Production of collapsible pouches having a fitment

A production machine for the production of collapsible pouches having a fitment, said pouches each having walls made from a heat-sealable film material, wherein the production machine comprises a fitment sealing station that is configured to heat seal a plastic fitment having an attachment portion in a non-bonded edge region between opposed first and second walls made from the heat-sealable film material, wherein the non-bonded edge region has a length and a height, wherein the fitment sealing station comprises:

• an impulse sealing device comprising a first jaw and a second jaw,
• an actuator device configured to move the first and second jaws relative to one another between an opened position and a clamped position, and
• a cooling device configured to cool each of the first and second jaws,
• wherein the first jaw has a first contoured front surface configured to contact the edge region of a respective first wall of the pouch,
• wherein the second jaw has a second contoured front surface configured to contact the edge region of a respective second wall of the pouch,
• wherein the first and second contoured front surfaces each have a recessed face portion defining a recess configured to receive therein a half of the attachment portion of the fitment, and wherein the first and second contoured front surfaces each define, on opposite sides of the respective recessed face and adjoining said recessed face, coplanar face portions,
• wherein each of the first and second jaws comprises at the respective contoured front surface thereof at least one elongated, impulse heatable member that extends along the recessed face portion and the coplanar face portions of the respective front surface and that is covered by a heat-resistant non-stick covering,
• wherein the production machine is configured such that, in operation, the fitment is positioned with the attachment portion thereof in the non-bonded edge region, between the opposed first and second walls made from heat-sealable film material, and
• wherein the fitment sealing station is configured to perform an impulse sealing cycle, wherein the actuator device is configured to bring the first and second jaws into the clamped position, so that—in the edge region—the first and second walls are clamped against the attachment portion of the fitment by the recessed faces of the first and second jaws and so that—in the edge region—the first and second walls on opposite sides of the fitment are clamped against one another by the coplanar faces of the first and second jaws, and wherein the fitment sealing station is configured to, in the clamped position, temporarily energize the impulse heatable members so as to generate an impulse of heat that is emitted by each of the impulse heatable members, which impulses of heat seal the edge region of the first and second walls to the attachment portion of the fitment and to each other on opposite sides of the attachment portion, wherein the first and second jaws, at least the impulse heatable members thereof, cool down after termination of the energizing assisted therein by operation of the cooling device, and wherein the actuator device is configured to move the first and second jaws into the opened position after the impulse heatable members have cooled down,
• wherein each impulse heatable member is a susceptor element comprising electrically conductive material, said susceptor element having a rear side facing away from the respective contoured front surface, and
• wherein each of the first and second jaws comprises an inductor which is electrically insulated from the respective susceptor element, wherein the inductor comprises an elongated inductor section that extends along the respective contoured front surface at the rear side of the respective at least one susceptor element, and
• wherein the fitment sealing station comprises a high frequency electric current source, which is connected to the inductor of each of the first and second jaws, and
• wherein the fitment sealing station is configured so that, in the impulse sealing cycle, the electric current source is operated to temporarily feed a high frequency electric current to the inductors, thereby generating a high frequency electromagnetic field with the inductors, wherein the high frequency electromagnetic field induces eddy currents in the respective susceptor element generating an impulse of heat that is emitted by the susceptor element, which impulses of heat seal the edge region of the walls to the attachment portion of the fitment and to each other.