Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of attaching a shrinkable label (22) on a product (23) wherein the shrinkable label comprises a multi-layered film (1, 10) comprising a heat shrinkable material and a photothermic material (3, 4, 14), the method comprising: —transporting the at least one product on a conveyor (65); —arranging the at least one product in an irradiation volume, the irradiation volume being defined by a plurality of LED UV light emitters (63) arranged to emit UV-light in the direction of at least a shrinkable label arranged around the at least one product; —controlling the UV-light emitters to irradiate the at least one shrinkable label arranged around the one or more products in the irradiation volume in order for the photothermic material to heat up causing the heat shrinkable material to shrink around the at least one product.

Abstract: A device is provided for arranging folds in a strip of flattened tubular shrink foil material in a container sleeving system for applying tubular shrink foil material around containers. The device includes a guiding element having an upstream guiding element part formed by a first flat plate extending in a first plane, a downstream guiding element part formed by a second flat plate extending in a second plane rotated with respect to the first plane, and an intermediate guiding element connected to or integrally formed with the upstream and downstream guiding elements and shaped so as to smoothly guide the flattened tubular shrink foil material moving over the first flat plate towards the second flat plate. The device also includes pressure rollers arranged to press at least one additional fold into the tubular shrink foil material.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a sleeve applicator system for applying a heat-shrinkable sleeve to an object that moves in a first direction. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method. According to the invention, a second mandrel is mounted in a flexible manner to a first mandrel. A second drive system is used for moving the heat-shrinkable sleeve from the first mandrel over the second mandrel towards the object. The second drive system is further configured to push the second mandrel such that the second mandrel moves along with the moving object during the application of the sleeve.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a sleeve applicator system for applying a heat-shrinkable sleeve to an object that moves in a first direction. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method. According to the invention, a second mandrel is mounted in a flexible manner to a first mandrel. A second drive system is used for moving the heat-shrinkable sleeve from the first mandrel over the second mandrel towards the object. The second drive system is further configured to push the second mandrel such that the second mandrel moves along with the moving object during the application of the sleeve.

Abstract: A device is provided for arranging folds in a strip of flattened tubular shrink foil material in a container sleeving system for applying tubular shrink foil material around containers. The device includes a guiding element having an upstream guiding element part formed by a first flat plate extending in a first plane, a downstream guiding element part formed by a second flat plate extending in a second plane rotated with respect to the first plane, and an intermediate guiding element connected to or integrally formed with the upstream and downstream guiding elements and shaped so as to smoothly guide the flattened tubular shrink foil material moving over the first flat plate towards the second flat plate. The device also includes pressure rollers arranged to press at least one additional fold into the tubular shrink foil material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of attaching a shrinkable label (22) on a product (23) wherein the shrinkable label comprises a multi-layered film (1, 10) comprising a heat shrinkable material and a photothermic material (3, 4, 14), the method comprising: —transporting the at least one product on a conveyor (65); —arranging the at least one product in an irradiation volume, the irradiation volume being defined by a plurality of LED UV light emitters (63) arranged to emit UV-light in the direction of at least a shrinkable label arranged around the at least one product; —controlling the UV-light emitters to irradiate the at least one shrinkable label arranged around the one or more products in the irradiation volume in order for the photothermic material to heat up causing the heat shrinkable material to shrink around the at least one product.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a container sleeving method for arranging sleeves around a plurality of containers, the method includes: transporting an array of containers past a sleeve discharge unit; arranging a sleeve of heat shrinkable foil around a container passing by the sleeve discharge unit by shooting the sleeve from the sleeve discharge unit towards the container; detecting whether the sleeve has been correctly arranged around the container; and, if the sleeve has not been arranged correctly around the container, continue transporting one or more containers along the sleeve discharge unit and discontinue shooting one or more sleeves towards the containers.

Abstract: A spreading unit for a container sleeving device, configured to spread open flattened tubular foil material to form a sleeve, to bring the sleeve in a target tubular shape and to discharge the sleeve towards the container, the spreading unit including a mandrel including: an upstream mandrel element for spreading open the flattened tubular foil material having a substantially constant cross-section in axial direction; a downstream mandrel element having a non-constant cross-section in axial direction; an intermediate mandrel element positioned between the upstream and downstream mandrel elements; wherein the downstream mandrel element comprises flaring sides and tapering sides and the intermediate mandrel element is recessed relative to the upstream mandrel element to allow the upstream part of a sleeve to move radially inward when the downstream part of the sleeve moves along the flaring sides of the downstream mandrel element.

Abstract: A spreading unit for a container sleeving device, configured to spread open flattened tubular foil material to form a sleeve, to bring the sleeve in a target tubular shape and to discharge the sleeve towards the container, the spreading unit including a mandrel including: an upstream mandrel element for spreading open the flattened tubular foil material having a substantially constant cross-section in axial direction; a downstream mandrel element having a non-constant cross-section in axial direction; an intermediate mandrel element positioned between the upstream and downstream mandrel elements; wherein the downstream mandrel element comprises flaring sides and tapering sides and the intermediate mandrel element is recessed relative to the upstream mandrel element to allow the upstream part of a sleeve to move radially inward when the downstream part of the sleeve moves along the flaring sides of the downstream mandrel element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a container sleeving method for arranging sleeves around a plurality of containers, the method includes: transporting an array of containers past a sleeve discharge unit; arranging a sleeve of heat shrinkable foil around a container passing by the sleeve discharge unit by shooting the sleeve from the sleeve discharge unit towards the container; detecting whether the sleeve has been correctly arranged around the container; and, if the sleeve has not been arranged correctly around the container, continue transporting one or more containers along the sleeve discharge unit and discontinue shooting one or more sleeves towards the containers.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly of reels and transport platforms. The reels comprise foil to be arranged as labels onto containers. The invention also relates to a method for arranging a label onto a container at a labelling plant. According to the method containers and labels are provided at the labelling plant. The labels are arranged onto the containers. At a foil production plant, at least 80 mm of foil height of foil comprising labels is wound onto a deformable core with an opening. This forms a reel. Three or more reels are positioned on a transport platform such as a pallet for transporting to the labelling plant. Two of the reels are ovally shaped having an oval ratio (Rlw) of length:width of at least 1.1. At the labelling plant the foil is unwound from the reel and cut into labels.

Abstract: A device for arranging a sleeve-like foil envelope around an object, including supply means for supplying said sleeve-like foil envelope around at least one spreading element in a horizontal orientation, as well as discharge means for discharging the sleeve-like foil envelope from the device and arranging it around the object, wherein said spreading element has an inlet side configured as a flat element portion, an outlet side and a transition area located between said inlet side and said outlet side, and wherein said spreading element widens towards the transition area in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the flat element portion, whilst the spreading element has an at least substantially constant circumference at least in the direction from the inlet side to the transition area.

Abstract: The present invention provides a micro-fluidic system, a method for manufacturing a micro-fluidic system and a method for controlling or manipulating a fluid flow through micro-channels of such a micro-fluidic system. The inner side of the wall of the micro-channel is provided with actuator elements. These actuator elements have a shape, an orientation and a geometry that includes a varying cross sectional area along a longitudinal axis. The varying cross sectional area includes one or more openings along the longitudinal axis of the actuator element. The actuator elements can change in shape and orientation as a response to an external stimulus. Through this change of the shape and orientation, the flow of a fluid through a micro-channel may be controlled and manipulated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a micro-fluidic system, a method of manufacturing the micro-fluidic system and a method of controlling or manipulating a fluid flow through micro-channels of such a micro-fluidic system. The inner side of the wall of the micro-channel is provided with actuator elements. The actuator elements have composite structures. These actuator elements can change shape and orientation in response to an external stimulus. Through this change of shape and orientation, the flow of a fluid through a micro-channel may be controlled and manipulated.