1.-11. (canceled)
12. A process for making a hole into substrate by at least one laser, comprising:
in a first step, producing at least one intermediate hole into the substrate by at least one laser, the intermediate hole having an intermediate diameter that is smaller than a final diameter of the hole to be made; and
in a second step, producing the hole having the final diameter into the substrate by the at least one laser.
13. The process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the intermediate hole having the smaller diameter is a blind hole.
14. The process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blind hole has a depth that is at least 40% of a final depth of the hole to be made.
15. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the depth of the blind hole is at least 60% of the final depth of the hole to be made.
16. The process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the intermediate hole having the smaller diameter is a through-hole.
17. The process as claimed in claim 13, further comprising producing a transition through-hole from the blind hole using a second set of production parameters which have been changed compared to a first set of production parameters for the intermediate hole, without changing the diameter of the intermediate hole.
18. The process as claimed in claim 13, further comprising producing a transition through-hole from the intermediate hole by using an energy which is higher than that used for producing the intermediate hole.
19. The process as claimed in claim 18, wherein the energy used for producing the transition through-hole from the intermediate hole is at least 20% higher than that used for making the intermediate hole.
20. The process as claimed in claim 12 further comprising pre-polishing the transition through-hole by a trepanning process.
21. The process as claimed in claim 12, wherein a percussion process is used.
22. The process as claimed in claim 17, further comprising machining the transition through-hole by a trepanning process to produce the hole having the final diameter.
23. The process as claimed in claim 18, further comprising machining the transition through-hole by a trepanning process to produce the hole having the final diameter.
24. The process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hole to be made is a through-hole.
25. The process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the diameter of the intermediate hole in the first step is at least 10% smaller than the final diameter of the hole to be made.
26. The process as claimed in claim 25, wherein the diameter of the intermediate hole in the first step is at least 40% to 60% of the final diameter of the hole to be made.
27. The process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the depth of the blind hole is at least 90% of the final depth of the hole to be made.
28. The process as claimed in claim 27, wherein the depth of the blind hole is at least 95% of the final depth of the hole to be made.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In an indexing-motion packaging machine comprising a web transport conveyor transporting a web of flexible packaging material from upstream to downstream locations through a series of stations including (A) a forming station for forming at least one pocket in the web, (B) a loading station for placing food product in the pocket, and (C) a closing station for closing the pocket with another web of packaging material; a packaging apparatus comprising:
a forming station comprising first and second forming die members, at least one of the first and second forming die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to form the pocket;
a closing station comprising first and second closing die members, at least one of the first and second closing die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to close the pocket; and
wherein the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member are counterbalanced so that movement of one of the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards its closed position assists movement of the other one of the movable forming die member and movable closing die member towards its closed position and so that movement of the one of the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards its open position assists movement of the other one of the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards its open position.
2. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable forming die member is inverted with respect to the movable closing die member.
3. The packaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the forming station is below the closing station in the packaging machine.
4. The packaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the forming station and closing station are oriented such that the lower web enters the forming station from one direction and enters the closing station from another, opposite direction.
5. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lift operatively connected to both the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member; wherein movement of the lift moves the movable forming die member towards its closed position and the movable closing die member towards its closed position and wherein opposite movement of the lift moves the movable forming die member towards its open position and the movable closing die member towards its open position.
6. The packaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the movable forming die member is inverted with respect to the movable closing die member and wherein the lift is disposed vertically higher than the forming station in the packaging apparatus and vertically lower than the closing station in the packaging apparatus.
7. The packaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the lift is disposed between the forming station and the closing station in the packaging apparatus.
8. The packaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lift rotates in a first direction to move the movable forming die member towards its closed position and the movable closing die member towards its closed position and wherein the lift rotates in a second, opposite direction to move the movable forming die member towards its open position and the movable closing die member towards its open position.
9. The packaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the lift comprises at least one drive arm that rotates about a pivot axis and has a first end operatively connected to the movable closing die member and a second, opposite end operatively connected to the movable forming die member.
10. The packaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the lift further comprises a drive wheel operatively connected to the drive arm, wherein rotation of the drive wheel causes rotation of the drive arm about the pivot axis and thus causes movement of the movable closing die member and movement of the movable forming die member.
11. The packaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the lift further comprises a follower wheel operatively connected to the drive wheel so that rotation of the drive wheel causes rotation of the follower wheel, and further comprising a follower arm operatively connected to the follower wheel so that rotation of the follower wheel causes rotation of the follower arm, wherein the follower arm has a first end operatively connected to the movable closing die member and a second, opposite end operatively connected to the movable forming die member, wherein rotation of the follower arm causes movement of the movable closing die member and movement of the movable forming die member.
12. The packaging apparatus according to claim 11, comprising a belt that operatively connects the drive wheel to the follower wheel.
13. The packaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein as the drive arm rotates about the pivot axis, the first end of the drive arm travels along a guide track operatively connected to the movable closing die member and the second end of the drive arm travels along a guide track operatively connected to the movable forming die member.
14. The packaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the guide track operatively connected to the movable closing die member and the guide track operatively connected to the movable forming die member each comprise first and second rails, and further comprising a bearing operatively connected to the first end of the drive arm and disposed between and configured to ride along the first and second rails of the guide track operatively connected to the movable closing die member, and further comprising and a bearing operatively connected to the second end of the drive arm and disposed between and configured to ride along the first and second rails of the guide track operatively connected to the movable forming die member.
15. The packaging apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising at least one servo motor operatively connected to the lift to move the lift.
16. The packaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the movable forming die member comprises an inverted die box containing at least one form insert, and further comprising at least one latch releasably retaining the form insert in the inverted die box.
17. The packaging apparatus according to claim 16, comprising a locking pin operatively connected to the form insert and wherein the latch defines a keyhole for releasably engaging with the locking pin.
18. A method of operating the packaging apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
moving the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards their respective closed positions and then moving the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards their open positions.
19. An indexing-motion packaging apparatus comprising:
a forming station comprising first and second forming die members, at least one of the first and second forming die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to form the pocket;
a closing station comprising first and second closing die members, at least one of the first and second closing die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to close the pocket; and
wherein the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member are counterbalanced so that movement of one of the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards its closed position assists movement of the other one of the movable forming die member and movable closing die member towards its closed position and so that movement of the one of the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards its open position assists movement of the other one of the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member towards its open position.
20. An indexing-motion packaging machine comprising:
a web transport conveyor transporting a web of flexible packaging material from upstream to downstream locations through a series of stations including (A) a forming station for forming at least one pocket in the web, (B) a loading station for placing food product in the pocket, and (C) a closing station for closing the pocket with an another web of packaging material;
wherein the forming station comprises first and second forming die members, at least one of the first and second forming die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to form the pocket;
wherein the closing station comprises first and second closing die members, at least one of the first and second closing die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to close the pocket; and
lift operatively connected to and counterbalancing the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member; wherein movement of the lift moves the movable forming die member towards its closed position and the movable closing die member towards its closed position and wherein opposite movement of the lift moves the movable forming die member towards its open position and the movable closing die member towards its open position.
21. The machine according to claim 20, wherein the lift rotates in a first direction to move the movable forming die member towards its closed position and the movable closing die member towards its closed position and wherein the lift rotates in a second, opposite direction to move the movable forming die member towards its open position and the movable closing die member towards its open position.
22. In an indexing-motion packaging machine comprising a web transport conveyor transporting a web of flexible packaging material along a direction of travel from upstream to downstream locations through a series of stations including (A) a forming station for forming at least one pocket in the lower web, (B) a loading station for placing food product in the pocket, and (C) a closing station for closing the pocket with another web of packaging material; a packaging apparatus comprising:
a forming station comprising first and second forming die members, at least one of the first and second forming die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to form the pocket;
a closing station comprising first and second closing die members, at least one of the first and second closing die members being movable between open and closed positions relative to the other one of the first and second forming die members to close the pocket; and
a frame movably supporting the forming station and closing station so that the forming station and closing station are movable together with respect to the machine in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the web.
23. The packaging apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of rails upon which the forming station and closing station are supported.
24. The packaging apparatus according to claim 23, comprising a plurality of rollers configured to ride on the rails of the frame and movably support the forming station and closing station.
25. The packaging apparatus according to claim 20, comprising a detent for statically positioning the forming station and closing station along the length of the frame.
26. The packaging apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the movable forming die member is inverted with respect to the movable closing die member.
27. The packaging apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the forming station is below the closing station in the packaging machine.
28. The packaging apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the forming station and closing station are oriented such that the lower web enters the forming station from one direction and the closing station from another, opposite direction.
29. The packaging apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the movable forming die member comprises an inverted die box containing at least one form insert, and further comprising at least one latch releasably retaining the form insert in the inverted die box.
30. The packaging apparatus according to claim 29, comprising a locking pin coupled to the form insert and wherein the latch defines a keyhole for releasably engaging with the locking pin.
31. The packaging apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a lift operatively connected to and counterbalancing the movable forming die member and the movable closing die member; wherein movement of the lift moves the movable forming die member towards its closed position and the movable closing die member towards its closed position and wherein opposite movement of the lift moves the movable forming die member towards its open position and the movable closing die member towards its open position.
32. The packaging apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the movable forming die member is inverted with respect to the movable closing die member and the lift is disposed between the forming station and the closing station
33. The packaging apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising a servo motor operatively connected to the lift to move the lift.
34. A method of operating the packaging apparatus of claim 22, comprising the steps of:
movably positioning the forming station and the closing station along the frame.