Method of determining the volume flow and the filling degree at a packaging machine

A packaging machine for producing, in case of varying filling degrees, packages with at least substantially similar package appearances, the packaging machine comprising:

• a sealing station and a control unit, the control unit being functionally connected to a sensor system provided at the sealing station and operable to detect a pressure of a package volume provided within the sealing station;
• wherein the control unit is operable to calculate at least one of a filling degree associated with the package volume and a volume flow associated with the package volume based on a comparison between a time-dependent pressure curve and a time-dependent reference pressure curve, wherein the time-dependent pressure curve is detectable between predetermined pressure levels at least temporarily during a filling process of the package volume enclosed within the sealing station and the time-dependent reference pressure curve is representative of a filling process of a known reference volume and stored in the control unit between the predetermined pressure levels;
• and
• wherein the control unit is operable to set at least one process parameter of the packaging machine based upon at least one of the calculated filling degree and the volume flow.

A method of operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for producing, in case of varying filling degrees, packages with at least substantially similar package appearances, the method comprising:

• filling a free package volume enclosed between a lower and an upper packaging material and defined by at least one package positioned within the sealing station with a gas, the gas intended to be used for creating a desired atmosphere, and the free package volume is filled from an initial pressure prevailing in the package volume up to a predetermined gas flushing pressure;
• detecting, at least temporarily during filling of the package volume, a pressure curve using at least one pressure-detecting sensor system connected to the package volume, the pressure curve being detected based on a time-dependent pressure curve between the initial pressure and the predetermined gas flushing pressure;
• comparing the detected pressure curve with a reference pressure curve detected based on a pressure curve, which is time-dependent, for filling a known free reference package volume of at least one reference package positioned within the sealing station with the gas between the initial pressure and the predetermined gas flushing pressure;
• and
• setting at least one process parameter of the packaging machine based upon the comparison of the detected pressure curve with the reference pressure curve.

A packaging machine for producing, in the case of varying filling degrees, packages with at least substantially similar package appearances, the packaging machine comprising:

• a sealing station and a control unit, the control unit being functionally connected to a sensor system that is provided at the sealing station and operable to detect a pressure of a package volume provided within the sealing station, wherein the control unit is operable to run a comparison between a time-dependent pressure curve and a time-dependent reference pressure curve;
• wherein the time-dependent pressure curve is detectable between predetermined pressure levels at least temporarily during a filling process of the package volume enclosed within the sealing station, and the time-dependent reference pressure curve is representative of a filling process of a known reference volume and stored in the control unit between the predetermined pressure levels;
• and
• the control unit is operable to set at least one process parameter of the packaging machine based upon the comparison between the time-dependent pressure curve and the time-dependent reference pressure curve.