Abstract: A method of forming a package includes forming, at a forming station of a packaging machine, a package base in a film so that the package base has a pocket. The method further includes attaching, at a first cover application station of the packaging machine, a first cover layer on the package base so that the first cover layer partially covers the pocket, and so that access to the pocket is provided to position a product in the pocket after the first cover layer has been attached to the package base.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tray sealer comprising a gripper device with two gripper arms, a supply device for unsealed trays, a removal device for sealed trays and a sealing device. Each gripper arm can comprise a coupling device that is configured to hold a first tray gripper for supplying trays into the sealing device and a second tray gripper for removing trays from the sealing device.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a deep-drawing packaging machine comprising, in a direction of production, a forming station for producing trays in a film web, a loading stretch for filling the trays with a product, a sealing device for sealing the trays with a top film, as well as a cutting device for separating finished packagings. The sealing device comprises a first sealing tool for a first sealing cycle and a second sealing tool for a second sealing cycle. The first sealing tool comprises at least one first pair of impulse sealing bars oriented in a first orientation relative to the direction of production for producing first sealing seam sections, and the second sealing tool comprises at least one second pair of impulse sealing bars oriented in a second orientation relative to the direction of production for producing second sealing seam sections.

Abstract: A sealing machine is provided for sealing a sealing material by heating a fin of the sealing material wrapped around a product. The sealing machine comprises, in a transport direction of the sealing material, a pair of tracking rollers for tensioning the sealing material and a pair of heating rollers for sealing the sealing material by applying heat to the fin when the fin is moved between the pair of heating rollers. Furthermore, the pair of tracking rollers and the pair of heating rollers are configured to be driven independently.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a residual film winder for a packaging machine, wherein the residual film winder comprises a reception mandrel, a reception sleeve, and at least one film spreader. The reception sleeve is configured to be arranged onto the reception mandrel. The film spreader has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end extends out of the reception sleeve, and the first end has an outer contour extending along its long axis. The outer contour of the film spreader has at least two sections, a first section and a second section, wherein the first and second sections are not parallel to each other.

Abstract: A suction nozzle, which is configured to aspirate a residual film of a film processed by a packaging machine. The suction nozzle comprises a tube assembly comprising a first tube and a second tube, wherein the first tube and the second tube are arranged coaxially with respect to one another and form a suction channel. An annular gap is provided between the first tube and the second tube, through which a gas, preferably air, can be blown into the suction channel.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a diversion device for a transport device for transporting products. The diversion device comprises a first element mounted to be rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a second element mounted to be rotatable about a second axis of rotation, where the axes of rotation form an angle with one another and the first and the second elements overlap in a region so that the first and the second elements enclose a diversion region. A product supplied to the diversion region can be diverted in the diversion region by rotating the first and the second elements and can exit the diversion device after having passed the diversion region due to mass inertia.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a packaging system comprising a deep-drawing packaging machine configured to produce packages in a production direction, and a feeding system for the deep-drawing packaging machine, wherein the feeding system comprises at least one transport belt device configured to transport cardboard blanks in a transport direction extending transversely to the production direction of the deep-drawing packaging machine into a transfer area formed within a machine frame of the deep-drawing packaging machine, and wherein the feeding system comprises a lifting device arranged in the transfer area for collecting and lifting the cardboard blanks transported into the transfer area by means of the transport belt device, wherein the lifting device has a plurality of independently controllable lifting units positioned one behind the other in the transport direction. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a corresponding method.

Abstract: In order to reliably avoid collisions between components of a slicing machine, in particular between a blade and another component, a control run is carried out before the start of a slicing operation, during which the respective component that has a risk of collision or the respective counter-component is brought into a position closest to the other component and tested to see whether a collision occurs.

Abstract: A thermoforming packaging machine includes a forming station for thermoforming troughs in a film web, a filling path for filling products into the troughs, a sealing station for sealing the troughs, a chain guide for guiding a transport chain for the film web, a transverse cutting device for cutting the film web in a direction transverse to the transport direction, a longitudinal cutting device for cutting the film web in the transport direction, and a control device for controlling processes running on the thermoforming packaging machine. The transverse cutting device comprises a film punch, an adjustment drive which can be controlled by the control device for closing and opening the film punch, and a detection unit which is connected to the control device and which has at least one sensor which is configured to detect, per processing cycle, a force progression occurring at the film punch during opening and closing.

Abstract: In order to keep the overall length of an insertion feed unit small despite high variability, a vertical paternoster buffer is used as a buffer therein.

Abstract: A workstation for a film-processing packaging machine defines a film transport plane in which the packaging film can be transported. In addition, the workstation comprises an electrically operable heating assembly. The latter in turn comprises an electrically conductive planar resistance heating element which in a plane parallel to the film transport plane has dimensions that are greater by a factor of at least 5, preferably at least 10, than in a direction perpendicular to the film transport plane. The resistance heating element is arranged between a heating plate and a clamping plate. The disclosure also relates to a packaging machine with such a workstation and to a method for operating such a workstation.

Abstract: In order to be able to safely remove the heavy and very sharp blade from the machine, which is overhanging when mounted, in contrast to known solutions, the entire cutting unit is not swung out of the machine so far that the blade is easily accessible, but instead the cutting unit together with the blade support and blade drive remain unchanged in position in the machine, and only the blade carrier of a mounting device is brought into contact with the blade. Then the blade can first be fixed to the protective blade carrier before the connection of the blade to the blade support is released, and then the blade carrier loaded with the blade can be removed from the machine in a simple manner, for example pulled out sideways.

Abstract: In order to reliably detect, without supplying electric current or any other type of energy to a gripper, whether a rear end of a product caliber is in a grippable position close to a gripper base body and/or gripper claws are extended into the product caliber, i.e., are activated, a signal transmitter may be moved into an activated position via a purely mechanical operative connection between a sensing element, which detects the approach of the product caliber to the gripper base body in a contacting manner, which position can be detected by a sensor arranged far behind the gripper at a base frame of the machine.

Abstract: A method for operating a sealing station of a packaging machine, wherein the method may include one or more of the following steps: filling a packing volume of a package with a gas to create a desired atmosphere to a preset gassing target pressure for a finished package, wherein the packaging volume may be defined by a lower and an upper packaging material; discharging a partial amount of the gas introduced into the packaging volume from the packaging volume into a collection volume while retaining the packaging volume generated by the preceding filling, which reduces the pressure within the packaging volume; and reducing the packaging volume by moving the upper packaging material to an end position that corresponds to a desired appearance such that the pressure inside the package increases again to near the gassing target pressure. A sealing station that performs this method is also described.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a deep-drawing packaging machine with a forming station for deep-drawing trays into a film, a loading stretch for filling products into the trays, and a sealing station for sealing the trays. The deep-drawing packaging machine further comprises at least one vacuum cooling station which is disposed in a direction of transport upstream of the sealing station and which is formed for vacuum cooling the products placed into the trays along the loading stretch. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method for vacuum cooling products.

Abstract: A thermoform packaging machine comprising a forming station, a sealing station, and a cutting station for separating sealed packaging troughs from one another. The cutting station may comprise at least one cutting unit which is adapted to be positioned within the cutting station at different positions in the production direction. The cutting station may comprise a support that supports bottoms of the sealed packaging troughs conveyed into the cutting station for the purpose of separation from below. The support may comprise a plurality of support elements arranged in a horizontal bearing plane and which form a gap at a position in the support at which a cutting operation takes place according to the position of the cutting unit. The gap may be repositioned by moving the support elements to different positions to position the gap to accommodate a different position of the cutting unit within the cutting station.

Abstract: A sealing tool for a tray sealing machine, comprising an upper tool and a lower tool with a main body having a tray depression for receiving at least a part of a tray to be sealed, and a tray carrier, wherein a gas channel runs through the tray carrier. The sealing tool is characterized in that the tray carrier comprises a first plate with a first pressing surface and a second plate with a second pressing surface and the first plate has a first depression which extends from the first pressing surface, wherein the first depression forms at least a section of the gas channel when the first plate and the second plate are pressed against each other at the first and the second pressing surface, respectively.

Abstract: A method of forming a package includes forming, at a forming station of a packaging machine, a package base in a film so that the package base has a pocket. The method further includes attaching, at a first cover application station of the packaging machine, a first cover layer on the package base so that the first cover layer partially covers the pocket, and so that access to the pocket is provided to position a product in the pocket after the first cover layer has been attached to the package base.