A spout is mounted on a plastic film being longitudinally and intermittently fed. The plastic film is punched by a punch blade to form an aperture. A carriage is moved for a distance corresponding to a space between the punch blade and a seal head and between a punch receiver and a seal receiver. The spout is inserted into the aperture. The spout and the plastic film are heat sealed with each other by the seal head.

A fitting for use in fusion welding mating thermoplastic components includes a weld bead chamber to capture and conceal a bead formed as a result of the fusion weld. The weld bead chamber integrates the bead into the fitting so that the joined parts have a finished look without mechanical polishing or grinding of the completed piece. A stop ledge included in the weld bead chamber prevents over insertion of a pipe or other component into the fitting. A view window in the fitting permits inspection of the finished bead.

A sealing station configured to heat seal a wall made from heat-sealable film material, preferably metal-free heat-sealable film material, onto one another wall of heat-sealable material, e.g. another wall of heat-sealable film material, to create a sealed seam. The sealing station comprises an impulse sealing device comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein at least the first jaw comprises at the respective front surface thereof at least one, e.g. a single elongated, impulse heatable member that extends along the respective front surface and that is covered by a heat-resistant non-stick covering.

A method of bonding a metal fitting to a polyurethane structure, the method comprising abrading a surface of the metal fitting with an abrasive; cleaning the metal fitting with a solvent; cleaning a surface of the polyurethane structure with an alcohol; applying a primer to the surface of the metal fitting; applying an adhesive to the surface of the metal fitting and the surface of the polyurethane structure; applying a liquid polyurethane compound to the surface of the metal fitting and the surface of the polyurethane structure; and pressing the surface of the metal fitting against the surface of the polyurethane structure to form an assembly. The primer can comprise a first resin and a first catalyst in a ratio of about 1.1 to 1; the adhesive can comprise a second resin and a second catalyst in a ratio of about 3 to 1; and the liquid polyurethane compound can comprise a third resin and a third catalyst in a ratio of about 10 to 1.

A heat-seal band is provided that incorporates voltage sensing wires, such as signal wires or conductors that are separate from current load carrying wires or conductors. This provides two discrete electrical paths: a voltage sensing path, and a current transmission path. The voltage signal conductor(s) in the voltage sensing path may be insulated to mitigate any non-desired influence by means of the voltage signal conductor's exposure to thermal or electrical influences from the current transmission path, including current transmission paths defined through conductive tabs that connect the heat-seal band to the current load conductors. The voltage signal conductor may connect at a node to the tab to band (tab/band) junction, which is defined at an intersection of the heat-seal band's conductive tab and the band that directs heat into a workpiece. Additional or a second set of voltage sensing conductors may be electrically connected to the heat-seal band at a location that is spaced from or in a subset of the first set of voltage sensing conductors. The second set of voltage sensing conductors may provide a secondary voltage sensing arrangement as a verification tool for evaluating temperature discrepancies between their locations and those of the first set, indicative of heating non-uniformity about the heat-seal band.

A split bus assembly is provided for a heat-sealing machine. The split bus assembly includes a clamp with first and second clamp segments that abut each other in face-to-face engagement. The engaging surfaces or inner walls of the clamp segments may be coated with a nonconductive material so that the clamp segments are electrically insulated with respect to each other. A tab terminal may be defined at each inner wall, constituting a zone of exposed conductive material which is configured to engage a conductive tab of a heat-seal band during use. Biasing members such as a silicone spring may be arranged in the tool to facilitate ejection of the heat-seal band during a removal procedure. The tool may be cooled by way of cooling fluid that flows through passages in the bus bars.

There is described a sonotrode for sealing an opening device onto a hole of a packaging material destined to from a sealed package, comprising: a sealing surface adapted to cooperate with packaging material in order to seal the opening device to the packaging material; a cavity bounded by an opening of sealing surface and adapted to receive the opening device and a ring made in an elastomeric material, partially protruding inside the cavity, and adapted to center a first axis of the opening device on a second axis of the sonotrode.

A sealing station configured to heat seal a wall made from heat-sealable film material, preferably metal-free heat-sealable film material, onto one another wall of heat-sealable material, e.g. another wall of heat-sealable film material, to create a sealed seam. The sealing station comprises an impulse sealing device comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein at least the first jaw comprises at the respective front surface thereof at least one, e.g. a single elongated, impulse heatable member that extends along the respective front surface and that is covered by a heat-resistant non-stick covering.

There is described a sonotrode for sealing an opening device onto a hole of a packaging material destined to from a sealed package, comprising: a sealing surface adapted to cooperate with a said packaging material in order to seal the opening device to the packaging material; a cavity bounded by an opening of sealing surface and adapted to receive the opening device; and a ring made in an elastomeric material, partially protruding inside the cavity, and adapted to center a first axis of the opening device on a second axis of the sonotrode.

A container comprising a first material and a second material, the first material being a flexible material and the second material being a rigid or semi-rigid material and at least partially defining an interior compartment for keeping a fluid inside the container characterized in that the flexible material and/or the semi-rigid or rigid material have thermoplastic properties and wherein the flexible material and the semi-rigid or rigid material are joined together by a seal or joint which comprises a heat seal and an adhesive seal.