A conversion unit converting a first continuous web substrate into a second substrate in the form of converted blanks of predetermined length. On account of cutting tool rotation speed, the web moves at various speeds for cutting the web cut lengths and other aspects of cutting and transport process having a constant input speed. The unit includes a first motorized arrangement for producing a first run driving of the web, a sheeter having rotary tools for cutting the web into blanks, a second motorized arrangement for producing a second run driving of the substrate, the second arrangement being positioned in the immediate proximity of the sheeter, and at least one station having rotary tools for converting the blanks. A speed of rotation of the second arrangement varies during a cycle of rotation of the tools of the sheeter, comprising a phase at constant tangential speed, substantially equal to the speed of rotation of the tools of the sheeter, during which the cut is made, a speed reduction phase, during which a length of the web, dependent on the difference between the length of the blank and an extension of the periphery of the tools, is kept upstream of the second arrangement, and a speed increase phase, during which the substrate is discharged downstream of the second arrangement.

A printing platform includes a printing engine with one or more printheads arranged such that the ink drops are jetted vertically upwards against the action of gravity; and a substrate transportation system where the normal to the surface in contact with the substrate is parallel and with opposite direction to the travelling direction of the jetted ink drops. It is necessary to counteract the weight of the substrate during the printing process to avoid it from falling under the action of gravity. This is achieved through any of a mechanical element that interferes with the falling of the substrate and that keeps it in place; or a system that generates adhesion forces between the element that transmits the motion to the substrate, typically a conveyor belt, and the substrate through the action of electrostatic forces, an air pressure differential between both faces of the substrate, or any other suitable mechanism.

A slotter head, a slotter apparatus, and a box making machine form a joining piece with a high degree of accuracy by each being provided with: a cutter rest; a movable block mounted in an outer peripheral portion of the cutter rest; a first cutting blade that is fixed to the movable block along a shaft direction and along a direction inclined in a circumferential direction by a predetermined angle; a first support shaft that supports, on the cutter rest, the movable block rotatably around a first shaft center along the shaft direction; and a second support shaft that supports, on the cutter rest, the movable block rotatably around a second shaft center along the circumferential direction.

A converting assembly performs a plurality of conversion functions on sheet material to convert the sheet material into packaging templates. The converting assembly includes a plurality of tool rollers. Each of the tool rollers has one or more conversion tools thereon. The one or more conversion tools on an individual tool roller are configured to perform a subset of the plurality of conversion functions that convert the sheet material into packaging templates.

A system for monitoring cutting devices in a packaging production line having a line for supplying a material to be cut, an area of a predetermined type of cutting device, and a packaging output line is provided. The system includes means for counting cutting actions of the cutting device, configured to provide a time series of cutting action counting data, a video camera to frame an area of the output line, the video camera configured to provide video data of packaging elements in the output line, first code means, configured to run, on a computer, a first algorithm for recognizing cutting defects starting from video data, the first algorithm providing defect recognition data, and second code means, configured to run, on the computer, a trained expert algorithm to predict cutting performance degradation based on historical defect recognition data, time series of cutting action counting data, and type of cutting device.

A converting machine is used to convert sheet material into packaging templates for assembly into boxes or other packaging. The converting machine includes a converting assembly that performs transverse conversion functions and longitudinal conversion functions on the sheet material to create the packaging templates. A fanfold crease sensing mechanism detects the presence and location of fanfold creases in the sheet material. Based on the location of the fanfold creases, the fanfold creases are either cut out of the sheet material, or the sheet material is cut to adjust the position of the fanfold crease in a packaging template.

A corrugated plastic box and a method for manufacturing a corrugated plastic box from a blank are provided. The method includes the steps of forming rounded edge seals on the perimeter edges of the blank, pre-sealing portions of the blank—including providing air vents to allow trapped air to escape during the pre-sealing process—to form a plurality of areas in which major and minor flap slots and a glue tab are desired, ultrasonically scoring the blank to form a plurality of flap score lines, and cutting the blank through the plurality of pre-sealed flap slots and glue tab, leaving a sealed edge.

A printing platform includes a printing engine with one or more printheads arranged such that the ink drops are jetted vertically upwards against the action of gravity; and a substrate transportation system where the normal to the surface in contact with the substrate is parallel and with opposite direction to the travelling direction of the jetted ink drops. It is necessary to counteract the weight of the substrate during the printing process to avoid it from falling under the action of gravity. This is achieved through any of a mechanical element that interferes with the falling of the substrate and that keeps it in place; or a system that generates adhesion forces between the element that transmits the motion to the substrate, typically a conveyor belt, and the substrate through the action of electrostatic forces, an air pressure differential between both faces of the substrate, or any other suitable mechanism.

A corrugated paperboard box is provided in which when flaps are bent, a perforated line along which the flaps can be separated from the box is less likely to break. Such a corrugated paperboard box includes a peripheral wall and top flaps, and is formed, at the boundary area between the peripheral wall and the top flaps, with a groove-shaped reverse scoreline recessed on the side of an outer linerboard, and a pair of groove-shaped recesses recessed on the side of an inner linerboard, and extending in parallel to each other so as to sandwich the area in which the reverse scoreline extends. The corrugated paperboard box is further formed, in one of the groove-shaped recesses, with a perforated line along which the top flaps can be separated from the peripheral wall. The top flaps can be bent along the perforated line toward the inner surface of the peripheral wall.

An agitator for agitating sheets of material passing through a sheet transport device that has upper and lower guide sections defining a sheet transport path therebetween. The agitator includes first and second sets of rollers each having a roller axis of rotation and a width, and the rollers are mounted to at least one holder such that the axes of rotation of the rollers are radially spaced from a line and such that rotating the at least one holder around the line causes the rollers to orbit around the line. At least one support supports the holder for rotation around the line, and the set of first rollers is spaced from the set of second rollers in the direction of the line by a distance greater than the width of the rollers. Also a sheet transport device including the agitator.