Methods and systems for producing pressware

A method of producing pressware from a web of a roll of material, the method comprising:

• pulling the web, via a plurality of decurling station rollers, along a path forming an angle;
• pressing, via a scoring station actuator, the web between a scoring punch and a plate of a scoring tool to impart a slot in the web along an outline of the pressware;
• pressing, via a forming station actuator, the web between a positive mold assembly and a negative mold assembly to form the pressware;
• and
• pulling, via a suction cup, the pressware from the one of the negative mold assembly or the positive mold assembly.

A system for producing pressware from a web of a roll of material, the system comprising:

• a decurling station frame;
• a pair of pull roller assemblies spaced apart from one another on the decurling station frame, each of the pair of pull roller assemblies including a pull roller and a pinch roller configured to pull the web from the roll of material;
• a vertically-shiftable decurl roller positioned between the pair of pull roller assemblies on the decurling station frame;
• a decurling station actuator configured to vertically shift the decurl roller;
• a scoring station frame positioned proximate to the decurling station frame;
• a scoring tool supported on the scoring station frame and including a scoring punch and a striker plate that are vertically shiftable relative to one another, the scoring punch including edges extending radially about a shape representing an outline of the pressware;
• a scoring station actuator configured to shift the scoring punch vertically relative to the striker plate of the scoring tool to press the web between the scoring punch and the striker plate and form slots in the material that extend radially about the outline of the pressware;
• a forming station frame positioned proximate to the scoring station frame;
• a forming tool supported on the forming station frame and including a positive mold assembly and a negative mold assembly that are vertically shiftable relative to one another;
• a forming tool actuator configured to shift the positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly vertically relative to one another to press the web between the positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly to form the pressware in the web;
• and
• a picking station configured to receive a remainder of the web from the forming tool, the picking station including—
• a picking station roller configured to pull the remainder of the web from the forming tool;
• a suction cup movably suspended at a height above the picking station roller and configured to engage the pressware, and
• a picking station actuator configured to shift the suction cup away from the negative mold assembly to remove the pressware from the negative mold assembly.