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 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 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 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.

Abstract: A packaging unit comprises at least one first piece of packaging material, wherein the first piece of packaging material has a coated paper, which has a base paper and at least three coatings applied one on top of the other on the base paper. The at least three coatings have in a sequence in which they are given, starting from the base paper, a first barrier layer, comprising at least one hydrophobic polymer, a second barrier layer, comprising at least one hydrophilic polymer, and a third barrier layer, comprising at least one hydrophobic polymer. Furthermore, the packaging is closed in a gas-tight manner.

Abstract: In order to prevent a rapidly rotating blade from flying away in the event of unintentional loosening, for which purpose the blade usually rotates in a protective blade housing, a catch pivot can-alternatively or additionally—be provided, which ends with its free end at such a small distance in front of an oppositely directed free end of a rotor and also extends in a direction of a blade axis of the blade 3 that a distance therebetween is less than a thickness of the blade. This prevents the blade from coming out radially through the distance between these two parts in the area of a central opening.

Abstract: As a fast and compact slide drive for a gripper slide, a traversing unit such as a traversing traction element unit is provided.

Abstract: The disclosure refers to a packaging device for manufacturing a packaging for a foodstuff. In particular, the packaging may include a trough-shaped lower packaging part and a top film which can be sealed together along their edges by means of a sealing tool of the packaging device. In order to improve a packaging device completely without evacuation or by evacuation in a simple and inexpensive manner with only a slight negative pressure in such a way that sufficient vapor purging is possible and at the same time cooling of the foodstuff before sealing or excessive degassing of the foodstuff does not take place, vapor can be introduced under pressure between the lower packaging part and the top film at at least one vapor entry point before sealing and can be released into the surrounding atmosphere at an outlet point from the packaging.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a lifting gear for opening and closing a workstation of a packaging machine, wherein the lifting gear includes a stationarily mounted base, a lifting platform mounted to be height adjustable with respect to the base along a lifting axis for supporting a lower tool part of the workstation, and an adjusting mechanism comprising a drive unit and a toggle means on which the lifting platform is mounted, wherein the adjusting mechanism furthermore includes a pressure part coupled with the toggle means and adjustable by means of the drive unit along the lifting axis, wherein by the displacement of said pressure part along the lifting axis, the toggle means can be actuated for a height adjustment of the lifting platform.

Abstract: A protective slide assembly for a work machine for processing packaging material includes an assembly element for connecting the protective slide assembly to the work machine , a protective element arranged to be movable relative to the assembly element, a first sensor element , and a second sensor element fixedly arranged at the assembly element . The protective element can be moved relative to the assembly element between a release position and a protection position, and the first sensor element and the second sensor element are configured to come into contact in the protection position of the protective element and to output a signal that is indicative of the contact. The first sensor element is arranged such that it can be moved along with the protective element and an amplitude of motion of the first sensor element is greater than an amplitude of motion of the protective element.

Abstract: In order to avoid complex electronic synchronization of various supply modules of an entire supply unit engaging on a caliber, the individual supply modules do not have separate drives, but rather a supply drive, usually a controllable electric motor, is mechanically operatively connected to several, preferably all existing, supply modules. As a result, moveable parts of the supply modules, which effect transport of the caliber in a supply direction, are driven accordingly.

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: The disclosure relates to a cutting device which is adapted for cutting substantially round packaging corners from a film web, wherein the cutting device has at least one cutting tool comprising a cutting punch which has at its outside at least one concavity provided for forming a cutting edge of the cutting punch. According to the disclosure, the cutting edge has a cutting contour extending both transversely and longitudinally along the cutting punch. The disclosure further relates to a method for manufacturing a cutting punch.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting packages includes a first drive shaft for driving a first cutting blade and a second drive shaft, arranged parallel to the first drive shaft, for driving a second cutting blade, where the second cutting blade is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis. The apparatus also includes an adjusting device assigned to the second cutting blade and having a movable actuating element. The actuating element is adapted to adjust a position of the second cutting blade and/or a pressing force of the second cutting blade on the first cutting blade and the actuating element is mounted movably along a direction parallel to the rotation axis and at a distance from the rotation axis.