System and method for automatically packaging an item

A method for packaging a set of items to be shipped, comprising:

• supporting, in a roll section, a pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material;
• unrolling the pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material into webs;
• matching the webs into a web set;
• transporting the web set from the roll section to a package section that provides a form zone, a fill zone and a finish zone;
• expanding a determined amount of the web set in the form zone;
• receiving a shipping item in a controlled portion of the expanded amount of web set in the fill zone;
• finish-sealing the controlled portion of the expanded amount of web set that has received the shipping item;
• and
• separating the controlled portion from the webs in the finish zone to form a finished package;
• wherein the step of matching the webs into the web set is by way of a mating roller downstream of a pair of support rollers configured to match the webs into the matched web set;
• wherein the step of transporting the web set from the roll section to the package section is by way of a plurality of feed rollers downstream of the mating roller;
• and
• wherein the method further comprises:
• obtaining data, by a scan device, from the shipping item;
• controlling, by a controller communicatively connected with the scan device, the roll section and the package section, a set of movements of the matched web set through the roll section and through the package section based at least in part on the obtained data and at least in part on a selected mode;
• communicatively connecting a set of grippers of the package section with the controller;
• wherein the step of expanding the determined amount of the web set in the form zone, being by at least one gripper of the set of grippers based at least in part on the data from the shipping item;
• and
• indexing, by at least another gripper of the set of grippers and the at least one gripper, the expanded amount of the web set from the form zone to the fill zone.

A method for packaging of one or more of a shipping item, comprising:

• controlling production, with a controller provided with programming, of the packaging;
• supporting a pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material and unrolling into webs and matching into a web set, in a roll section;
• transitioning a web set, at a tension roller, to a package section;
• positioning a set of grippers downstream of the tension roller and communicatively connecting the set of grippers with the controller, the set of grippers including at least one first gripper, the at least one first gripper expanding the web set by moving in a direction opposite of a direction of a web path of the web set;
• and
• positioning a set of sealers downstream of the tension roller and communicatively connecting the set of sealers with the controller;
• wherein the programming determines a set of movements of the matched web set through the roll section and through the package section based at least in part on a data associated with the shipping item.

A method for packaging a set of items to be shipped, comprising:

• obtaining data, by a scan device, from a shipping item;
• supporting, in a roll section, a pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material;
• unrolling the pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material into webs;
• matching the webs into a web set with a matching roller;
• transporting, by a plurality of feed rollers, the web set from the roll section to a package section that provides a form zone, a fill zone and a finish zone;
• expanding a determined amount of the web set in the form zone based on the obtained data, wherein the expanding is carried out by relative movement of grippers of a set of grippers including at least one gripper of the set of grippers moving in a direction opposite of a direction of a web path of the web set;
• indexing the web set, by the set of grippers, from the form zone to the fill zone in the direction of the web path;
• receiving the shipping item in a controlled portion of the expanded amount of web set in the fill zone;
• finish-sealing the controlled portion of the expanded amount of web set that has received the shipping item;
• and
• separating the controlled portion from the webs in the finish zone to form a finished package.