Packaging machine having moisture sensor

A packaging machine comprising:

• a control unit;
• at least one measurement device;
• and
• a plurality of work units for different processes;
• wherein the control unit is functionally connected to the plurality of work units and to the at least one measurement device,
• wherein the measurement device is configured to detect actual process values at one of the work units and forward same to the control unit in order to monitor a process status at said one of the work units;
• wherein the control unit is designed to produce a program sequence in a self-controlled manner for each of the plurality of work units and/or in a coordinated manner with respect to the plurality of work units by comparing the actual process values forwarded to the control unit from each measurement device with corresponding target process values from a storage unit connected to the control unit, and each work unit of the plurality of work units functions on the basis of the actual process values detected at the work unit and/or in a coordinated manner according to the program sequence;
• wherein one of the plurality of work units is a sealing station and the at least one measurement device is at least one moisture sensor functionally connected to the control unit, wherein the at least one moisture sensor is disposed to detect moisture within the sealing station as a time-dependent measured variable during a program sequence of the sealing station, wherein the program sequence comprises an evacuation process, wherein the control unit is designed to calculate a rate of change in the moisture during the evacuation process of the sealing station, and wherein the control unit is aborts the evacuation process performed of the sealing station, based on the rate of change in the moisture before reaching a target vacuum pressure within the sealing station if the rate of change in the moisture is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value or if the difference of the rate of change in the moisture minus the threshold value has changed from a negative value to a positive value and back again from a positive value to a negative value.