System and method for automatically packaging an item

1 . A method for custom 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, the expanding being carried out by a movement of at least one first gripper of a set of grippers, relative to at least one second gripper of the set of grippers, in a direction opposite of a direction of a web path of the web set;

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.

2 . The method of claim 1 , 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; and

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.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

obtaining data, by a scan device, from the shipping item; and

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.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

providing alignment to the pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material by the controller; and

controlling the matching of the webs into the web set by way of the mating roller.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing alignment of the pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein:

the step of expanding the determined amount of the web set in the form zone, being by the at least one first gripper of the set of grippers based at least in part on the data from the shipping item; and further comprising:

indexing, by at least another gripper of the set of grippers and the at least one first gripper, the expanded amount of web set from the form zone to the fill zone.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

sealing, by a back sealer, a back portion of the web set in the fill zone; and

labeling, by a labeler, an outer side of a portion of the expanded amount of web set in the fill zone.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

assisting in spreading, by an insertion assistance set, the webs of the expanded amount of web set for receiving the shipping item;

wherein the assisting in spreading comprises:

protruding a spacer of the insertion assistance set between the webs of the expanded amount of the web set; and

translating a tab of the insertion assistance set between the webs of the expanded amount of the web set in the fill zone prior to the step of receiving the shipping item in the fill zone; wherein the tab transitions into a spreader.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

inserting a loading chute of the insertion assistance set between the webs of the expanded amount of the web set in the fill zone to a depth prior to the step of receiving the shipping item in the fill zone, wherein the loading chute provides a pair of sides;

protecting, by the pair of sides of the loading chute, against a collision of the expanded amount of the web set and the shipping item; and

withdrawing the loading chute after the step of receiving the shipping item in the fill zone.

10 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

examining, by a quality/transport set, the package based on predetermined criteria including one of sealing characteristics or labeling characteristics; and

transporting the package according to a result of the examination.

11 . 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.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the determined amount of web set is based at least in part on maintaining the expanded amount of the web set throughout the fill zone upon index of the expanded amount of web set from the form zone to the fill zone.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the determined amount of web set is based at least in part on another data of the pair of rolls of prefabricated expandable packaging material.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

communicatively connecting a labeler of the package section with the controller; and

labeling, by the labeler, an outer side of a portion of the expanded amount of web set in the fill zone.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

communicatively connecting an insertion assistance set to the controller; and

spreading, by the insertion assistance set, the webs of the expanded amount of the web set for receiving the shipping item.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

protruding a spacer of the insertion assistance set between the webs of the expanded amount of the web set;

translating a tab of the insertion assistance set between the webs of the expanded amount of the web set in the fill zone prior to the step of receiving the shipping item in the fill zone;

controlling, by the controller, an insertion and a withdrawal of a loading chute of the insertion assistance set to provide a pair of sides of the loading chute to a depth between the webs of the expanded amount of the web set in the fill zone prior to the step of receiving the shipping item in the fill zone; and

protecting, by the pair of sides of the loading chute, against a collision of the expanded amount of the web set and the shipping item.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

communicatively connecting a quality/transport set to the controller;

examining the package, by the quality/transport set, based on predetermined criteria including at least one of sealing characteristics or labeling characteristics; and

transporting the package according to a result of the examination.

18 . 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.

19 . 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.