Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.

Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.

A vertical bag-making/filling/packaging machine (1) includes: a top folding portion (20) which forms a first fold (F1) by folding one of sides of a band-shaped film (F) into a Z shape; a bottom folding portion (30) which folds a center of the film (F) so that side edges (E1, E2) of the film face each other; a first pleat guide (34, 35) which pulls a first pleat (G31) of the first fold (F1) upright; a spout portion-forming portion (40) which forms a spout portion (G8) between the side edges of the film (F); and a second pleat seal portion (51) which forms a second pleat (G32) by heat-welding the side edges (E1, E2) of the film (F) together so as to make the film (F) into a tube shape.

Disclosed are a system and method for packaging seaweed and/or aquatic plants. The system includes a wrapping mechanism configured to wrap the seaweed or aquatic plants in a lightweight material, a sealer configured to seal the lightweight material with the seaweed or aquatic plants therein, and a unitizer or link former configured to form fastened units from the lightweight material with the seaweed or aquatic plants therein. The method includes placing or depositing the seaweed or the aquatic plant(s) on a sheet of a lightweight material, wrapping the seaweed or the aquatic plant(s) in the lightweight material, and sealing the lightweight material to form a packaged unit or link in which the seaweed or aquatic plant(s) is sealed or otherwise contained in the lightweight material.

A bag-making and packaging machine works with a weighing machine installed upstream to manufacture bags containing article discharged from the weighing machine. The bag-making and packaging machine includes a forming unit, a transverse sealing unit, a conveyance unit, a communication unit, and a control unit. The communication unit receives from the weighing machine a signal relating to weighing and discharge of the article. The control unit has a disposal mode for disposing of the article in the weighing machine. When changing from a normal production mode to the disposal mode, the control unit performs control to skip, among operations in the normal production mode, the operation of the transverse sealing unit implemented in conjunction with the signal received by the communication unit from the weighing machine.

A vertical bag-making/filling/packaging machine (1) includes: a top folding portion (20) which forms a first fold (F1) by folding a side of a band-shaped film (F) into a Z-shape; a bottom folding portion (30) which forms a second fold (F5) by folding a center of the film (F) into an M-shape; a top seal portion (40) which forms a top gusset (G3) and a spout portion (G7) protruding from the top gusset (G3) by heat-welding the first fold (F1) and side edges (E1 and E2) of the film (F) so as to make the film (F) into a tube shape; and a bottom-seal portion (50) which forms a bottom gusset (G4) by heat-welding the second fold (F5).

A vertical bag-making/filling/packaging machine (1) includes: a top folding portion (20) which forms a first fold (F1) by folding a side of a band-shaped film (F) into a Z-shape; a bottom folding portion (30) which forms a second fold (F5) by folding a center of the film (F) into an M-shape; a top seal portion (40) which forms a top gusset (G3) and a spout portion (G7) protruding from the top gusset (G3) by heat-welding the first fold (F1) and side edges (E1 and E2) of the film (F) so as to make the film (F) into a tube shape; and a bottom-seal portion (50) which forms a bottom gusset (G4) by heat-welding the second fold (F5).

A packaging machine includes a conveying device for advancing a packaging material web at least to a tube forming station at which the web is formed into a tube and for advancing the tube to a tube forming and sealing device to form and longitudinally seal the tube, a tensioning device to control tension of the web and/or of the tube and a control unit to control operation of the packaging machine. The tensioning device has at least one tensioning assembly having at least first and second drive rollers, a first drive motor connected to the first drive roller to rotate the first drive roller and a second drive motor connected to the second drive roller to rotate the second drive roller. The control unit controls the first and second drive motors such that a free loop of the web expands and/or advances between the first and second drive rollers.

According to one embodiment a packaging method is provided in which a film is fed to a vertical forming tube, whereby the film is formed into a tubular shape, the ends of the tubular-shaped film are longitudinally sealed to one another by applying pressure on said ends, the product to be packaged is introduced into the forming tube and the film formed downstream of the forming tube is transversely sealed and cut. Furthermore, in the method, the ends of the film are pressed to one another with a force that keeps both ends static, the drop of the product upstream of the transverse seal is stopped or limited, and by maintaining said pressure and said stop or limitation, an airflow is generated inside the forming tube.

Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.