Polymer packaging systems and methods

摘要

A rotary knife assembly includes a rotatable core and a plurality of knife blades extending from the rotatable core. A heating element is coupled with the plurality of knife blades, and the heating element is configured to heat the knife blades. One or more package guides are interposed between each of the plurality of knife blades configured to engage along one or more deformable packages as the rotatable core is rotated. In another example, a discharge assembly includes a conveyor belt including inner and outer belt surfaces, and a plurality of belt rows extending along a belt length. A plurality of package spacing ridges each include outer engaging edges, and one package spacing ridge of the plurality is positioned between each of the plurality of belt rows. The outer belt surface is recessed from the outer engaging edges.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
rotating a rotatable core in correspondence with a forming drum, the forming drum having a plurality of package cavities extending along the circumference of the forming drum; heating a plurality of knife blades with a heating element, the knife blades extending from the rotatable core; insulating a guide face of one or more package guides from the heating element to reduce heat transfer from the heating element to the guide face, the package guides interposed between each of the plurality of knife blades; separating each of a plurality of packages, in respective ones of the package cavities, from one another to form individual packages; and biasing the one or more individual packages away from the plurality of knife blades and toward the plurality of package cavities with the guide face coupled along the one or more individual packages to maintain the one or more individual packages within respective ones of the package cavities of the forming drum until a discharge conveyor belt biases one or more of the individual packages toward the one or more package cavities.