METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRINTING IMAGES AND/OR TEXT ON PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THEN FORMING PACKAGES FOR CONTAINING LIQUID BEVERAGE OR OTHER MATERIALS OUT OF THE PRINTED PACKAGING MATERIAL

Abstract

In a method for the packaging of a bulk material or material in packaging units, which are formed in a filling and packaging plant (4) from the packaging material that is fed to this station before and/or during the filling with the bulk material or material to be packaged, the printing of the packaging material is printed in a printing station that is upstream of the filling or packaging station in the feed direction of the packaging material.

Description

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to a method described herein and to a device for the performance of this method described herein.

The prior art describes production or packaging lines with filling or packaging stations for the packaging of a bulk material in packaging units which are formed from a packaging material that is fed to the packaging station. The packaging material can be a single-ply or multi-ply flat material, e.g. a laminated multi-ply packaging material made of cardboard, plastic and/or metal film, from which the respective packaging unit is formed in the filling or packaging station or in a station upstream of the filling of packaging station, or the packaging material can be a tubular packaging material from which, in the packaging or filling station or in the station upstream, the individual packaging unit, which can be in the shape of a bag or pillow, for example, by sealing and separation.

Bulk material or material to be packaged within the meaning of the invention includes all products which can be packaged in such packaging units. Bulk material or material to be packaged within the meaning of the invention includes but is not limited to liquid, viscous or pasty products, in particular foods and beverages such as milk, cream, wine etc. as well as non-liquid or dry products, e.g. in the form of powder or granulate etc.

Regardless of the type of the individual packaging and/or of the bulk material being filled of packaged, in the prior art, for the formation of the packaging units, a pre-printed packaging material has been used, the printing and/or labeling of which can be very different for different products and brands in terms of imagery and/or graphics and/or color and/or text. It is therefore necessary, among other things, during the packaging, to select packaging material that is appropriate to the individual product, and to change the packaging material when a packaging or production line is converted from one product to another product.

The prior art also describes a print head which is intended for the printing of flat print stock and with which a plurality of printed dots can be produced in a line immediately next to one another or at a very small distance from one another, for example at least one hundred fifty printed dots per inch on a surface of the stock to be printed, and specifically by means of a plurality of individually actuatable individual nozzles.

The active printing width of this print head, which is also known by the name “Tonejet”, is dependent only on the capacity of the computing power of a computer that actuates the print head. Thus, for example, print heads with a printing width of 1.7-6.8 inches (corresponding to a 256-bit actuation or a 1024-bit actuation) are possible. With this print head, a two-dimensional impression can be printed with a sufficiently large surface by a relative movement between the surface to be printed and the printing head only in one single axial direction.

OBJECT OR OBJECTS

The object of the invention is to create a method with which printed packaging units filled with a bulk material to be packaged can be formed, even when the labeling or printing is different.

SUMMARY

The invention teaches that this object can be accomplished by a method described herein. A device for the performance of the method is also described herein.

One special characteristic of the method claimed by the invention is that not only is the information required for the overall appearance of the individual packaging unit, but at least a significant portion of the printing and/or labeling of the packaging unit is applied to the packaging material in a printing unit immediately before the formation of the packaging and/or immediately before the packaging is filled with the material to be packaged, preferably to the packaging material when it is still flat. Consequently, when it is necessary to change the labeling of the packaging units, it becomes possible, among other things, to use one and the same packaging material as the primary material simply by a corresponding setting or conversion of the printing.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the printing unit is realized so that the individual printed image on the packaging as a function of the actuation by an electronic control unit or a computer, and specifically on the basis of a printing template which is formed electronically or by a software dataset, and is stored, for example, in a memory of the control device or of the computer. By modifying this printing template, it is easily possible to modify the appearance of the packaging, and specifically in any respect, for example the texts, graphics, colors, image, as well as with regard to the size and shape of the individual impression.

The invention therefore makes it possible, among other things and if necessary, to easily modify and/or to update the individual packaging, and specifically, for example, as a function of the respective product and/or as a function of the respective brand etc. It is also possible to adapt the size of the impression to the size of the packaging unit or to select an impression that is adapted to the size of the packaging unit and/or to modify or to vary the impression or parts of the impression even while the process is running.

The invention also offers the capability of modifying the impression from one product unit to the next product unit, i.e. from one container to the next container.

The printing unit preferably has at least one print head which is preferably realized in the form of a “Tonejet” print head or in the form of a print head that is equivalent to such a “Tonejet” print head. A print head of this type has, in a printing area which is located for the printing of the surface to be printed opposite and at a short distance from this surface, a plurality of individual nozzles which are arranged one immediately after another in a longitudinal axis of the print head, and each of which is formed by a nozzle aperture and by an electrode associated with each nozzle aperture. The printing ink present in the print head is discharged at each individual nozzle or from the associated nozzle aperture only when, for the activation of an individual nozzle, an electrical voltage is applied to the electrode which is associated with this individual nozzle, whereby the polarity and/or potential of the voltage differ from the polarity and/or potential of the print head or the printing ink in the print head, so that as a result of electrostatic forces, a specified quantity of printing ink is discharged or ejected from the nozzle aperture of the activated individual nozzle. A print head of this type is also called an “electrostatic print head” below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying figures which show one exemplary embodiment of the invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of a packaging unit in the form of a rectangular or square cardboard packaging unit;

FIG. 2 is a highly schematic function diagram of a production plant for the forming and filling of the packaging units illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the print heads, realized in the form of electrostatic print heads, of a printing unit of the plant illustrated in FIG. 2, together with the packaging material to be printed;

FIG. 4 is a side view of one of the print heads of the printing unit illustrated in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OR EMBODIMENTS

In the figures, 1 is a packaging unit made of a single-ply or multi-ply packaging material 1.1, for example from a cardboard laminated with at least one plastic and/or metal film and filled with a liquid to be packaged, for example with a beverage (milk, milk product, juice, wine etc.), whereby the package is provided with an optical decoration on its outside surface which is formed at least in partial areas by at least one impression 2. This impression can be realized in a wide variety of possible forms, and specifically, among other things, with regard to the product and/or brand being packaged, in terms of its appearance and/or graphics and/or color and/or text.

FIG. 2 shows, in a highly schematic illustration, a production or bottling plant 3 for the forming of packaging units 1 from the initially flat packaging material 1.1 for subsequent filling of the packaging units 1 with the liquid to be packaged and for the closing of the filled packaging units 1. The central functional unit of the production plant 3 is a station or unit 4 to which the flat, strip-format packaging material 1.1 is fed from a supply 5, e.g. in the form or a roll, in the direction indicated by the arrow A and in which the individual packaging units 1 are formed from the packaging material 1.1, filled with the liquid being packaged and closed. The filled and closed packaging units 1 are then fed as indicated by the arrow B via a conveyor 6 for an additional application, e.g. to a packing station (not shown) in which the packaging units 1 are combined into larger bundles, for example.

In the transport or feed direction A of the packaging material 1.1, upstream of the unit 4, there is a printing station 7 through which the packaging material 1.1 is moved for the application of the impressions 2. A special feature of the production plant 3 is that the printing of the packaging material 1.1 takes place only immediately before the use of this material, i.e. immediately before the forming of the packaging units 1. As a result, among other things, it is possible to use a neutral material as the packaging material 1.1 which is provided with the impressions 2 desired for the packaging units 1 only immediately before it is used, and/or to provide a packaging material which is already partly printed and/or contains colors, graphic images and text, and then to provide it with the additional printed impressions 2 only immediately before it is used, to achieve the appearance desired for the packaging units 1.

In detail, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment the printing station 7 consists, in the direction of travel or feed A of the packaging material 1.1, sequentially of a preheater unit 8, a printing unit 9 next to the preheater unit 8, a unit 10 which is next to the printing unit 9 to dry the individual impression 2 or the printed image, and specifically as a function of the printing ink used for the impressions 2 by heating or a heat treatment and/or by UV treatment etc.

An additional essential feature of the production line 3 is that the printing unit 9 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 consist of a plurality of print heads 11, each of which is oriented transversely or perpendicularly to the direction of travel A of the packaging material 1.1 at a short distance above the packaging material 1.1 which in the illustrated embodiment is guided horizontally or approximately horizontally in the vicinity of the printing station 7 or above the printing plane formed by the packaging material 1.1. The print heads 11 thereby extend, for example, over the entire width of the flat packaging material 1.1.

To achieve the highest possible printing capacity (number of impressions 2 per unit of time) with an optimal print quality, the print heads 11 in this exemplary embodiment are realized in the form of electrostatic print heads. For multiple-color printing, there are three individual print heads 11, each of which is used to print one color set of the multicolor printing. The print heads 11 thus contain different print colors in the required shades, e.g. red, blue and yellow. Basically it is also possible to provide additional print heads 11 on the printing unit 9, for example a fourth print head 11 for black printing.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each print head 11 consists essentially of a housing 12 which forms, among other things, a closed interior 13 which holds the liquid or viscous ink. Each housing 12 is realized so that the interior 13 is tapered in a funnel or wedge shape toward a lower housing segment 12.1. In this housing segment 12.1 which extends over the entire length of each print head 11 or of the housing 12 and is oriented parallel to a housing or print head longitudinal axis DL and thus also parallel to the printing plane and perpendicular or transverse to the transport direction A, there are a plurality of individually actuatable individual nozzles 14 for the controlled discharge of the printing ink, and specifically arranged in at least one row in the direction of the print head axis DL one after another and densely packed, so that for example one hundred fifty or more individual dots 14 per inch are formed on the housing segment 12.1. With the housing segment 12.1 which has the individual nozzles 14, each print head 11 is located in the above mentioned specified short distance above the packaging material 1.1 to be printed or above the printing plane.

During the printing, the packaging material 1 is moved in the direction of travel A continuously or in a clocked cycle past the respective print head 11. As a result of the above mentioned orientation of the print heads 11, the direction of feed or travel A is transverse, but preferably perpendicular to the print head longitudinal axis DL. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment the print heads 11 are also oriented with their print head longitudinal axes DL parallel to one another, and specifically preferably in a common horizontal plane.

Each individual nozzle 14 consists of an aperture 15 and of a needle-shaped electrode 16 which is associated with this opening, is oriented equi-axially with the axis of the aperture 15 and ends at a short distance from this aperture in the interior 13 of the housing. Each print head 11 is further realized so that at least during the printing process, the printing ink in the interior of the housing 13 presses with a certain hydrostatic pressure against the apertures 15 of the individual nozzles. The cross section of the openings 15, however, is selected in consideration of the viscosity and/or the surface tension of the ink so that when the individual nozzle 14 is not activated, ink does not escape from the apertures 15 in spite of the hydrostatic pressure.

The electrodes 16 and thus also the individual nozzles 14 can be actuated individually by means of a control device 17, and specifically so that when the individual nozzle 14 is not activated the corresponding electrode 16 is at the same electrostatic potential as the ink in the interior 13 of the housing. When an electrode 16 is activated, the potential is modified by a corresponding actuation of the control device 17 briefly or in a pulsed manner, so that ink is discharged via the aperture 15 to produce a printed dot 18 on the packaging material 1.1.

Because the print heads 11 are oriented with their print head longitudinal axis DL transversely or perpendicular to the travel or feed direction A of the packaging material 1.1, the printing is done on the packaging material in rows which run perpendicular to the lengthwise direction or in the direction of travel A over the full width of the area to be printed, and namely progressively in the travel or feed direction A. The printed area extends, for example, over the full width or almost over the full width of the packaging material 11, so that in the printing station 7 all the sides of the later packaging unit 1 are printed, whereby by a corresponding actuation of the individual nozzles 14, the printing is applied so that every side of the finished packaging unit 1 then has a visually self-contained impression and can also contain, for example, text and/or informational components of the impression that do not extend over the edges of the packaging unit formed from the packaging material 1.1. There are also other possibilities for the design of the impressions by means of corresponding actuation of the print heads or of the individual nozzles 14.

For the printing, only a single movement of the packaging material 1.1 relative to the respective print head 11 is necessary, namely the feed movement of the packaging material. This feature makes it possible to achieve a high printing speed, capacity or output. The respective printed image is generated 100% digitally in the control device 17 for the corresponding actuation of the individual nozzles 14 and is stored in the control device 17 or in a memory located in the control device, e.g. in the form of a digital dataset.

The packaging material 1.1 is printed with the printing unit 9 so that the individual impression and/or the graphic and/or color design and/or decoration of the packaging material 1.1 is produced in its entirety by the printing unit 9 on the neutral packaging material 1.1 and/or the printing unit 9 is used to supplement an existing impression on the packaging material 1.1 in a desired fashion, for example by adding text, colors and/or graphics.

Because the packaging material 1.1 is printed only immediately before the use of this material to form the packaging units 1 and as a result of the actuation of the printing unit 9 and the print heads 11 located in it by the electronic printing unit 17 using print forms or templates that are stored digitally or in the form of data, there are various advantageous capabilities, including among others the ability to make a rapid conversion of the production line 3 to different products, to set and/or adapt the size of the impressions 2 to the size of the packaging units etc. It is also possible to achieve an easy conversion of the printed impressions 2 simply by a reprogramming and/or a modification of the program of the electronic control device 17. In particular it is also possible, while the process is running, to modify the printed impressions 2 and thus the appearance of the packaging units, for example to reconfigure the printed image for each packaging unit 1, in particular so that each printed image is a combination of a constant or unchanging component and variable content and/or information. The changing components of the printing can be, for example, numeric or alphanumeric information, for example information relating to the date of manufacture or the sell-by or use-by date and or information in the form of a numerical code etc.

It goes without saying that the feed velocity of the packaging material 1.1, at least in the vicinity of the print heads 11, is regulated by the electronic control device 17, and specifically in synchronization with the actuation of the print heads 11, to thereby achieve a clear, high-quality printed image. It also goes without saying that in the vicinity of the print heads 11 there are centering and guide means for the packaging material 1.1, to optimally orient this material with respect to the print heads 11, but also and in particular to correctly maintain the specified distance between the print heads 11 and the packaging material 1.1.

In the preheater unit 8 which is upstream of the printing unit 9 and of the print heads 11 located in it, the packaging material 1.1 is preheated so that the printing ink cures or sets the print and/or color sets produced by the individual print heads 11 at least to the extent that an undesirable fixing of the individual printing inks or print and/or color sets is prevented. To improve the printed impression in terms of contrast and/or sharpness, the preheating device 8 can also have other elements, such as for example a corona element (not shown), with which the packaging material 1.1 is electrostatically charged at least on its surface to be printed prior to the printing.

In the unit 10 that is downstream of the printing unit 9 in the direction of feed or transport A, the printing ink is dried or set, and specifically by heating or in another suitable manner, for example by setting under UV light etc.

The invention was described above on the basis of one exemplary embodiment. It goes without saying that numerous modifications and variations are possible without thereby going beyond the teaching of the invention.

For example, the above description is based on the assumption that the packaging material 1.1 is a flat material from which the individual packages 1 are formed by cutting and folding. Basically, the packaging material 1.1 can also be a tubular material, from which the individual packages are formed by appropriate cutting and sealing.

The above description is also based on the assumption that there is only one printing unit 9. Naturally a plurality of printing units can also be used, including printing units that are offset from one another, in particular in the direction of travel A and/or transverse to the direction of travel A.

The corresponding foreign and international patent publication applications, namely, Federal Republic of Germany Patent Application No. 10 2006 019 994.4, filed on Apr. 26, 2006, having inventor Volker TILL, and DE-OS10 2006 019 994.4 and DE-PS10 2006 019 994.4, and International Application No. PCT/EP2007/003680, filed on Apr. 26, 2007, having WIPO Publication No. WO2007/124913 and inventor Volker TILL, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein for the purpose of correcting and explaining any possible misinterpretations of the English translation thereof. In addition, the published equivalents of the above corresponding foreign and international patent publication applications, and other equivalents or corresponding applications, if any, in corresponding cases in the Federal Republic of Germany and elsewhere, and the references and documents cited in any of the documents cited herein, such as the patents, patent applications and publications, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein.

The purpose of incorporating the foreign equivalent patent application PCT/EP2007/003680 and German Patent Application 10 2006 019 994.4 is solely for the purpose of providing a basis of correction of any wording in the pages of the present application, which may have been mistranslated or misinterpreted by the translator. Words relating to opinions and judgments of the author and not directly relating to the technical details of the description of the embodiments therein are not to be incorporated by reference. The words all, always, absolutely, consistently, preferably, guarantee, particularly, constantly, ensure, necessarily, immediately, endlessly, avoid, exactly, continually, expediently, need, must, only, perpetual, precise, perfect, require, requisite, simultaneous, total, unavoidable, and unnecessary, or words substantially equivalent to the above-mentioned word in this sentence, when not used to describe technical features of one or more embodiments, are not generally considered to be incorporated by reference herein.

Statements made in the original foreign patent applications PCT/EP2007/003680 and DE 10 2006 019 994.4 from which this patent application claims priority which do not have to do with the correction of the translation in this patent application are not to be included in this patent application in the incorporation by reference.

NOMENCLATURE

• 1 Packaging
• 1.1 Packaging material
• 2 Printed impression
• 3 Production line
• 4 Unit
• 5 Supply of the packaging material 1.1
• 6 Conveyor
• 7 Printing station
• 8 Preheater unit
• 9 Printing unit
• 10 Unit for drying the printed ink
• 11 Print head
• 12 Housing
• 12.1 Housing segment
• 13 Housing interior
• 14 Individual nozzle
• 15 Aperture
• 16 Electrode
• 17 Control device
• 18 Printed dot
• A Direction of feed or travel of the packaging material 1.1
• B Direction of transport

Claims

1-34. (canceled)

35. A method of forming, filling, and sealing liquid-beverage packages from a strip of flat packaging material using a liquid-beverage packaging machine, said packaging machine comprising: a supply roll of flat packaging material; a form-fill-seal machine being configured and disposed to receive packaging material from said supply roll; said form-fill-seal machine being configured to roll packaging material into a tube, seal an end of the tubular packaging material, fill the sealed, tubular packaging material with a liquid beverage, and seal and cut off sections of the filled, tubular packaging material to form filled, sealed liquid-beverage packages; a conveyor being configured and disposed to move liquid-beverage packages from said form-fill-seal machine to a packing station; a printing arrangement being disposed between said supply roll and said form-fill-seal machine; said supply roll being configured and disposed to move the labeling material to said form-fill-seal machine in a horizontal orientation under and past said printing arrangement; said printing arrangement being configured to print at least one of text and images on the side of the labeling material facing said printing arrangement as the labeling material is being moved past said printing arrangement to said form-fill-seal machine; said printing arrangement comprises: a preheating and electrostatic-charging unit being configured and disposed to preheat and electrostatically charge the labeling material; a printing unit being configured and disposed to print on the preheated and electrostatically-charged labeling material across a substantial portion of the width of the preheated and electrostatically-charged labeling material; and a drying unit being configured and disposed to dry the ink on the printed labeling material; said printing unit comprising a plurality of electrostatic print heads comprising at least a first electrostatic print head, a second electrostatic print head, and a third electrostatic print head, each being configured to print a different primary color; each of said print heads having a longitudinal axis transverse or perpendicular to the feed direction of the packaging material; each of said print heads comprising: a housing being configured and disposed to hold a supply of ink therein; a plurality of individually-actuatable nozzles for the controlled discharge of ink; said nozzles being arranged in at least one row, one after another along said print head longitudinal axis; each of said nozzles comprising an electrode and a corresponding aperture; each of said apertures having a cross-sectional diameter configured to produce a surface tension of the ink such that ink does not escape from said housing via said apertures upon its corresponding electrode being inactive; and each of said electrodes being configured to be activated in a pulsed manner to discharge ink via its corresponding aperture to produce a printed dot on the packaging material; said method comprising the steps of:

moving flat packaging material in a horizontal orientation from said supply roll to said form-fill-seal machine;

printing with said printing arrangement at least one of text and images on the side of the labeling material facing said printing arrangement as the labeling material is being moved past said printing arrangement to said form-fill-seal machine, said step of printing comprising: preheating and electrostatically charging the labeling material with said preheating and electrostatic-charging unit; activating said electrodes of said first print head and discharging ink via their corresponding apertures to produce printed dots on the packaging material of a first primary color; activating said electrodes of said second print head and discharging ink via their corresponding apertures to produce printed dots on the packaging material of a second primary color different from the first primary color; activating said electrodes of said third print head and discharging ink via their corresponding apertures to produce printed dots on the packaging material of a third primary color different from each of the first and second primary colors; and drying the ink on the printed labeling material with said drying unit;

rolling the printed packaging material into a tube with the printed side forming the exterior surface of the tube;

sealing an end of the tubular packaging material;

filling the sealed, tubular packaging material with a liquid beverage;

sealing and cutting off sections of the filled, tubular packaging material and forming filled, sealed liquid-beverage packages; and

moving liquid-beverage packages on said conveyor from said form-fill-seal machine to a packing station.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein:

said printing arrangement produces the printed image as a function of an electrical control device;

said printing arrangement generates the printed image as a function of templates that are stored electronically or in the form of software in the control unit;

for the production of a multiple-color printed image, a color set of the impression is associated with each print head; and

said drying unit comprises at least one of a heater and an ultraviolet light.

37. A liquid-beverage packaging machine for forming, filling, and sealing liquid-beverage packages from a strip of flat packaging material, said packaging machine comprising:

a supply roll of flat packaging material;

a form-fill-seal machine being configured and disposed to receive packaging material from said supply roll;

said form-fill-seal machine being configured to roll packaging material into a tube, seal an end of the tubular packaging material, fill the sealed, tubular packaging material with a liquid beverage, and seal and cut off sections of the filled, tubular packaging material to form filled, sealed liquid-beverage packages;

a conveyor being configured and disposed to move liquid-beverage packages from said form-fill-seal machine to a packing station;

a printing arrangement being disposed between said supply roll and said form-fill-seal machine;

said supply roll being configured and disposed to move the labeling material to said form-fill-seal machine in a horizontal orientation under and past said printing arrangement;

said printing arrangement being configured to print at least one of text and images on the side of the labeling material facing said printing arrangement as the labeling material is being moved past said printing arrangement to said form-fill-seal machine;

said printing arrangement comprises: a preheating and electrostatic-charging unit being configured and disposed to preheat and electrostatically charge the labeling material; a printing unit being configured and disposed to print on the preheated and electrostatically-charged labeling material across a substantial portion of the width of the preheated and electrostatically-charged labeling material; and a drying unit being configured and disposed to dry the ink on the printed labeling material;

said printing unit comprising a plurality of electrostatic print heads comprising at least a first electrostatic print head, a second electrostatic print head, and a third electrostatic print head, each being configured to print a different primary color;

each of said print heads having a longitudinal axis transverse or perpendicular to the feed direction of the packaging material;

each of said print heads comprising: a housing being configured and disposed to hold a supply of ink therein; a plurality of individually-actuatable nozzles for the controlled discharge of ink; said nozzles being arranged in at least one row, one after another along said print head longitudinal axis; each of said nozzles comprising an electrode and a corresponding aperture; each of said apertures having a cross-sectional diameter configured to produce a surface tension of the ink such that ink does not escape from said housing via said apertures upon its corresponding electrode being inactive; and each of said electrodes being configured to be activated in a pulsed manner to discharge ink via its corresponding aperture to produce a printed dot on the packaging material.

38. The packaging machine according to claim 37, wherein:

said printing arrangement produces the printed image as a function of an electrical control device;

said printing arrangement generates the printed image as a function of templates that are stored electronically or in the form of software in the control unit;

for the production of a multiple-color printed image, a color set of the impression is associated with each print head; and

said drying unit comprises at least one of a heater and an ultraviolet light.

39. A method for the preparation of packaging units (1) for the packaging of a bulk material or material to be packaged, whereby the packaging units (1) are formed immediately before and/or during the filling with the bulk material or material to be packaged in a filling and packaging plant (4) from a packaging material which is fed to the plant, characterized in that the packaging material (1.1) is printed in at least one printing station (7) as this material is being fed.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the printing of the packaging material (1.1) in the at least one printing station (7) takes place after the extraction of this material from a supply (5).

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein one of:

the packaging material (1) prior to the printing is a neutral material without a printed impression; or

the packaging material (1) prior to the printing is a partly pre-printed material and that the printing of the packaging material (1.1) supplements or adds to a printed image that is already present on this material.

42. (canceled)

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein the packaging material (1.1) is printed in multiple colors.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the packaging material (1.1) is printed using at least one printing station (7) or one printing unit (9) which generates the print and/or the printed image as a function of an electronic control unit (17).

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the printing station (7) or printing unit (9) generates the printed image as a function of templates that are stored electronically or as software in the control unit (17).

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the printed image is modified or varied at least partly during the production process.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the packaging material (1.1) is printed transverse to a longitudinal direction of the packaging material or transverse to the feed direction (A) of the packaging material (1.1), and specifically, for example, across the entire width or a majority of the width of the packaging material (1.1).

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein the printing takes place during a relative movement between the packaging material (1.1) and the printing unit (9) or of at least one print head (11) of the printing unit (9).

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the packaging material (1.1) is moved relative to the printing unit (9) and/or to the at least one print head (11).

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein:

the at least one printing unit (9) has at least one electrostatic print head (11) with a plurality of individually actuatable individual nozzles (14) for the controlled discharge of ink, and that the individual nozzles (14) are arranged one after another in at least one row in a print head longitudinal axis (DL);

the relative movement between the at least one print head (11) and the film material is transverse or perpendicular to the print head longitudinal axis (DL);

the packaging material (1.1) is oriented horizontally or at least essentially horizontally during the printing;

the at least one print head (11) is located above the packaging material (1.1) to be printed;

there are at least two and preferably at least three print heads (11);

for the production of a multiple-color impression, a color set of this impression is produced with each print head (11);

the ink, after it has been applied to the packaging material (1.1), is dried or set by the application of energy, e.g. by heating and/or UV-light; and

the packaging material (1.1) is heated and/or statically charged prior to the printing.

51-57. (canceled)

58. A device for performing the method according to claim 39, whereby the packaging units (1) are formed in a filling and packaging plant (4) from a packaging material fed from a supply before and/or during the filling with the material to be filled or packaged, wherein between the supply (5) and a station (4) for the formation of the packaging units (1) there is at least one printing unit (9) for the printing of the packaging material (1.1).

59. The device according to claim 58, wherein the at least one printing unit (9) is realized for a multiple-color printing of the packaging material (5.1).

60. The device according to claim 59, wherein the at least one printing unit (9) produces the printed image as a function of an electrical control device (17).

61. The device according to claim 60, wherein the at least one printing unit (9) generates the printed image as a function of templates that are stored electronically or in the form of software in the control unit (17).

62. The device according to claim 61, wherein:

the printing unit (9) or at least one print head (11) of this unit prints the packaging material (1.1) by lines across its longitudinal direction, and specifically, for example, over the entire width or a majority of this width;

said device comprises means for the production of the relative movement between the packaging material (1.1) and the at least one printing unit (9) or at least one print head (11) of this printing unit (9) during the printing;

said device comprises feed means with which the packaging material (1.1) is moved relative to the at least one printing unit (9) and to the at least one print head (11) located in or on it;

the at least one printing unit (9) has at least one electrostatic print head (11) with a plurality of individually actuatable individual nozzles (14) for the controlled discharge of ink, and that the individual nozzles (14) are arranged in at least one row, one after another in a print head longitudinal axis (DL);

the at least one print head (11) is oriented with a print head longitudinal axis (DL) transverse or perpendicular to the feed direction (B) of the packaging material (1.1);

the packaging material (1.1) is oriented horizontally or essentially horizontally during the printing;

the at least one print head (11) is located above the packaging material (1.1);

the device comprises at least two and preferably by at least three print heads (11);

for the production of a multiple-color printed image, a color set of the impression is associated with each print head (11);

said device comprises means (10) for the drying of the ink after it has been applied to the packaging material (1.1) by the application of energy, for example by heating and/or by UV light; and

said device comprises means (8) for the heating and/or for the electrostatic charging of the packaging material (1.1) prior to the printing.

63-72. (canceled)