Method and device for filling packages with a padding material in bulk material form

A device for filling packages (50) or containers with a cushioning material (80);

• the cushioning material (80) supplied to the package (50) or container by a supply unit;
• contour properties of one or more packaged items (60) in the package (50) or container are determined by a scanner unit (20), processed by a logic unit, and determine a filling quantity of the volume of the package (50) or container to be filled and derive a variable quantity of cushioning material (80) to be dispensed into the package (50) or container, the device comprising a reading unit (40) for determining information regarding the type of package or container and deriving information regarding an internal volume of the package (50) or container;
• the scanning unit (20) embodied as an optical laser scanner and using a triangulation process to determine a volume of the packaged item (60) or packaged items (60) and a highest point (61) of the packaged item (60) or packaged items (60) and using the highest point (61) and the information regarding the internal volume of the package (50) or container to determine a first filling volume (90) amount of the cushioning material (80) necessary for filling up to the highest point (61) of the packaged item (60) or packaged items (60);
• wherein a second filling volume (100) amount of the cushioning material (80) for a portion of the interior volume between the highest point (61) and a top of the internal volume is determined based on the information regarding the type of package or container and the internal volume, the second filling volume (100) amount is adjusted according to a predetermined customer-specific instruction as a function of the second filling volume (100) amount and/or a weight of the packaged item (60) or packaged items (60), and, based on the first filling volume (90) amount determined in the first step, the logic unit calculates a total volume of the cushioning material (80) as a sum of the first and the second filling volume (90, 100) amounts and the information regarding the calculated total volume of the cushioning material (80) is transmitted to a metering unit of the supply unit.