by the machine to form a second pouch having at least one dimension that is different than the first pouch.

Provided is a tablet packing method including: a step of conveying a long sheet material that is a material of a packing bag in a longitudinal direction; a step of introducing all of a same kind of tablets of the tablets prescribed to each patient to a packing space formed by the conveyed long sheet material; a step of sealing the long sheet material to form a section in which the packing space provided with the tablets is airtight; and a step of cutting the long sheet material provided with one or a plurality of the sections, in predetermined units in the longitudinal direction.

Provided is a tablet packing method including: a step of conveying a long sheet material that is a material of a packing bag in a longitudinal direction; a step of introducing all of a same kind of tablets of the tablets prescribed to each patient to a packing space formed by the conveyed long sheet material; a step of sealing the long sheet material to form a section in which the packing space provided with the tablets is airtight; and a step of cutting the long sheet material provided with one or a plurality of the sections, in predetermined units in the longitudinal direction.