A system for packaging a product into separate bags, including a station for providing a partly closed bag and adding a quantity of the product into the partly closed bag, a closing station for closing the partly closed bag with the quantity of the product therein, a separating station for separating the closed bag from the sheet-shaped material, and an analyzing station for analyzing the closed bag, where the analyzing station is positioned between the closing station and the separating station and where the closed bag hangs from another bag when analyzed.

A cyclic packaging process, such as VFFS or HFFS, packages a product with a viscosity of ≥100,000 centipoise without leaving substantial air pockets in the package, by utilizing a means (38) for restricting upstream flow of viscous product in the strand of tubing (24). The result is that packages of uniform weight of the viscous product can be made without substantial air pockets therein, and without having to use metal clips. An apparatus (10) for carrying out the process is disclosed.

Apparatus and method of manufacturing open-mouth bags, comprising a storage device with a supply of bag film, a control device for controlling, a conveying device for conveying the bag film and/or the bag body along a conveying path, a welding device with welding means for making a bottom seam in the bag film and a cutting device with a cutting means for separating a predetermined film length of the bag film to form the bag body of an open-mouth bag. The control device controls the conveying device so as to cause a relative motion of the bag body and the bag film and a distance between the bag body and the bag film is generated prior to making the bottom seam. The control device controls the conveying device and the welding means so that while welding the bottom seam the welding means extend at least up to the bottom end of the bag body.

Apparatus and method of manufacturing open-mouth bags, comprising a storage device with a supply of bag film, a control device for controlling, a conveying device for conveying the bag film and/or the bag body along a conveying path, a welding device with welding means for making a bottom seam in the bag film and a cutting device with a cutting means for separating a predetermined film length of the bag film to form the bag body of an open-mouth bag. The control device controls the conveying device so as to cause a relative motion of the bag body and the bag film and a distance between the bag body and the bag film is generated prior to making the bottom seam. The control device controls the conveying device and the welding means so that while welding the bottom seam the welding means extend at least up to the bottom end of the bag body.

An induction heat sealing device (300) for providing a transversal sealing of a tube (104) of packaging material, said induction heat sealing device (300) comprising a main body (302) comprising a first and a second sealing surface (314a, 314b) arranged to face the packaging material during a sealing state (S), a recess (308) provided in the main body (308) for receiving a knife during a cutting state (C), wherein the first and second sealing surface (314a, 314b) are placed on opposite sides of the recess (308), and an electric conductor arrangement (306a, 306b, 306c, 306d), provided in the main body (302), for inducing eddy currents in the packaging material during the sealing state (S), wherein at least part of the first and second sealing surface (314a, 314b) are inclined and provided with a first and a second top section (316a, 316b), respectively, such that particles in a product held inside the tube (104) are pushed away from a sealing band of the tube as the sealing band is pressed towards the first and second top section (316a, 316b).

An induction heat sealing device (300) for providing a transversal sealing of a tube (104) of packaging material, said induction heat sealing device (300) comprising a main body (302) comprising a first and a second sealing surface (314a, 314b) arranged to face the packaging material during a sealing state (S), a recess (308) provided in the main body (308) for receiving a knife during a cutting state (C), wherein the first and second sealing surface (314a, 314b) are placed on opposite sides of the recess (308), and an electric conductor arrangement (306a, 306b, 306c, 306d), provided in the main body (302), for inducing eddy currents in the packaging material during the sealing state (S), wherein at least part of the first and second sealing surface (314a, 314b) are inclined and provided with a first and a second top section (316a, 316b), respectively, such that particles in a product held inside the tube (104) are pushed away from a sealing band of the tube as the sealing band is pressed towards the first and second top section (316a, 316b).

An assembly for forming bags, having a belt drive for feeding a film at a film speed to a former shoulder to form a tubular film, a set of jaws movable at a jaw speed to engage and seal a tubular film to form a closed bag, and a sensor assembly to provide a volume signal indicative of a volume of the closed bag, wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one of the film speed and the jaw speed in response to the volume signal.

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.

A multilayer, heat-shrinkable film has a first portion containing an outer heat seal layer and a second portion containing a PVDC barrier layer and a second outer layer comprising polyester. Both film portions comprise polymer networks which are strained by solid-state orientation, but only the first portion contains a crosslinked polymer network. The film has (i) a total free shrink at 85° C. of at least 90% and (ii) an instrumented impact energy-to-break of at least 0.0.65 J/mil and/or an instrumented impact peak load of at least 70 N/mil. The film is primarily made from ethylene-based polymers. Packaging articles can be made by sealing the film to itself. The film comprises no polyamide or polyamide in an amount up to 10 wt %, on a total film weight basis.

A delivery unit for an aseptic machine for packaging sachets includes at least one nozzle configured to be surrounded, during use, by a wrapping of welded film able to form said sachets. The nozzle includes a product delivery duct which has a distal outlet end configured to deliver a product, and a sterilant delivery duct which has a respective outlet end and is configured to deliver a sterilizing mean.