Embodiments are directed to a removable cap with a top hole and a seal with a heat induction closure for sealing an opening of a container. Advantageously, the cap and the seal do not need to be removed for a probe to access contents of the container, when used in a diagnostic analyzer, thereby eliminating operator steps of cap removal and seal peeling/perforation. Automated opening of the cap and seal combination is provided by puncturing the seal. The seal retains its opened shape required for unobstructed, non-contact probe access to contents of the container. The seal is comprised of three layers: a first polymer sealing layer capable of being heat-sealed to a container; an aluminum foil layer on top of the first polymer sealing layer, configured to heat seal the first layer by inductive heating; and a second polymer layer on top of the aluminum foil layer for protection.

A large tubular plastic tank is formed by fusion welding together half-shell parts at lengthwise flange joints to form a tubular body. Then, end caps are fusion welded onto the outermost ends of the tubular body and an assembly of two or more bodies. Electric or electromagnetic energy is used to melt in situ the fusion weld elements which are captured between the joining surfaces of the parts. A fusion weld element is secured beforehand to linear a joining surface of at least one of two mated tank parts. The weld element exits the joint between two lengthwise-mated parts at the location of mating tabs extending from the mated tank parts; the tabs are subsequently cut away. A circumferential flange joint is made by securing a fusion weld element to at least one joining surface of the mated tank parts, where the ends of the element run through holes in the faying surface of the flange.

A method is described for making a retort container having one or two metal ends. A heat-sealable material is present on one or both of the container side wall and the/each metal end. The/each metal end is seamed onto the container body, and the resulting container assembly is conveyed on a conveyor adjacent to an induction sealing head and then adjacent to a cooling device. A pressure belt engages the upper end of the container assembly to keep the metal end from coming off the container body during the induction heating and cooling processes.

A method and apparatus for joining parts. A plurality of conformable induction coils embedded in a number of elastomeric sheets is positioned relative to a first composite part of the parts and a second composite part of the parts. A magnetic field is generated with the plurality of conformable induction coils. The magnetic field is configured to generate heat in a magnetically permeable material at a joint location. The heat joins the first composite part and the second composite part to each other.

The device for welding thermoplastic parts includes a matrix for positioning the parts to be assembled, the matrix including an amagnetic insulating insert that defines joining zones in which the welds must be produced, a bladder defining a sealed volume and means for producing a partial vacuum in the sealed volume, and means for moving a magnetic induction head to near the joining zones and without making contact with the bladder. The welding process includes positioning at least one first part, then of placing metal inserts on areas of the first part corresponding to the joining zones that must be welded, and then positioning at least one second part. A bladder is put in place covering the parts and a partial vacuum is created in the volume defined by the bladder. The magnetic induction head is moved to produce the weld bead without contact while the partial vacuum is maintained.

The present invention relates to an induction sealing device for heat sealing of packaging material. The sealing device comprises a conductor partly encapsulated in a supporting body for cooperation with the packaging material during sealing. The coil conductor has a reduced cross sectional area at at least one position along the coil conductor so as to concentrate the magnetic flux induced by the coil conductor at the at least one position. The invention also relates to a method of heat sealing a packaging material using the induction sealing device.

An applying unit for applying lids to necks of containers may be provided. The applying unit may include a conveying device configured to advance the containers along a path in an advancement direction; a group of applying heads, each applying head configured to screw a lid onto a corresponding neck; and a movement device configured to move the group of applying heads along the advancement direction, so that each applying head may be coupled to a corresponding neck along a portion of the path. The movement device may be configured to act on a common support element configured to support the applying heads of the group, so as to synchronously move the applying heads along the advancement direction.

Disclosed embodiments relate to an induction sealing device for heat sealing packaging material for producing sealed packages of pourable food products. In some embodiments, the sealing device includes: an inductor device which interacts with said packaging material by means of at least one active surface; a flux-concentrating insert; and a supporting body made of heat-conducting material and housing said inductor device and said flux-concentrating insert, wherein said flux concentrating insert is made by a magnetic compound of a polymer and soft magnetic particles; and said flux concentrating insert interacts with said packaging material via at least one interactive surface.

An improved induction sealing device is presented. The device comprises a main body (302, 402a, 402b), a magnetic field concentrator (306, 406a, 406b) held in the main body and a conductive element (304, 404a, 404b) also held in the main body (302, 402a, 402b). The magnetic field concentrator (306, 406a, 406b) is injection molded in said main body (302, 402a, 402b). For this purpose the main body (302, 402a, 402b) is provided with at least one hole (312a, 312b) to gate material for forming said magnetic field concentrator (306, 406a, 406b) into an interior of said main body (302, 402a, 402b).

A magnetic insert for enhancing the magnetic field of an induction heating device is provided. The magnetic insert is manufactured by use of a composition comprising a moldable polymer matrix and a soft magnetic material.