System and method for automatically packaging an item

An update kit for a system for packaging a set of items, the system for packaging including a roll section that provides support for a pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material that are unrolled into webs and matched into a web set, a package section that provides a fill zone and a finish zone, and a controller configured to control the roll section and the package section, the update kit comprising:

• a set of grippers configured to provide a form zone of the package section;
• a computer readable medium comprising a controller programming update;
• wherein the computer readable medium is configured to be received by the controller such that the controller receives the controller programming update when the update kit is incorporated with the system for packaging;
• wherein the set of grippers comprises a subset of grippers, wherein the subset of grippers is configured to be implemented in the package section and communicatively connected with the controller and controlled by the controller based on the controller programming update;
• wherein the subset of grippers comprises at least one gripper that, upon being connected to the controller comprising the controller programming update, is configured to expand a determined amount of a web set of the prefabricated expandable packaging material in the form zone based at least in part on a data from a shipping item of the set of items, the web set configured to travel along a web path, the at least one gripper configured to move in a direction opposite the web path to expand the determined amount of the web set;
• and
• wherein the set of grippers is configured to have at least another gripper of the set of grippers of the subset of grippers to index the expanded amount of web set from the form zone to the fill zone.

A kit for a system that provides packaging of one or more shipping items, the kit comprising:

• a set of rollers configured to provide support for a pair of rolls of a prefabricated expandable packaging material, to unroll the prefabricated expandable packaging material into webs, and to match the webs creating a web set, the web set configured to travel along a web path;
• a computer readable medium, comprising a controller programming update, configured to be received by a controller associated with the system;
• a set of grippers configured to provide a form zone of a package section and configured to expand a determined amount of the web set in the form zone based at least in part on a data from a shipping item of the one or more shipping items, the set of grippers including at least one gripper configured to move in a direction opposite the web path to expand the determined amount of the web set;
• and
• wherein the set of rollers and the set of grippers are configured to be controlled by the controller based on the controller programming update.