Abstract: The disclosure relates to a sealing tool for a packaging machine which comprises a tool lower part with at least one centrifugal separator for separating a particle-laden gas flow. The disclosure further relates to a method for separating a particle-laden gas flow at a sealing tool of a packaging machine, where the particle-laden gas flow is separated by way of a centrifugal separator provided at a tool lower part of the sealing tool.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a packaging that is made from a packaging base for receiving a product and a lid part glued to opposite side walls of the packaging base, wherein the lid part comprises a self-adhesive label peeled off a carrier tape and having an underside provided with an adhesive exclusively in regions that are glued to the opposite side walls of the packaging base part. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a method for producing a packaging.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a thermoforming machine comprising a transverse cutting station. The transverse cutting station has a punching device for separating one or more film sections from a lower film and/or an upper film by means of a punching tool comprising a punch and a die. The punching device comprises a chamber configured to at least temporarily receive the film sections, and a suction device to convey the film sections out of the transverse cutting station. The suction device is fluidically connected to a compressed gas source.

Abstract: In order to prevent a slice from being separated from each log during the last cut in the case of multiple portions produced in parallel, that is to say there is no unproductive cut in the last cut, as is required, for example, in EP 2942165 B1, the basic idea is to already provide an unproductive cut for at least one log during the first cut for the simultaneously produced portions, wherein a distinction must be made in the following procedure whether or not separately controllable portioning belts are present per lane and whether the portion lengths should be the same or not despite different numbers of slices.

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: A gripper assembly comprises a main body for attachment to a travel device, a first gripper attached to the main body and a second gripper attached to the main body. The first gripper comprises a first product carrier and a first drive configured to move the first product carrier parallel to a transverse direction between a first release position and a first receiving position. The second gripper comprises a second product carrier and a second drive configured to move the second product carrier parallel to the transverse direction between a second release position and a second receiving position. The first and second grippers are located consecutively along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, so that the first and second product carriers jointly form at least part of a common product receiving surface when the first and second product carriers are in the first and second receiving positions, respectively.

Abstract: A destacking system for cardboard blanks comprises a deposition unit for cardboard blanks with first and second deposition positions, a first destacker comprising a first stacking magazine for accommodating a first stack of cardboard blanks, a first retaining system for retaining the cardboard blanks at a first stacking position, and a first conveying unit with a first gripper to grip a first cardboard blank of the first destacker at the first stacking position and convey the first cardboard blank to the first deposition position, a second destacker comprising a second stacking magazine for accommodating a second stack of cardboard blanks, a second retaining system for retaining the cardboard blanks at a second stacking position, and a second conveying unit with a second gripper configured to grip a second cardboard blank of the second destacker at the second stacking position and convey the second cardboard blank to the second deposition position.

Abstract: A slicing machine, in particular a slicer, for slicing at least one product caliber into slices and for producing portions from the slices, comprises a cutting unit with a blade for cutting slices from the at least one product caliber, a feed unit for feeding the at least one product caliber to the cutting unit along a feed direction, and a control unit. The slicing machine further comprises a measuring device which is in signal connection with the control unit and is adapted to measure at least one dimension of the at least one product caliber in a height direction of the at least one product caliber in order to determine a first cut length, in particular automatically.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for inserting products into trays at a loading station for a tray sealer, where a tray of several trays loaded with product by way of a gripper unit to a target value at the loading station and provided therein on a tray conveyor is pushed directly onto a discharge belt of the loading station by way of a tray pusher formed on the gripper unit. The disclosure furthermore relates to a loading station for a tray sealer.

Abstract: A food processing machine includes a plurality of tool parts which are exchangeable and which each comprise at least one electronic data storage in which a tool identification is stored for identifying the respective tool parts, and a controlling system for reading the tool identifications. The controlling system is configured to determine, based on the tool identification read by it from the at least one data storage of an exchangeable tool part installed at the food processing machine, processes basically implementable with this tool part which are possible for an operation of the tool part, and to determine an intersection of detailed processes by a comparison of these processes with processes basically performable by the food processing machine based on machine equipment employed for the tool part and firmly installed in the food processing machine, by which the tool part can be controlled by the machine equipment provided for it.

Abstract: In order to ensure that portions are visually appealing, i.e., centered, have uniform slice spacing in a longitudinal direction and do not differ too much in a transverse direction, and in particular do not rest on a sealing edge of a trough belt in its trough, the corresponding portion arrangement on a packaging element is, as is known, determined directly in a packaging machine from above by means of a camera and if a deviation from a target arrangement is too great, production parameters in upstream units of the packaging machine are adjusted, i.e., across a gap between a portioning belt and the packaging machine. According to the disclosure, the actual arrangement of the portion is determined from below the packaging element, in particular the trough, and through said the packaging element by means of radar radiation.

Abstract: A slicing machine for slicing product calibers lying parallel in different tracks into slices, and for creating portions from the slices, may comprise a cutting unit for separating the slices from the product calibers, and a feeding unit for feeding the product calibers to the cutting unit. The feeding unit may comprise a gripper unit with one gripper per track, a gripper carriage which carries the grippers, and a carriage guide along which the gripper carriage can be moved in a controlled manner in a feed direction. Each gripper is assigned an adjustment unit, by means of which the particular gripper can be moved in an actively controlled manner by a predetermined travel path relative to the gripper carriage in and/or against the feed direction. A method for operating a multi-track slicing machine is also disclosed.

Abstract: A slicing machine for slicing at least one product caliber into slices and for producing portions from the slices, includes a cutting unit with a blade, in particular a rotatable blade that is movable in a cutting plane, for cutting slices from the at least one product caliber, a feed unit for feeding the product calibers to the cutting unit along a feed direction, and a gripper unit with at least one gripper which is movable along the feed direction. The gripper unit comprises a claw drive unit by which gripper claws of the at least one gripper are displaceable between an engagement position in which the gripper claws hold the product caliber and a release position in which the gripper claws do not hold the product caliber. Furthermore, the claw drive unit is configured as an electromagnetically actuated claw drive unit.

Abstract: To minimize the frequency of losses in the form of product tailpieces, which cannot be sliced because of gripper claws located therein, long or endless products are produced, whether outside or inside the cutting machine, by positioning product parts adjacently in lengthwise direction one behind another and joining mutually facing end faces of these product parts. The product parts may be joined outside the machine, resulting in long but finite products, or by positioning within the machine and on a feed belt a new product part in each case in succession at the rear end of the product currently being sliced and joining the new product part to the rear end of the rearmost product part of the previous product to form a virtually endless product.

Abstract: A method for operating a packaging line including a packaging machine having an insertion station in which one portion is deposited on or in packaging means, a cutting machine for cutting slices from a product, including a discharge conveyor unit capable of forming the slices into portions, and an insertion/feed unit downstream in a passage direction of the cutting machine for buffering and feeding the portions to the insertion station by conveyor belts. Portions are assembled by the insertion/feed unit to a complete format having a predetermined number of portions and the complete format is fed to the insertion station by an insertion belt of the insertion/feed unit. The method includes initially assembling, on a last and/or penultimate conveyor belt of the insertion/feed unit before the insertion belt, an incomplete format, and forming the complete format from the incomplete format only upon transfer of the portions to the insertion belt.

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: In order to avoid having to remove grippers that are not required from the machine when changing the number of lanes by disconnecting the supply lines, in particular pneumatic lines (which requires a great deal of effort due to the hygiene regulations when reconnecting later) the gripper that is not required, at least its base part, ideally together with the gripper head fastened to the base part, is removed from the operating position and repositioned to a parking position without having to disconnect the supply lines. The same is also optionally possible with the contact pressing units of the PFOs, whose contact pressing drives are also connected to supply lines, usually pneumatic lines.

Abstract: A slicing machine for slicing a predetermined number of product calibres into slices and producing portions from the slices includes a cutting unit for separating the slices from the predetermined number of product calibres, a feeding unit for feeding multiple product calibres to the cutting unit, a buffer unit to receive the multiple product calibres, a weight detection unit to detect a weight of each of the multiple product calibres received in the buffer unit, and a controller to obtain from the weight detection unit the weight of each of the multiple product calibres and control the buffer unit to feed the predetermined number of product calibres from the multiple product calibres to the feeding unit such that the weight of each of the predetermined number of product calibres has at most a predetermined deviation from the weight of each other of the predetermined number of product calibres.

Abstract: In order to prevent a slice from being separated from each log during the last cut in the case of multiple portions produced in parallel, that is to say there is no unproductive cut in the last cut, as is required, for example, in EP 2942165 B1, the basic idea is to already provide an unproductive cut for at least one log during the first cut for the simultaneously produced portions, wherein a distinction must be made in the following procedure whether or not separately controllable portioning belts are present per lane and whether the portion lengths should be the same or not despite different numbers of slices.

Abstract: In order to be able to achieve a control target (Z) selected by a user in the simplest possible way during operation of a production line (500), performance indicators (LKs) are calculated from performance parameters (LP) which are measurable or discernible or can be specified and can originate from several different machines (100, 200, 300) of the production line (500). By achieving or even optimizing these one or more performance indicators (LKs) stored in a control with control target (Z) within their target range, it is ensured that the overall regulation target (Z), i.e. for the entire production line (500), is also achieved.