Method and system for making a stepped end

Apparatus for making a stepped end on a tube of flexible material, comprising:

• a tube slitting station having a slitting tool with double edge slitting blades penetrating through the tube to provide respective slits beside a first panel and beside a second panel, respectively;
• a first trimming station trimming a first panel of the tube to a first shortened length;
• a second trimming station trimming the side gussets to a second length, wherein the second length is longer than the first shortened length of the first panel;
• and
• an adhesive applying station applying adhesive on the tube above and below a fold line across the tube, wherein the tube is adapted to be folded along the fold line, and the adhesive material is adapted to form an adhesive to adhesive seal above and below the fold line while the tube is folded to provide a closed stepped end for a bag.

A method of making a bag from a tube of flexible material, comprising:

• slitting the tube adjacent to an open end of the tube to provide first slits beside a first panel of the tube and to provide second slits beside a second panel of the tube;
• trimming the first panel to a first shortened length adjacent to the open end of the tube while the first slits separate the first panel from a remainder of the tube, wherein the remainder of the tube comprises side gussets and a second panel;
• trimming each of side gussets to a second shortened length adjacent to the open end of the tube while the second slits separate each of the side gussets from the second panel, wherein the side gussets are longer than the first panel and are shorter than the second panel, which provides the tube with a stepped end;
• applying adhesive material above and below a fold line across the tube;
• and
• folding the tube along the fold line, and forming an adhesive to adhesive seal with the adhesive material above and below the fold line.