Patent Publication Number: US-11642864-B2

Title: Box erecting method and system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/US2019/049535, filed Sep. 4, 2019, entitled “A BOX ERECTING METHOD AND SYSTEM”, which claims priority to and the benefit of Sweden Patent Application No. 1851054.5 filed Sep. 5, 2018, entitled “A BOX ERECTING METHOD AND SYSTEM”. All the aforementioned applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a box erecting method and system and to a box production method and system. 
     RELATED ART 
     Erecting boxes from box templates in for example shipping and packaging industries can be done manually and/or with help from some erecting tools. These tools could for example comprise vacuum tools for gripping certain parts of a box template while folding other parts, such as for example a bottom of the box. Automatic erecting of boxes may encounter problems for example when different sizes of boxes should be erected with use of the same tools and/or if the box walls are not as stable as required, for example due to folds provided in the templates due to a fanfold storage of the template material. 
     Shipping and packaging industries frequently use cardboard and other sheet material processing equipment that converts sheet materials into box templates. One advantage of such equipment is that a shipper may prepare boxes of required sizes as needed in lieu of keeping a stock of standard, pre-made boxes of various sizes. Consequently, the shipper can eliminate the need to forecast its requirements for particular box sizes as well as to store pre-made boxes of standard sizes. Instead, the shipper may store one or more bales of fanfold material, which can be used to generate a variety of box sizes based on the specific box size requirements at the time of each shipment. This allows the shipper to reduce storage space normally required for periodically used shipping supplies as well as reduce the waste and costs associated with the inherently inaccurate process of forecasting box size requirements, as the items shipped and their respective dimensions vary from time to time. 
     In addition to reducing the inefficiencies associated with storing pre-made boxes of numerous sizes, creating custom sized boxes also reduces packaging and shipping costs. In the fulfillment industry it is estimated that shipped items are typically packaged in boxes that are about 65% larger than the shipped items. Boxes that are too large for a particular item are more expensive than a box that is custom sized for the item due to the cost of the excess material used to make the larger box. When an item is packaged in an oversized box, filling material (e.g., Styrofoam, foam peanuts, paper, air pillows, etc.) is often placed in the box to prevent the item from moving inside the box and to prevent the box from caving in when pressure is applied (e.g., when boxes are taped closed or stacked). These filling materials further increase the cost associated with packing an item in an oversized box. 
     Customized sized boxes also reduce the shipping costs associated with shipping items compared to shipping the items in oversized boxes. A shipping vehicle filled with boxes that are 65% larger than the packaged items is much less cost efficient to operate than a shipping vehicle filled with boxes that are custom sized to fit the packaged items. In other words, a shipping vehicle filled with custom sized packages can carry a significantly larger number of packages, which can reduce the number of shipping vehicles required to ship the same number of items. Accordingly, in addition or as an alternative to calculating shipping prices based on the weight of a package, shipping prices are often affected by the size of the shipped package. Thus, reducing the size of an item&#39;s package can reduce the price of shipping the item. Even when shipping prices are not calculated based on the size of the packages (e.g., only on the weight of the packages), using custom sized packages can reduce the shipping costs because the smaller, custom sized packages will weigh less than oversized packages due to using less packaging and filling material. 
     A typical box template production system includes a converting part that cuts, scores, and/or creases sheet material to form a box template. The sheet material can be provided to the system from fanfolded bales. The fanfold storage of the sheet material provides unwanted fanfold folds to the box templates. These folds could be a problem when erecting the boxes, especially if tools for automatic erection are used. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for erecting boxes. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and a system for erecting boxes which is automated and flexible. 
     This is achieved in a method and a system for erecting boxes according to the independent claims. 
     In one aspect of the invention a method for erecting a box from a box template is provided. Said method comprising the steps of:
         folding two first bottom flaps and two second bottom flaps of the box template, which first and second bottom flaps will constitute a bottom of the box when it is erected and which two first bottom flaps are opposing each other and which two second bottom flaps are opposing each other in the box when it is erected;   attaching the box template to a frame;   rotating the frame for wrapping the box template around the frame.       

     In another aspect of the invention a box erecting system for erecting a box from a box template is provided. Said box erecting system comprises:
         a frame;   an attaching device connected to the frame and configured for attaching the frame to a first end of a box template to be erected;   a control system connected to said frame and configured for rotating said frame for wrapping a box template attached to the frame around the frame;   a first guiding device arranged in the box erecting system for folding two first bottom flaps and two second bottom flaps of the box template before the box template is wrapped around the frame, which first and second bottom flaps will constitute a bottom of the box when it is erected and which two first bottom flaps are opposing each other and which two second bottom flaps are opposing each other in the box when it is erected.       

     Hereby, a reliable process for erecting boxes is achieved. Thanks to the folding of the bottom flaps before wrapping the box around the frame possible problems in stability of side walls of the box arising from for example the storing method of the sheet material, for example fanfold bales or rolls, can be avoided. When wrapping the box template around the frame fanfold folds or instability of the material caused by roll storing could sometimes cause that the box template side corners do not fit snug around the frame as planned. When the bottom flaps are folded before the wrapping the stability of the box template will be much better and problems during wrapping possibly caused by the fanfold folds will be much decreased. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and a system for producing boxes. 
     This is achieved by a method for producing boxes from sheet material, said method comprising the steps of:
         producing box templates from sheet material;   erecting the box templates according to the method as described above.       

     This is also achieved by a box production system comprising:
         at least one inlet for receiving sheet material;   at least one converter part configured for receiving said sheet material and convert said sheet material into box templates according to given instructions;   at least one box erecting system as described above, which is configured for erecting box templates provided from the at least one converter part.       

     Hereby boxes can be produces efficiently. An automatic or partly automatic erection of the boxes can be provided close to a box production system. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the step of folding two first bottom flaps and two second bottom flaps comprises folding the two first bottom flaps a different amount of degrees than the two second bottom flaps are folded. Hereby the box template can be wrapped around the frame without the bottom flaps colliding. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the step of folding first and second bottom flaps of the box template comprises advancing the box template through a feeding part of a box erecting system towards the frame such that a first guiding device provided in the feeding part will force the first and second bottom flaps to fold between 60 and 90 degrees in relation to an adjacent side wall part of the box template. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the method further comprises a step performed before wrapping the box template around the frame:
         folding two first top flaps and two second top flaps of the box template, which first and second top flaps will constitute a top of the box when it is erected and closed and which two first top flaps are opposing each other and which two second top flaps are opposing each other in the box when it is erected, wherein the first and second top flaps are folded in relation to an adjacent side wall part of the box template and in an opposite direction compared to the folding of the bottom flaps.       

     In one embodiment of the invention the method further comprises the step of:
         adjusting a size of the frame according to a size of the box template before the box template is wrapped around the frame.       

     Hereby boxes of different sizes can be erected. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the step of adjusting the size of the frame comprises controlling the size of the frame by a control system connected to the frame, wherein said adjusting comprises controlling by the control system distances between four corner posts provided in the frame. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the method further comprises the step of:
         adjusting a position of a first and possibly also a second guiding device of a feeding part of a box erecting system before the box template is advanced through the feeding part, said position is adjusted according to a height of side walls of the box template, which height corresponds to a height of the finally erected box.       

     In one embodiment of the invention the box erecting system further comprises an advancing device provided in a feeding part of the box erecting system for advancing the box template along a path of the feeding part towards the frame, wherein the frame is provided at an outlet side of the feeding part and wherein the first guiding device is provided to said feeding part such that the first guiding device will force the first and second bottom flaps to fold between 60 and 90 degrees in relation to an adjacent side wall part of the box template when the box template is fed through the feeding part. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the box erecting system further comprises at least one actuator provided to the feeding part and configured for providing an additional amount of folding to either the two first bottom flaps or the two second bottom flaps when the box template is fed through the feeding part. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the box erecting system further comprises a second guiding device provided in a feeding part of the box erecting system and configured for folding two first top flaps and two second top flaps of the box template before the box template is wrapped around the frame, which first and second top flaps will constitute a top of the box when it is erected and closed and which two first top flaps are opposing each other and which two second top flaps are opposing each other in the box when it is erected, wherein the first and second top flaps are folded in relation to an adjacent side wall part of the box template and in an opposite direction compared to the folding of the bottom flaps. 
     Further embodiments are described in the dependent claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS.  1   a - 1   c    are perspective views of a box erecting system according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  2   a    is a perspective view of one part of the box erecting system as shown in  FIGS.  1   a   - 1   c.    
         FIG.  2   b    shows schematically the form of a box template on its way through the box erecting system as shown in  FIG.  2     a.    
         FIG.  2   c    is a perspective view of the same part of the box erecting system as shown in  FIG.  2   a    but from the other side. 
         FIGS.  3   a - 3   d    show schematically a box production system according to one embodiment of the invention in four different positions for wrapping a box around a frame. 
         FIG.  4    is a flow chart of a method according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     According to the invention a box erecting system and a method for erecting boxes from box templates are provided. A box erecting system  1  according to one embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   . Furthermore a box production system and a method for producing boxes from sheet material are provided. A box production system  100  comprising a box erecting system  1  according to one embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in  FIGS.  3   a   - 3   d.    
     The method and system according to the invention can be applied for different types of boxes, for example a so called Regular Slotted Container, RSC, also called Fefco 201 or American box or a Half Slotted Container HSC, also called Fefco 200. 
       FIGS.  1   a - 1   c    show schematically a box erecting system  1  according to one embodiment of the invention in different views and in different positions. The box erecting system  1  comprises a frame  5  and a control system  11  connected to said frame  5 . The frame  5  comprises in this embodiment adjustable parts  7 , which are defining the size of the frame  5 . In this embodiment of the invention the adjustable parts  7  comprises four corner posts  7  and the control system  11  is configured for controlling the position of said corner posts  7  in accordance with different box template sizes, i.e. in accordance with different box sizes to be erected. The four corner posts  7  are positioned to form a rectangular shape corresponding to a rectangular shape of the box to be erected. Each corner post  7  will in one embodiment of the invention be provided in a corner between two side walls of the erected box. An adjustment of the size of the frame can in one embodiment of the invention be to adjust the distances between the corner posts which distances corresponds to a width and a length of the box to be erected. In this embodiment of the invention at least one of the corner posts  7  comprises an attachment device  19  to which a first end  23  of a box template  3  can be attached during wrapping of the box template around the frame  5 . This could for example be a suction cup or a clamp which can be controlled from the control system  11 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1   a - 1   c    a first end  23  of the box template is a glue tab provided for forming part of a manufacturer&#39;s joint. However in another embodiment of the invention an overlap manufacturer&#39;s joint is not necessary but instead an edge to edge manufacturer&#39;s joint using tape sealing could be provided. In that case a first end  23  of the box template which is attached to one of the corner posts  7  is not a glue tab but simply the outermost end of the box template. 
     In this embodiment of the invention the control system  11  is configured for controlling the position of the frame  5  for wrapping the box template  3  around the frame  5 . The control system  11  can control the attaching device  19  provided to at least one of the corner posts  7  to attach to a first end  23  of a box template  3  to be erected. The control system  11  is configured to rotate the frame  5  for wrapping the box template  3  around the frame  5 . 
     The box erecting system  1  comprises furthermore a feeding part  31  which is configured for feeding the frame  5  with a box template  3 . The feeding part  31  can possibly be provided in direct connection to a box template production system, for example directly at an outlet  43  from a converting part  41  of a box template production system. This is schematically illustrated in  FIGS.  3   a - 3   d    where a box production system  100  is illustrated. The box production system  100  comprises a converter part  41  and a box erecting system  1  positioned in connection with an outlet  43  from the converter part  41 . Sheet material is fed into the converter part  41  at an inlet  45  of the converter part  41  for example from sheet material stored in fanfold bales (not shown). Hereby a box template  3  is delivered out from the converter part  41  and into the feeding part  31  of the box erecting system  1 . The feeding part  31  is only schematically shown in  FIGS.  3   a - 3   d    but shown in more detail in  FIGS.  1  and  2   . The feeding part  31  comprises an advancing device  33  which is configured for advancing the box template  5  along a path  35  towards the frame  5 . The path  35  is a surface for the box template  3  to lie on which path  35  is reaching between an inlet side  36   a  of the feeding part  31  and an outlet side  36   b  of the feeding part, wherein the outlet side  36   b  is positioned in connection with the frame  5 . According to the invention the feeding part  31  of the box erecting system  1  comprises a first guiding device  37   a  arranged in the system for folding two first bottom flaps  28  and two second bottom flaps  29  of the box template  3  before the box template is wrapped around the frame  5 . The first and second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  will constitute a bottom of the box when it is erected and which two first bottom flaps  28  are opposing each other in the box when it is erected and can also be called minor flaps and which two second bottom flaps  29  are opposing each other in the box when it is erected and can be called major flaps. 
     The first guiding device  37   a  can best be seen in  FIG.  2   a    and is in this embodiment a bent sheet metal which is provided along the path  35  and comprises a guiding surface  38   a  which is curved and which will force the first and second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  to be bent upwards in an amount of between 60-90 degrees, or in one embodiment 80-90 degrees, in relation to a plane in which an adjacent side wall part  108 ,  109  of the box template  3  is provided when transferred through the feeding part  31 . Hereby the first and second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  will be bent in relation to an adjacent part of the box template  3  during a feeding of the box template  3  through the feeding part  31  towards the frame  5 . 
     Hereby the bottom flaps  28 ,  29  are already folded when the box template  3  arrives at the frame  5  for wrapping of the box template  3  around the frame  5 . This is suitable because any possible fanfold folds in the box template caused by the storage of the sheet material in z-folds can make sides of the box less stable and robust than sides without fanfolds. When erecting boxes such fanfold folds may cause problems, especially when boxes are erected automatically. By first folding bottom flaps  28 ,  29 , box sides comprising fanfold folds will be stabilized and the erection of boxes will be facilitated, i.e. a more reliable and robust box erecting system will be achieved. Other storage methods such as for example rolls of sheet material can also cause instability of the side walls. The folding of the bottom flaps according to the invention will increase stability of the side walls also in this case. 
     In one embodiment of the invention at least one actuator  39  is furthermore provided in the feeding part  31 . This actuator  39  can be seen in  FIG.  2   c   . The actuator  39  is connected to the control system  11  and is configured for providing an additional amount of folding to either the two first bottom flaps  28  or the two second bottom flaps  29 . Hereby either the two first bottom flaps  28  will during the wrapping of the box template  3  around the frame  5  be provided inside the two second bottom flaps  29  or the other way around. This is suitable in order to provide a convenient wrapping of the box template without the bottom flaps  28 ,  29  colliding. The control system  11  will be aware of which one of the bottom flaps  28 ,  29  currently being in the position where the actuator  39  is provided and can hereby control the actuator  39  to only fold either the first or the second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  an additional amount. An additional amount can for example be a few degrees. In  FIG.  2   b    the box template  3  is shown as it is provided in one specific position during its passage through the feeding part  31 . In this position one of the first bottom flaps  28   a  has just been folded an additional amount by the actuator  39  which can be seen in that it is folded more than the second bottom flap  29  which is provided adjacent. The other first bottom flap  28   b  has just started to be forced to fold by the first guiding device  37   a.    
     In this embodiment, but not necessarily, the feeding part  31  of the box erecting system  1  further comprises a second guiding device  37   b  (best seen in  FIG.  1   c   ) which is similar to the first guiding device  37   a  but inverted. I.e. the second guiding device  37   b  can be a bent sheet metal which is provided along the path  35  and comprises a guiding surface  38   b  which is curved and which will force first and second top flaps  48 ,  49  to be bent downwards in relation to a plane in which an adjacent side wall part  108 ,  109  of the box template  3  is provided when transferred through the feeding part  31 . Hereby the first and second top flaps  48 ,  49  will be bent in relation to an adjacent side wall part of the box template  3  during a feeding of the box template  3  through the feeding part  31  towards the frame  5 . 
     Hereby the two first top flaps  48  and the two second top flaps  49  of the box template  3  are folded before the box template  3  is wrapped around the frame  5 . The first and second top flaps  48 ,  49  will constitute a top of the box when it is erected and closed and the two first top flaps  48  are opposing each other and the two second top flaps  49  are opposing each other in the box when it is erected. The first and second top flaps  48 ,  49  are folded in an opposite direction compared to the folding of the bottom flaps  28 ,  29 . The amount of folding can for the top flaps be anything between 0-180 degrees. Also a small folding will increase the stability. Folding of the top flaps also provides further advantages such as easier filling of the erected box, easier transportation of the erected box towards a filling station and the corner posts  7  of the frame  5  do not need to be excessively long for holding the box when wrapped around the frame. 
     The box erecting system  1  comprises furthermore in one embodiment of the invention a gluing device  51  configured for providing glue to a first end  23  or a second end  24  of the box template  3  for the sealing of a manufacturer&#39;s joint and to the first or the second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  before the box template  3  has been completely wrapped around the frame  5 . The box erecting system  1  may also comprise a compressing device configured for compressing the first bottom flaps  28  towards the second bottom flaps  29  to seal the bottom. 
     As described above a manufacturer&#39;s joint and a bottom of the box can be sealed for example by tape or by glue before the frame  5  is removed from the erected box and used for erecting a new box. 
     In this embodiment of the invention the frame  5  comprises four corner posts  7   a ,  7   b ,  7   c ,  7   d . If for example a Regular Slotted Container, RSC, or a Half Slotted Container, HSC, is erected each one of the four corner posts  7   a - 7   d  will be provided in an inside corner each of the box between two side walls of the box. Furthermore a distance between a first one of the corner posts  7   a  and a second one of the corner posts  7   b  corresponds to a width of the finally erected box and a distance between the first corner post  7   a  and a third corner post  7   c  corresponds to a length of the finally erected box. When adjusting the size of the frame the distances between the corner posts are changed which distances correspond to the length and width of the finally erected box. The feeding part  31  of the box erecting system  1  can also suitably be adapted for different box template sizes. The position of the first and second guiding devices  37   a ,  37   b  will be adjusted according to a height of side walls  108 ,  109  of the box template, which corresponds to a height of the finally erected box. Also as described above at least one of the corner posts  7  comprises an attachment device  19  to which a first end  23  of a box template  3  can be attached during wrapping of the box template around the frame  5 . In the embodiments as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 3    a first end  23  of the box template is a glue tab provided for forming part of a manufacturer&#39;s joint. However, as described above the first end  23  does not need to be a glue tab. 
     Furthermore, in this embodiment it can be seen that the control system  11  is configured for providing the frame  5  to the box template  3  with a distal end  25  of the frame  5  substantially in line with bottom flap creases  27  of the box template  3  such that a bottom can be folded while keeping the frame  5  inside the wrapped box template. 
     In this embodiment of the invention the control system  11  is configured for controlling the position and orientation of the frame  5  for wrapping the box template  3  around the frame  5 . The control system  11  can control the attaching device  19  provided to at least one of the corner posts  7  to attach to a first end  23  of a box template  3  to be erected. The control system  11  is further in this embodiment configured to rotate the frame  5  for wrapping the box template  3  around the frame  5 . 
       FIG.  3   d    shows schematically the box erecting system  1  in a position where a box template  3  has been almost wrapped around the frame  5 . In this embodiment, where a glue tab is provided as a first end  23  of the box template  3  which is attached to the attaching device  19  of the frame  5 , glue is being provided to either the glue tab or a second end  24  of the box template  3  which will be mating with the glue tab  23  when the box template is completely wrapped around the frame. The sealing between the glue tab  23  and the second end  24  of the box template is referred to as the manufacturer&#39;s joint. Hereby in this embodiment of the invention the method comprises a step of sealing a manufacturer&#39;s joint before the frame is separated from the box template. The box erecting system comprises hereby as described above a gluing device  51 . The gluing device  51  is connected to the control system  11  and is controlled by the control system  11  to eject glue to the box template for the sealing of both the manufacturer&#39;s joint and the bottom. Glue is provided to either a first or a second end of the box template and either the first or the second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  when they are passing the gluing device  51  on its way through the feeding part  31 . 
     In  FIG.  4    a flow chart of the method to erect a box according to one embodiment of the invention is shown. The steps of the method are described briefly below. Most of the method steps have already been described in detail above. 
     S 1 : Folding first and second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  in relation to an adjacent side wall part  108 ,  109  of the box template  3 . The folding can be between 60-90 degrees and in one embodiment between 80-90 degrees. Optionally also top flaps  48 ,  49  can be folded however in the opposite direction from the folding of the bottom flaps. Suitably this step of folding the bottom flaps  28 ,  29  also comprises folding the two first bottom flaps  28  a different amount of degrees than the two second bottom flaps  29  are folded. 
     S 2 : Attaching a first end  23  of the box template  3  to a frame  5  of the box erecting system  1 . 
     S 3 : Rotating the frame  5  to wrap the box template  3  around the frame. 
     S 4 : Sealing a manufacturer&#39;s joint and a bottom of the box before it is separated from the frame. Sealing may comprise to provide glue to a first end  23  or a second end  24  of the box template and to either the first or the second bottom flaps  28 ,  29  and possibly also to compress the first and second bottom flaps towards each other and compress the manufacturer&#39;s joint. 
     S 5 : Separating the erected box from the frame such that another box can be erected. 
     According to another aspect of the invention a method for producing boxes from sheet material is provided. The sheet material can be for example cardboard or corrugated board. The method comprises the steps of:
         producing box templates, possibly of different sizes, from sheet material;   erecting the box templates according to any one of the embodiments of the methods for erecting boxes as described above.       

     The method can further comprise an initial step of providing the sheet material to a box template production system from bales of fanfolded sheet material. When the box templates are produced from fanfolded material, such as for example fanfolded corrugated board, folds will be provided in the box templates also at other positions than intended, here called fanfold folds. These fanfold folds can be problematic to handle when erecting the boxes because the box walls may not behave as walls without such fanfold folds. They may fold along a fanfold fold rather than along intended crease lines. Ensuring corner folding in intended positions is crucial to ensure a correct box erection. The use of the frame and the method of wrapping the box templates around the frame for erecting the boxes will be especially suitable for and improve erection processes of box templates comprising fanfold folds, i.e. box templates provided in different sizes on demand from fanfolded sheet material. Such a fanfold fold  140  is shown in the box template  3  which is erected by the box erecting system  1  shown in  FIG.  1   c   . The sheet material could also be provided to the box template production system from sheet material rolls or from any other form of sheet material storage. Corrugated board provided in rolls can for example be single phase corrugated board. The storage of sheet material on rolls may cause instability of side walls and therefore the use of the frame and the method of folding a bottom before wrapping the box templates around the frame for erecting the boxes will be advantageous also when using sheet material provided from such rolls. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention the method for producing boxes further comprises synchronizing a control system  11  of the box erecting system  1  with a control system  11 ′ of the converter part  41  such that the wrapping of a box template  3  around the frame  5  is synchronized with conversion of sheet material into a box template in the converter part  41 , whereby the whole process from sheet material to an erected box is a continuous process. These two control systems  11 ,  11 ′ can also be combined into one control system. 
     According to another aspect of the invention a box production system  100  is provided. Such a box production system is as already described schematically shown in  FIGS.  3   a - 3   d   . The box production system comprises:
         at least one inlet  45  for receiving sheet material;   at least one converter part  41  configured for receiving said sheet material and convert said sheet material into box templates, possibly of different sizes, according to given instructions;   at least one box erecting system  1  as described above configured for erecting box templates provided from the at least one converter part  41 .       

     In one embodiment of the invention said at least one inlet  45  is configured for receiving said sheet material from bales of fanfolded sheet material or from sheet material rolls as described above. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the control system  11  of the box erecting system  1  is synchronized or integrated with a control system of the converter part  41  such that the wrapping of a box template  3  around the frame  5  is synchronized with conversion of sheet material into a box template in the converter part  41 , whereby the whole process from sheet material to an erected box is a continuous process. 
     The control system  11  of the box erecting system  1  comprises further a processor and a computer program which when run on the processor causes the control system  11  to perform the method for erecting boxes as described above. 
     The invention comprises further a computer program comprising computer readable code which, when run on a processor in a control system  11  of a box erecting system  1  according to the invention causes the control system to perform the box erecting method of the invention as described above.