Automated bag forming systems and methods for their use are disclosed. The automated bag forming systems described herein can be configured to receive a web of bag material and produce individual bags through a sealing and cutting process possessing a high degree of speed, precision, and reproducibility.

A first feed device adjusts an intermittent feed amount thereof based on output of a first sensor such that a design position of a first panel is aligned with a first fixing position during every pause phase of an intermittent feed cycle. A second feed device adjusts tension of a second panel and an intermittent feed amount of a feed unit based on output of at least one second sensor such that a design position of the second panel is aligned with a second fixing position during every pause phase of an intermittent feed cycle. A third feed device adjusts an intermittent feed amount thereof based on output of a third sensor such that the design position of the first panel is aligned with the second fixing position during every pause phase of an intermittent feed cycle.

A method for manufacturing pouches made of at least partly thermoplastic material, including the steps of superimposing at least two webs of at least partly thermoplastic material, joining the webs at adhesion regions or lines, and cutting the webs at cutting regions or lines in order to provide pouches. In a condition in which the webs are superimposed, the method further includes the step of mutually aligning the webs by causing the elongation of at least one of the two webs via the application of heat.

A heat seal device for use in a bag making apparatus includes: a first heat seal member; a second heat seal member facing the first heat seal member; a heater for heating at least one of the first heat seal member or the second heat seal member; a drive mechanism configured to move the first heat seal member towards and away from the second heat seal member so as to releasably sandwich a web between the first and second heat seal members; a sensor disposed to detect acceleration of the first heat seal member; and a measurement part configured to measure a sandwiching time during which the web is sandwiched by the first and second heat seal members based on data from the sensor.

A method for manufacturing a sheet material container where the sheet material container includes one or a plurality of sheet members including a main-body forming sheet member that has an outer film layer and an inner film layer which are mutually stacked, a containing region that accommodates contents, and a container body that is configured from the main-body forming sheet member and that surrounds the containing region, and the main-body forming sheet member having a main-body sealing portion, which is an attached region between the outer film layer and the inner film layer, and a non-attached region where the outer film layer and the inner film layer are partially not attached, and further having a filling portion where a filler is enclosed between the layers of the outer film layer and the inner film layer in the non-attached region.

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.

Apparatus and method of manufacturing open-mouth bags, comprising a storage device with a supply of bag film, a control device for controlling, a conveying device for conveying the bag film and/or the bag body along a conveying path, a welding device with welding means for making a bottom seam in the bag film and a cutting device with a cutting means for separating a predetermined film length of the bag film to form the bag body of an open-mouth bag. The control device controls the conveying device so as to cause a relative motion of the bag body and the bag film and a distance between the bag body and the bag film is generated prior to making the bottom seam. The control device controls the conveying device and the welding means so that while welding the bottom seam the welding means extend at least up to the bottom end of the bag body.

A bag-making and packaging apparatus includes a bag-making and packaging unit, a film feeding unit, a splicing device, and a control unit. The control unit allows a bag-making operation to continue by utilizing an auto-feeding function that feeds to the bag-making and packaging unit a film F spliced by the splicing device to take the place of a film F currently being fed to the bag-making and packaging unit. When the control unit judges that at least one of the film feeding unit and the splicing device is malfunctioning in a case where the control unit is utilizing the auto-feeding function, the control unit stops the auto-feeding function and executes a non-auto-feeding mode. The non-auto-feeding mode allows the bag-making operation to be continued by the bag-making and packaging unit and a film roll holding unit that is operable among plural film roll holding units.

A bag processing apparatus includes: a defect detection unit which detects occurrence of a defect in processing of a bag; and an imaging unit which is separately provided from the defect detection unit and takes images of a location creating a cause of occurrence of the defect to acquires video data, the vide data being stored in association with the occurrence of the defect.

Provided is a bag making apparatus with a simple configuration that: prevents fluctuations in tension, slippage of seal positions, and meandering or skewing of a web of film; allows the setting of precise initial conditions; reduces or makes unnecessary monitoring, and time and structures for adjustment; allows increased feed rate; and improves production efficiency. The bag making apparatus for packaging containers comprises: a tension control unit for controlling the continuous feed rate according to the values detected by a tension sensor of a tension detection roll; an optical detection unit for simultaneously recognizing multiple marks provided on the surface of the web of film at the respective positions thereof; a skewing correction unit; and a seal position correction unit for adjusting the positions of multiple sealing units in the feed direction.