A resistance welding apparatus can employ a modular power supply system with multiple power supply modules and leads for electrically connecting the modular power supply system to a welding resistor. The resistance welding apparatus is selectively configurable in at least three of (i) a first configuration in which the leads connect the first power supply module to the resistor and the second power supply module is disconnected from the resistor; (ii) a second configuration in which the leads connect the second power supply module to the resistor and the first power supply module is disconnected from the resistor; (iii) a third configuration in which the leads connect the first and second power supply modules to the resistor in series; and (iv) a fourth configuration in which the leads connect the first and second power supply modules to the resistor in parallel.

The present invention relates to a method and to a system for calibrating an automatic pouch forming machine.

The present invention also relates to a device for characterizing a pouch precursor made of flexible heat-sealable film, said device comprising: a punch; a heat source for heating at least a tip of the punch to a given temperature; an actuator for pressing the punch against the pouch precursor made of heat-sealable film, with a given pressure; a measurement device for measuring the penetration of the punch in the pouch precursor, under the given conditions of temperature and pressure.

A computer implemented method comprises the steps of: providing a user interface to a computer terminal; providing a welding machine interface (252) to a welding machine (22; 31) which is equipped with a set of sensors having a power supply sensor (221; 311) configured to sense a power supplied by the welding machine (22; 31) to set a connector to an object in runtime; obtaining a threshold performance metric data signal representing threshold product performance metric predefined via the user interface; obtaining a power supply data signal from the welding machine (22; 31) via the welding machine interface (252), which power supply data signal represents the sensed power supplied by the welding machine (22; 31) to set the connector to the object; applying a machine learning model to the power represented by the obtained power supply data signal such that the machine learning model calculates a model product performance metric, wherein the machine learning model is specifically pre trained with training power sensed by the power supply sensor (221; 311) of the set of sensors of the welding machine (22; 31) and measured product performance metrics; comparing the calculated model product performance metric to the threshold product performance metric represented by the threshold performance metric data signal; and generating a non-consistency data signal when the calculated product performance metric does not comply with the threshold product performance metric.

Disclosed is an automated method (54) which includes directing rays from a source (34) to a tube (38) disposed between relatively movable first and second sealing plates (20, 32), capturing an image (70) of at least a portion of the tube (38) by an image capturing device (26), and transferring the captured image (70) to a processing device (24). The method (54) also includes determining a plurality of 26 tube parameters by the processing device (24) based on the captured image (70), using an image processing technique and determining a plurality of sealing parameters from a database (44) by the processing device (24) based on the determined plurality of tube parameters. Additionally, the method (54) includes controlling the drive unit (22) and a heater (36) by the processing device (24) influenced by the determined plurality of sealing parameters, to respectively compress the tube (36)and perform heat sealing of the tube (38).

Disclosed is an automated method (54) which includes directing rays from a source (34) to a tube (38) disposed between relatively movable first and second sealing plates (20, 32), capturing an image (70) of at least a portion of the tube (38) by an image capturing device (26), and transferring the captured image (70) to a processing device (24). The method (54) also includes determining a plurality of tube parameters by the processing device (24) based on the captured image (70), using an image processing technique and determining a plurality of sealing parameters from a database (44) by the processing device (24) based on the determined plurality of tube parameters. Additionally, the method (54) includes controlling the drive unit (22) and a heater (36) by the processing device (24) influenced by the determined plurality of sealing parameters, to respectively compress the tube (36) and perform heat sealing of the tube (38).

The present invention refers to a method for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums, said method comprising: sending a first electromagnetic radiation (Ri1) on a first laying down structure (3a) comprising a forming drum (2) and a first component (CI) of a tyre laid down on said forming drum (2); detecting at least a first corresponding reflected radiation (Rr1), determining as a function of said first reflected radiation (Rr1) a first parameter (PI) representative of a first main length (LI) of said first component (CI); comparing said first parameter (PI) with one or more pre-stored reference values; generating a first correction signal (SI) as a function of said comparison; sending said first correction signal (SI) to at least one preparation station adapted to prepare said first component (CI) to regulate the preparation of further components. An apparatus for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums is also described.

A method for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums, includes: sending a first electromagnetic radiation on a first laying down structure including a forming drum and a first component of a tyre laid down on the forming drum; detecting at least a first corresponding reflected radiation, determining as a function of the first reflected radiation a first parameter representative of a first main length of the first component; comparing the first parameter with one or more pre-stored reference values; generating a first correction signal as a function of the comparison; and sending the first correction signal to at least one preparation station adapted to prepare the first component to regulate the preparation of further components. An apparatus for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums is also described.

A method and an apparatus for welding a first object to a second object, wherein the first object is produced from a thermoset and comprises a thermoplastic material outer layer, wherein the second object comprises at least one thermoplastic material outer layer. In addition, a layer of carbon nanotubes is applied to the thermoplastic material outer layer of the first object, and the second object is placed onto the first object. At least some of the thermoplastic material outer layer of the second object lies atop the applied layer of carbon nanotubes. In addition, a potential is applied to the layer of carbon nanotubes, such that an electrical current flows through the carbon nanotubes, wherein the thermoplastic material outer layer of the first object and the thermoplastic material outer layer of the second object are heated and are welded to one another.

A system for checking a package body with an image is capable of automatically judging good or bad product of manufactured package bodies and automatically performing change of production conditions in a filling and packaging machine, and includes a filling and packaging machine, an image data judgement system, a storage device and an image data analysis system, wherein the image data judgement system is provided with an imaging device for shooting a package body, a storage unit for storing judgement condition on good or bad package body, a judgement unit for judging good or bad package body and an image data transmission unit for transmitting the image data shot by the imaging device to the storage device, and the image data analysis system is provided with an image data acquisition unit for acquiring image data and so on judged as a bad product in the judgement unit from the storage device.

An ultrasonic welder includes dynamic adjustment of a weld parameter used to control welds of weld cycles during serial operation of the ultrasonic welder. The ultrasonic welder includes a power supply controlled by a controller and the controller sets a value of the weld parameter for a next weld cycle based on a value of a stack heat energy parameter indicative of heat energy in the ultrasonic stack prior to beginning the next weld cycle. The controller controls the power supply based on the value set for the weld parameter to control a weld in the next weld cycle.