A guiding device for guiding a sheet of packaging material in a packaging machine for producing sealed packages includes: a plurality of folding rollers defining a passage for the sheet of packaging material, the passage having a longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of folding rollers are configured to cause a first longitudinal edge of the sheet of packaging material to superimpose to a second longitudinal edge of the sheet of packaging material, opposite the first longitudinal edge, wherein the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge define an overlapping area having an extension, wherein the plurality of folding rollers include: a group of first folding rollers configured to rotate around first rotation axes, and at least one second folding roller configured to rotate around a second rotation axis, and a driving arrangement configured to move the at least one second folding roller towards and away from the longitudinal axis.

There is described a packaging apparatus for forming a plurality of sealed packages comprising a conveyor for advancing a web of packaging material along an advancement path, an isolation chamber, a tube forming device adapted to form a tube from the, in use, advancing web of packaging material, a sealing device adapted to longitudinally seal the tube, a filling device for continuously filling the tube formed by the tube forming device, a package forming unit adapted to form and seal the packages from the, in use, advancing tube formed by the tube forming device and filled by the filling device and a support platform supporting the isolation chamber from a first side of the support platform and carrying the package forming unit from a second side of the support platform opposite to the first side.

A packaging apparatus for small piece goods, the use of the packaging apparatus, and a method for producing a blister tube are provided. The packaging apparatus includes a packaging material guiding device for providing a shaped packaging material web suitable for receiving small piece goods, a longitudinal joining device which is arranged downstream of the packaging material guiding device and a transverse joining device which is arranged downstream of the packaging material guiding device. The transverse joining device joins the shaped packaging material web together at predetermined intervals transversely to the direction of travel to form a transverse joining area. The transverse joining device includes two joiners, a first joiner having a plurality of embossers that are individually movable transversely to the direction of travel and are arranged so that they can be extended from the first joiner and retracted into the first joiner.

Described is a compensating device applicable on intermittent advancement packaging machines with wrapping material constituted by a film made of a flexible plastic material, for continuous compensating of a stretching of the film during drawing thereof, the machine comprising a first drawing group of the film, a mobile element able to exert a determined force on the film during advancement, the mobile element being conventionally known as a dancer and a second drawing group of the film arranged downstream of the first drawing group, where each drawing group is provided with a sensor for detecting markers located at regular intervals along the film, the compensating device being constituted by a third drawing group, located between the first and second drawing groups, the third drawing group being provided with a marker sensor, the third drawing group being provided with independent motorisation and an automatic roller opening system.

There is described a web alignment device for aligning a web comprising an engagement surface for supporting the web, a clamp assembly for clamping the web on at least a clamp portion of the engagement surface, an alignment control assembly for controlling a correct alignment of the web. The alignment control assembly comprises a control unit for generating a trigger signal if the web is correctly aligned, a first sensor device for detecting and/or determining a desired position of a first section of the web and to send at least a first signal to the control unit if the first section is positioned in the desired position, and a second sensor device for detecting and/or determining a desired position of a second section of the web and to send a second signal to the control unit if the second section is positioned in the desired position.

A vertical flow-wrapper, which produces packages from a packaging material, the vertical flow-wrapper includes: a form-fill tube, a form shoulder, a longitudinal-sealing means, a cross-sealing means/cutting means, and means to attach a reclosure means to the packaging material, the form shoulder is an asymmetrical form shoulder and the means are at least partially provided within vertical boundaries of the asymmetrical form shoulder.

A guiding device for guiding a sheet of packaging material (3) in a packaging machine (1) for producing sealed packages (2), said guiding device comprising a plurality of folding rollers defining a passage (31) for said sheet of packaging material (3) and causing a first longitudinal edge (11) of said sheet of packaging material (3) to superimpose to a second longitudinal edge (15) of said sheet of packaging material (3), opposite said first longitudinal edge (11), to define an overlapping area (16) of said first longitudinal edge (11) and said second longitudinal edge (15), said overlapping area having a certain extension, said passage having a longitudinal axis (A), said plurality of folding rollers comprising a group of first folding rollers (32) rotatable around first rotation axes (C) arranged in a common first plane, said plurality of folding rollers further comprising at least one second folding roller (33) rotatable around a second rotation axis (D) arranged in a second plane, different from said first plane, said guiding device further comprising a driving arrangement (34) for moving said at least one second folding roller (33) towards and away from said longitudinal axis (A) of said passage (31) so as to control the extension of said overlapping area (16).

A packaging apparatus for small piece goods, the use of the packaging apparatus, and a method for producing a blister tube are provided. The packaging apparatus includes a packaging material guiding device for providing a shaped packaging material web suitable for receiving small piece goods, a longitudinal joining device which is arranged downstream of the packaging material guiding device and a transverse joining device which is arranged downstream of the packaging material guiding device. The transverse joining device joins the shaped packaging material web together at predetermined intervals transversely to the direction of travel to form a transverse joining area. The transverse joining device includes two joiners, a first joiner having a plurality of embossers that are individually movable transversely to the direction of travel and are arranged so that they can be extended from the first joiner and retracted into the first joiner.

A package forming unit comprises plural jaw units, each having at least one respective operative assembly for engaging the tube and for at least partially forming the advancing tube, one respective sealing element for at least partially transversally sealing the tube along a transversal sealing band and a pair of interaction tabs for interacting with the tube. Each jaw unit is controllable as a function of the tube filling level in an operative configuration in which the respective operative assembly, the respective sealing element and the respective pair of interaction tabs are controlled in respective active states while advancing along respective operative portions and a partial operative configuration in which the respective sealing element is controlled in the respective active state and the respective operative assembly and/or the respective pair of interaction tabs is/are controlled in a respective inactive state while, in use, advancing along the respective operative portion.

Disclosed in the present invention is a system for forming a product package by online forming, filling and sealing, the system comprising: a sterilization apparatus, a forming apparatus, a conveyor belt, a filling apparatus and a first closing apparatus. Also disclosed is a method for forming a product package by online forming, filling and sealing. The method of the present invention integrates production and filling of large-volume packages, greatly shortening the supply chain and increasing production efficiency.