The invention relates to a welding tool and a method for pulse welding films of plastic for medical packs formed as bags. The invention generally provides for the film material that has been plastified during welding, and is consequently free-flowing, to be specifically displaced by increasing the sealing surface area. The displaced film material can for instance compensate for dimensional and form tolerances. At the same time, however, the strength of the welded seam region, which adjoins the interior space of the bag, is not reduced.

A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a number of tiles, wherein the tiles are electrically non-conductive and have a thermal diffusivity of greater than about 25 mm2/sec. A joint flexibly joins the tiles together.

A method of joining overlapping thermoplastic geomembrane components in which a first thermoplastic geomembrane component and a second thermoplastic geomembrane component are positioned in overlapping relationship between a pair of complementary molding surfaces, with one or more of the complementary molding surfaces being defined by an electrically conductive metal susceptor. Heat is generated in the metal susceptor and transferred by thermal conduction from the metal susceptor to overlapping portions of the first and second thermoplastic geomembrane components to locally melt and coalesce a portion or more of the thermoplastic material of the first thermoplastic geomembrane component and a portion or more of the thermoplastic material of the second thermoplastic geomembrane component. The molten thermoplastic material of the first and second thermoplastic geomembrane components forms a zone of coalesced thermoplastic material that, upon cooling, forms a solid weld joint.

A pouch machine vertical sealer capable of fusing a pouch film web to form a plurality of spaced vertical seals along a length of the film web to form pouches. The pouch machine vertical sealer includes a sealer wheel rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and defines a film web path about a periphery of the sealer wheel. The vertical sealer further includes a plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel. Each vertical sealer land assembly includes an impulse heater such that contact between the film web and each impulse heater of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies forms the spaced apart vertical seals along the length of the film web.

Pet food bags, and methods of making the same, contain a seal that resists air exchange more than conventional bags thereby protecting nutritional ingredients that are susceptible to oxidation.

A sealing system for heat sealing superimposed walls of heat-sealable film material, e.g. in the production of pouches. The sealing section comprises two or more sealing stations arranged in series along a linear path for the superimposed walls dispensed from an infeed section. Each sealing station comprises a sealing device with first and second jaws and an actuator device to move the jaws between an opened position and a clamped position. Each sealing device comprises a motion device that is configured to move the first and second jaws in synchronicity with the superimposed walls when clamped between the first and second jaws. Each sealing station has a cooling device that is configured to continuously cool at least one of the jaws. At least each first jaw comprises at the respective front surface thereof at least one impulse heatable member embodied as a susceptor element that extends along the respective front surface. Each sealing station is configured to perform an integrated impulse sealing and cooling cycle.

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.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling welding. One embodiment is a method for controlling welding. The method includes initiating induction welding by operating an induction coil along a weld interface of a first composite part comprising a matrix of thermoplastic reinforced by fibers, in order to join the first composite part to a second composite part, determining a measured magnetic field strength at a location distinct from the induction coil, and determining a welding temperature at the weld interface of the first composite part based on the measured magnetic field strength.

A sealing machine and method for sealing a preformed tray (2) with a plastic film (26), the method comprising a cooling step in which, by acting on the outside of the tray (2), heat is removed at least from the bottom wall (3) of the tray (2) while the heated plastic film (26) is applied over the tray (2) and a food product (25), and the sealing machine (1) comprising a supporting element which defines a housing (7) which has a fixed bottom surface (9) suitable for making contact, in use, with the bottom wall (3) of the tray (2), a plurality of ducts (19) which define a flow path (20) for a cooling fluid in the supporting element, and a cooling system (17) configured to cool the cooling fluid bringing it to a temperature equal to or less than 10° C., and preferably equal to or less than 6° C.