A protective packaging formation device is provided herein. The device includes an inflation assembly having a fluid conduit that directs fluid between overlapping plies of a polymeric web. The device also includes a driving mechanism that drives the film in a downstream direction. The device also includes a sealing mechanism that includes a thin film heater that heats the plies to create a longitudinal seal that seals the plies of film together. The driving mechanism drives the web such that the web slides across the heating assembly in a downstream direction to trap fluid between the plies.

A sealing device generally includes a rotatable support cylinder having an outer, circumferential surface and a heating element disposed about such surface and secured thereto such that the heating element rotates therewith. The heating element is coiled about the outer surface of the cylinder in the form of an overlapping helical pattern. Juxtaposed film plies may be sealed together by bringing the sealing device into rotational contact with the juxtaposed film plies and heating the heating element to a temperature sufficient to cause the film plies to seal together.

A protective packaging formation device is provided herein. The device includes an inflation assembly having a fluid conduit that directs fluid between overlapping plies of a polymeric web. The device also includes a driving mechanism that drives the film in a downstream direction. The device also includes a sealing mechanism that includes a thin film heater that heats the plies to create a longitudinal seal that seals the plies of film together. The driving mechanism drives the web such that the web slides across the heating assembly in a downstream direction to trap fluid between the plies.

The present disclosure is directed to a compression belt for inflation and sealing devices. The device may include an inflation assembly, a heating assembly, and a drive mechanism. The inflation assembly may direct fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a flexible web material to inflate chambers between the plies. The heating assembly may be operable to heat the first and second plies of the web material to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the fluid in the inflated chambers. The drive mechanism may drive the web material in a downstream direction. The drive mechanism may tension the web material against the heating assembly. The drive mechanism may include a first belt including a high grip material on a surface that contacts the web material to grip the web material during heating by the heating assembly.

A stitchless highly oriented polypropylene fabric bulk bag of the type that can hold 500 to 5000 pounds (226.7 to 2268 kilograms) of bulk material includes a highly oriented polypropylene fabric top, body and bottom, with a heat fused joint providing an air tight connection between the top and body, and another air tight heat fused joint connecting the body and bottom. A fill spout and discharge tube may also be provided with an air tight heat fused joint connecting the fill spout to the top and another air tight heat fused joint connecting the discharge spout to the bottom. Heat sealing machinery include heat seal bar assemblies that can self-align during heat-sealing to apply even pressure to all areas being heat sealed. A heating element is of single piece construction and can include end coupler portions as part of the single piece construction. Carrier plates used in a heat-sealing assembly line guide parts placement, provide quality checks for parts placement, and tooling set-up for machinery.

A vacuum sealer includes: a housing comprising a vacuum chamber therein; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber; a sealing mechanism adjacent a periphery of the vacuum chamber; a valve positioned and configured to releasably seal the vacuum chamber, the valve movable between a first position, in which the valve forms a seal with the sealing chamber, and a second position, in which the valve does not form a seal with the sealing chamber; and a controller operatively connected with the vacuum pump, the sealing mechanism, and the valve. The controller is configured to move the valve from the first position to the second position during sealing.

A protective packaging formation device is disclosed herein. The device includes an inflation assembly that directs fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a web material. The device also includes a sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism includes a heating zone and a cooling zone. The sealing mechanism also includes a heating element that extends along both the heating zone and the cooling zone, with the heating element having a first profile in the heating zone and a second profile in the cooling zone.

The invention is a device for welding two overlapping film sections situated on one side of a goods stack. The device includes a welding bar with a welding surface oriented in the direction of the film sections to be welded. The spacing between the welding bar and the film sections is reducible. The welding surface is elastically deformable into a concave course and/or to a convex course between its two ends. At least one displacing device adjusts the course of the welding surface to a concave and/or to a convex course. The displacing device displaces welding bar. A control unit of the welding bar individually controllable, such that the curvature of the welding bar is adjustable to the contour of the side of the goods stack in the region of the film sections to be welded with one another for the subsequent welding of the overlapping film sections.

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.

A vacuum sealer includes: a housing comprising a vacuum chamber therein; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber; a sealing mechanism adjacent a periphery of the vacuum chamber; a valve positioned and configured to releasably seal the vacuum chamber, the valve movable between a first position, in which the valve forms a seal with the sealing chamber, and a second position, in which the valve does not form a seal with the sealing chamber; and a controller operatively connected with the vacuum pump, the sealing mechanism, and the valve. The controller is configured to move the valve from the first position to the second position during sealing.