A method for wrapping a load with a film, strip, band of extensible material comprises: unwinding a film of extensible material from a reel; making a pleat on the film by means of a pleating system; stretching the film by means of a pair of pre-stretching rollers; welding the pleat by means of at least one of the pre-stretching rollers; wrapping the load with the film provided with the pleat.

An apparatus for use in delivering cup-like containers to a container receiving path of a packaging station includes: a first infeed tower and a second infeed tower, each of the first infeed tower and the second infeed tower having: a stationary upper segment and a movable lower segment, wherein the movable lower segment is movable between a load position, in alignment with the stationary upper segment for receiving cup-like containers from the stationary upper segment, and an unload position, in alignment with the container receiving path for delivering cup-like containers to the container receiving path; a transfer gate controllable to block feed of cup-like containers from the stationary upper segment down into the movable lower segment; and an outlet gate controllable to block feed of cup-like containers down out of the movable lower segment.

A film tensioning and steering system can be configured to extract a film from a film source. One or more film characteristics can require that the film tensioning and steering system be isolated from the film source so that a film tension can be maintained within the film tensioning and steering system. A first drive roller pair and a second drive roller pair can be configured to secure the film and enable a dampening roller to maintain the film tension between the first drive roller pair and the second drive roller pair. Additionally, the dampening roller can store an amount of the film as a film buffer. Accordingly, the film tensioning and steering system can maintain the film tension such that a steering system can align the film before the first drive roller pair provides the film at a proper alignment to a downstream system.

A film tensioning and steering system can be configured to extract a film from a film source. One or more film characteristics can require that the film tensioning and steering system be isolated from the film source so that a film tension can be maintained within the film tensioning and steering system. A first drive roller pair and a second drive roller pair can be configured to secure the film and enable a dampening roller to maintain the film tension between the first drive roller pair and the second drive roller pair. Additionally, the dampening roller can store an amount of the film as a film buffer. Accordingly, the film tensioning and steering system can maintain the film tension such that a steering system can align the film before the first drive roller pair provides the film at a proper alignment to a downstream system.

A packaging apparatus for packaging objects, in particular for packaging food portions, having a conveying device (10) for transporting a continuous web of a first packaging material (12), in particular of a bottom film, in a transport direction (TR); and having a feed device (14) for feeding a continuous web of a second packaging material (16), in particular of a top film, in the transport direction (TR), wherein the conveying device (10) comprises a first reception shaft (18) for receiving a first supply roll (20) of the first packaging material (12) and the feed device (14) comprises a second reception shaft (22) for receiving a second supply roll (24) of the second packaging material (16); wherein the first reception shaft (18) can be driven by means of a first drive motor (26) to carry out a rotational movement; and/or wherein the second reception shaft (22) can be driven by means of a second drive motor (28) to carry out a rotational movement, with the first and/or second drive motor (26, 28) in particular being a servomotor or servomotors.

A packaging apparatus for packaging objects, in particular for packaging food portions, having a conveying device (10) for transporting a continuous web of a first packaging material (12), in particular of a bottom film, in a transport direction (TR); and having a feed device (14) for feeding a continuous web of a second packaging material (16), in particular of a top film, in the transport direction (TR), wherein the conveying device (10) comprises a first reception shaft (18) for receiving a first supply roll (20) of the first packaging material (12) and the feed device (14) comprises a second reception shaft (22) for receiving a second supply roll (24) of the second packaging material (16); wherein the first reception shaft (18) can be driven by means of a first drive motor (26) to carry out a rotational movement; and/or wherein the second reception shaft (22) can be driven by means of a second drive motor (28) to carry out a rotational movement, with the first and/or second drive motor (26, 28) in particular being a servomotor or servomotors.

A multi-lane system for wrapping ice cream products is presented. The system comprises reel holders for receiving reels holding webs of packaging material, a wrapping machine arranged to receive the ice cream products, to receive the webs, to enclose the ice cream products in the webs and to seal the webs such that wrapped ice cream products are formed, and a web conveying arrangement arranged to individually feed the webs of packaging material from the reels to the wrapping machine. The web conveying arrangement comprises de-tensioning devices arranged to decrease tensions in the webs upstream the wrapping machine.

A packaging machine may include a foil transport device and a controlling system for controlling an operation of at least one drive unit of the foil transport device. The controlling system is designed to activate the drive unit during a production run of the packaging machine on the basis of a speed- and/or temperature-dependent friction moment characteristic curve detected by means of a rotationally driven measurement run carried out by the drive unit. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method for controlling a drive unit of a foil transport device.

A method for treating kegs in a container-treatment machine includes passing a first keg through a first set of treatment stations on the container-treatment machine and passing a second keg through a second set of treatment stations on the container-treatment machine. The first and second sets depend on a condition of the first and second kegs.

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.