Packaging machine having continuous and intermittent modes

A machine for forming pouches from a web of sealable material folded to have mating first and second sides, the machine comprising:

• a pair of drive rolls positioned to engage opposite sides of the web, a variable speed motor drivingly connected to the drive rolls;
• a sealer having a pair of opposed seal bars positioned on opposite sides of the web, each seal bar slidably mounted on a track extending parallel to the web, a variable speed motor drivingly connected to each seal bar for translation alone said track, the seal bars being mounted for reciprocation into and out of contact with the web, a variable speed motor drivingly connected to reciprocate the seal bars;
• a rotary cutter having a pair of cutter rolls positioned on opposite sides of the web, a variable speed motor drivingly connected to the cutter rolls;
• a pouch filling station adapted to receive individual pouches from the cutter, a variable speed motor controlling the advance of the received pouches;
• a controller connected to and controllably operating the drive roll, carrier, and transfer motors and selectively operable in a continuous or intermittent mode, the controller adapted to coordinate the speeds of the drive roll and carrier motors, the controller also connected to the seal bar translation and reciprocation motors, the controller triggering the seal bar translation motors to drive the seal bars longitudinally downstream before triggering the seal bar reciprocation motor so that the seal bars engage the web as the web advances, the controller further connected to the cutter roll motor, the controller triggering the cutter roll motor to rotate the cutter rolls as the web advances.