A machine and method for making bags is described and includes a web traveling from an input section to a rotary drum, to an output section. The rotary drum includes at least one seal bar, having a first sealing zone, and an adjacent weakening zone. The weakening zone may be a heated perforator, includes a heating wire, or be disposed to create an auxiliary sealed area. The heating wire can have connected thereto, a source of power that is an adjustable voltage or magnitude, and/or pulsed, and/or a feedback loop. The heating wire ay be an NiCr wire and make intermittent contact with the web and be disposed in an insert. The weakening zone may create a line of weakness that is uniform or varies in intensity, is a separating zone, or includes a heat film, a toothed blade, a row of pins, a source of air, or a source of vacuum. The sealing zones ma include temperature zones, cartridge heaters, cooling air, or hated air, or a source of ultrasonic, microwave or radiative energy.

Method and apparatus for joining at least two plastic parts.

A method for joining at least two plastic parts (1, 5) along a predeterminable common joining point using infrared radiation (IR), is characterized in that each of the plastic parts (1, 5) to be joined is heated using infrared radiation at least along the joint by means of an assignable radiation source without touching the respective other plastic part (1, 5), that the respective one radiation source is operated independently and spatially separated from at least one further radiation source, that the radiation sources emit their respective infrared radiation to the respective assignable plastic part (1, 5) without contact and following the contour of the joint, and that the degree of heating by means of the respective infrared radiation is selected such that the joint is formed when the plastic parts (1, 5) are brought together.

A seal head assembly includes a plurality of heat seal plates defining a corresponding plurality of heating areas, each heat seal plate including a heating element to independently control the temperature of the corresponding heating area.

A device for sealing sample tubes comprises a tool assembly configured to interface with a rack holding a plurality of sample storage tubes, the tool assembly holding a plurality of punches and a die plate including a plurality of cutting holes, with each of the plurality of cutting holes accepting one of the plurality of punches. The tool assembly receives a foil sheet between the punches and the die plate. The device includes an actuator enabling linear movement of the tool assembly. Linear movement of the tool assembly towards the rack engages the die plate against the rack and punches the punches through the cutting holes of the die plate to punch a plurality of sealing sections from the foil sheet and to press and seal each of the sealing sections against a top end of each of the plurality of sample storage tubes in the rack.

A process for packaging a product arranged on a support comprising unrolling a film, moving the film to a packaging assembly defining at its inside a packaging chamber, progressively moving a number of supports inside the packaging chamber of the packaging assembly, closing the packaging chamber with the film sheets held above the respective support, optionally causing one or both of: a gas withdrawal from the hermetically closed packaging chamber and gas injection of a gas mixture of controlled composition, heat sealing the film to said support, wherein the heat sealing uses one or more heaters having heating surfaces which are heated for discrete and short time periods only. An apparatus for performing the above process is also disclosed.

A heat seal between a plastic bag and a plastic sheet is used to provide a more secure and reliable seal to define a modified atmosphere for a pallet of perishables. The heat seal reduces atmosphere failures and aids in providing a more consistent atmosphere in the pallet bag system thus reducing the number of pallets that have an out of specification atmosphere. The heat seal may be created with a heating sealing apparatuses that is part of a system used to load and seal a load of containers of perishables onto a pallet. The heat sealing apparatus uses two heated rollers coupled to a rotating arm to contact and heat seal a plastic bag to a plastic seal that enclose a palletized load of perishables that are rotated on a turntable.

A system for fusing plastic materials without bonding agents, such as adhesives, etc., is disclosed. A heat press is used to apply heat and pressure to plastic material sandwiched between heat resistant material. A flatbed heat press, a rotary heat press, or other similar type of thermal roller system may be used. Heat is applied to at least one side of the sandwich and may be applied to both sides of the sandwich simultaneously with equal pressure for a given amount of time. Dual thermostats may be used for application of different beat levels on opposite sides of the sandwich. Reinforcement materials, such as mesh or reinforcement fibers, may be integrated within the layers of plastic prior to fusion to enhance the integrity and/or aesthetic qualities of the fused end product. The plastic may be subjected to multiple applications of heat and pressure to optimize the fusion process.

The embodiment provides a heat-sealing apparatus and a method of accurately controlling heat sealing temperature by measuring the temperature using a heat-sealing apparatus which heat-seals a pair of heat seal materials by nipping them between a pair of heating bodies. The method of heat-sealing includes mounting a cover material on the surface of at least one of the heating bodies to be in contact with the heat seal material, attaching a minute temperature sensor to the surface of the cover material on the side to be in contact with the heat seal material, and controlling temperature of welding face by the temperature detected by the minute temperature sensor, and an apparatus therefor.

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 device for sealing sample tubes comprises a tool assembly configured to interface with a rack (10) holding a plurality of sample storage tubes (20), the tool assembly holding a plurality of punches (322) and a die plate (324) including a plurality of cutting holes, with each of the plurality of cutting holes accepting one of the plurality of punches (322). The tool assembly receives a foil sheet (131) between the punches (322) and the die plate (324). The device includes an actuator enabling linear movement of the tool assembly. Linear movement of the tool assembly towards the rack (10) engages the die plate (324) against the rack (10) and punches the punches (322) through the cutting holes of the die plate (324) to punch a plurality of sealing sections from the foil sheet (131) and to press and seal each of the sealing sections against a top end of each of the plurality of sample storage tubes (20) in the rack (10).