Wrapping machine and method

Abstract

A horizontal wrapping machine which includes a former for shaping a continuous film of packaging material drawn past the former into a continuous tube, a film drive for drawing the continuous film of packaging material past the former and past a cutting and sealing station, a product infeed drive for feeding products to be packaged through the former into the continuous tube of packaging material so that the products are spaced apart from one another in the tube, and a pair of motor-driven cut-heads at the cutting and sealing station for cutting and sealing the continuous tube of packaging material as each product moves past the cutting and sealing station. The horizontal wrapping machine further includes independent closed loop servo control circuits for the film drive, product infeed drive, and cut-head drive, each of which are responsive to a desired velocity control signal. The wrapping machine includes a first encoder on the shaft of a roller driven by the moving film, a second encoder coupled to the product infeed drive, and a resolver coupled to the cut-head drive. A microprocessor-based controller is coupled to the encoders, the resolver, and the servo loops for the infeed, film feed, and cut-head drives.