A method for operating a tubular bag machine having a film web capable of unwinding from a supply reel, a shoulder for forming the web into a film tube, a take-off unit serving to move the tube, a longitudinal sealing device for welding the tube parallel to its transport direction by a longitudinal seam, a sealing device with jaws for producing transverse seams in the tube, a separating element for separating finished tubular bags from the tube, the machine being accelerated in a positive acceleration phase from an initial speed to a target speed when starting or being decelerated in a negative acceleration phase from the target speed to a final speed for stopping, wherein, in the positive acceleration phase and/or in the negative acceleration phase, at least one sealing parameter of the jaws for producing tubular bags changes as a function of the conveying speed of the web.

A system and method for producing a disposable undergarment, with the lateral edges of the undergarment bonded by means of an ultrasonic horn. When a blank is formed for an individual undergarment, the lateral edges of opposing edges of the blank will form the seam. When the edges are sealed together, a seam is formed. The individual undergarments may be later separated along the seams.

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.

Systems useful for reinforcing a support mat over at least one seam formed between upper and lower panels of the mat include at least one extruder configured to apply weld-forming material over the seam(s) to form at least one weld atop the seam(s) and at least one electronic controller associated with the extruder.

In an apparatus for successively making plastic bags, a laser beam irradiator irradiates laser beam onto webs of panel material and a body of zipper material to heat and melt the webs of panel material and the body of zipper material with the laser beam. The webs of panel material and the body of zipper material are fed intermittently at a speed predetermined to be changed by time. The irradiator is controlled on a feedforward control basis for the laser beam to be regulated in amount, the amount being calculated from the speed predetermined, to obtain a calculated value of amount. The laser beam is regulated in accordance with the calculated value to heat and melt the webs of panel material and the body of zipper material uniformly irrespective of the speed being changed.

A compact pressing body with a pressing surface smaller in area than a welding range welds together sheet-like members over the whole area of the welding range by pressing the sheet-like members being reliably moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to a pressing direction of the pressing body.

A system and method for producing a disposable undergarment, with the lateral edges of the undergarment bonded by means of an ultrasonic horn. When a blank is formed for an individual undergarment, the lateral edges of opposing edges of the blank will form the seam. When the edges are sealed together, a seam is formed. The individual undergarments may be later separated along the seams.

An ultrasonic welding system includes a movable ultrasonic welding stack for applying vibrational energy to a workpiece. A motion control system controls the motion of the ultrasonic welding stack and one or more sensors sense a control variable and output a corresponding control signal. A controller provides control inputs, based on the control signal, to the motion control system and causes, following initiation of a welding operation, an automatic change of speed of motion of the ultrasonic welding stack. The automatic change of the speed is a function of at least one control variable until the control variable reaches a predetermined value.

Apparatus and method for applying discrete components of a first substrate to a second substrate includes a programmable servo motor having a shaft. The servo motor is programmed to rotate the shaft in a first phase and a second phase at a variable angular velocity in a single direction. The apparatus also includes a crank member connected with the shaft, a connector link connected with the crank member, and a tamper member connected with the connector link. When the shaft rotates in the first phase, the tamper member travels from a first position to a second position to displace a selected portion of the second substrate into contact with the discrete component.

Systems useful for reinforcing a support mat over at least one seam formed between upper and lower panels of the mat include at least one extruder configured to apply weld-forming material over the seam(s) to form at least one weld atop the seam(s) and at least one electronic controller associated with the extruder.