A method and apparatus for sealing a plastic enclosure is provided. The apparatus includes a handle including elements pivotally coupled together at a first end. The apparatus also includes a heating element positioned along an inner surface of an element and connected to a power source where a longitudinal axis of the heating element is oriented parallel with a longitudinal axis of the element. Plastic material including first and second plastic layers is positioned at an interface between the second elements. Upon pivoting the first elements from an open position to a closed position the heating element increases a temperature at the interface to melt the plastic material and form a seal between the first and second plastic layers.

A method for controlling the operating parameters of a sealing unit of the follower type in a product packing machine, wherein the sealing unit comprises a sealing module movable with reciprocating motion along a feed path of a tubular film to be sealed. The method is implemented in accordance with a plurality of operating parameters and comprises the step of setting the value of at least one input operating parameter selectable at least between sealing time and production speed. The method also comprises the step of calculating the values of the remaining, unselected operating parameters as a function of the set value, where one or more of the remaining operating parameters are subject to restrictions connected with the machine architecture. The method also comprises the step of checking that the values calculated are compatible with respective reference ranges and/or with the restrictions.

A computing system may direct a first robotic arm to a first position based on a first set of coordinates. The computing system may cause the first robotic arm to engage with a first structure based on the first position of the first robotic arm. Further, the computing system may direct the first robotic arm to a second position based on a second set of coordinates such that the first structure is brought within a joining proximity of a second structure without a fixture retaining the first structure and without a fixture retaining the second structure, wherein the first structure is configured to be joined with the second structure when the first and second structures are within the joining proximity, the joining proximity being a proximity at which the first and second structures can be joined together.

A method and apparatus for sealing a plastic enclosure is provided. The apparatus includes a handle including elements pivotally coupled together at a first end. The apparatus also includes a heating element positioned along an inner surface of an element and connected to a power source where a longitudinal axis of the heating element is oriented parallel with a longitudinal axis of the element. Plastic material including first and second plastic layers is positioned at an interface between the second elements. Upon pivoting the first elements from an open position to a closed position the heating element increases a temperature at the interface to melt the plastic material and form a seal between the first and second plastic layers.

A card substrate laminating device including a transfer roller configured to heat a portion of a transfer layer of a transfer ribbon and transfer the portion of the transfer layer from a carrier layer of the transfer ribbon to a surface of a card substrate. The transfer roller includes a diameter of less than 0.537 inches and a compliant exterior surface layer or coating. The compliant exterior surface layer or coating can include silicon rubber. The compliant exterior surface layer or coating can be approximately 0.020 inches thick. An internal heating element is configured to heat the transfer roller from an ambient temperature to a laminating temperature, at which laminating operations are performed, within 40 seconds.

A card substrate laminating device includes a transfer ribbon and a transfer roller. The transfer ribbon includes a carrier layer and a transfer layer attached to the carrier layer. The transfer roller is configured to heat and transfer a portion of the transfer layer from the carrier layer to a surface of a card substrate. The transfer roller has a circumference that is less than one-half of a length of the card substrate.

A pipe fusion machine including a track mounted chassis supporting a horizontal turntable for unlimited, reversible rotation relative to the chassis. A boom pivotally attached at a rear end of, and extending forwardly of, the turntable enables manipulation of elevations and distances of the free end of the boom. The free end of the boom is adapted to permit pivotal mounting thereon of a pipe fusion tool such as an indexer configured to articulate and support a pipe-end facer and a pipe-end heater for respective independent orientation into and out of alignment with the ends of pipes to be fused. A carriage supports fixed and sliding jaws adapted to grip the ends of pipes to be fused for relative reciprocal movement during a pipe fusion process. Each of the jaws may include an upper half jaw and lower left and right quarter jaws.

A method of sealing reinforced packages. The method can comprise moving an open-ended package in a downstream direction on a package conveyor by engaging the open-ended package with a chain flight of the package conveyor moving in the downstream direction. The method further can comprise forming a bag with a closed end by engaging at least a seal portion of a tail section of an open-ended tube portion of the open-ended package between the chain flight of the package conveyor and a hot plate positioned adjacent the package conveyor. The chain flight can move with the tail section in the downstream direction relative to the hot plate, which can transfer thermal energy to the tail section to at least partially form a seal along the seal portion in the tail section to at least partially form the closed end of the bag.

An ultrasonic sealing device, including a horn having a sealing surface, an anvil having a sealing surface, at least one of the horn and the anvil being moveable to engage the respective sealing surfaces, the sealing surfaces of the horn and the anvil including a plurality of protrusions and a recess between each of the protrusions, each of the protrusions having a distal surface and sloped sidewalls with curved edges therebetween and each of the recesses including a recess surface with curved edges, wherein, upon engagement of the sealing surface of the horn with the sealing surface of the anvil, the distal surfaces of each of the protrusions on each of the sealing surfaces engage corresponding ones of the recess surfaces of each of the recesses on each of the sealing surfaces and define gaps between the sidewalls of each adjacent protrusion.

A method for annularly mounting a band-like filler to the outer periphery of a bead core comprises a step for attaching the filler to the outer periphery of the bead core, a step for grasping the opposite ends of the filler and separating the opposite ends of the filler from the outer periphery of the bead core, a step for sequentially attaching the opposite end surfaces of the filler to each other from the inner peripheral sections of the opposite end surfaces toward the outer peripheral sections thereof, and a step for pressing the portion of the filler, which has been separated from the outer periphery of the bead core, against the outer periphery of the bead core.