Patent ID: 8543233

Claim:
A packaging system comprising: a packaging line comprised of a filling machine and one or more downstream distribution equipments connected via conveyors; the filling machine being operable to produce one or more types of sealed packages containing a food product, and each distribution equipment being operable to carry out a corresponding operation on individual or groups of the sealed packages; the filling machine and each distribution equipment including an electronic control system which stores and executes one or more software modules; a line controller which manages configuration, communication and control of the packaging line, and including a display, a keyboard, and a processing system which stores and executes one or more software applications configured to cooperate with the software modules in the filling machine and each distribution equipment; a communication network connecting the line controller to the filling machine and each distribution equipment; the filling machine and each distribution equipment being configured to implement one or more selectable, stored equipment recipes, wherein an equipment recipe for the filling machine defines the type of sealed packages to be produced by the filling machine, and an equipment recipe for the distribution equipment defines operation(s) to be carried out by the distribution equipment; the line controller being configured to store and implement one or more selectable line recipes, each of which defines a corresponding final package unit to be produced by the packaging line, and causes, when implemented, the filling machine and the distribution equipment(s) involved in the production of the final package to implement corresponding equipment recipes; the one or more selectable line recipes specifying: the filling machine, distribution equipments and conveyors to be involved in producing the final package unit; the equipment recipes to be implemented by the filling machine and the involved distribution equipments for producing the final package unit; and line automation parameters to be used by the filling machine and the involved distribution equipments and conveyors for the production of the final package unit; and the software applications in the line controller comprise: a recipe manager which automatically configures the packaging line to implement a selected line recipe by: instructing the filling machine and the distribution equipment specified in the selected line recipe about the equipment recipes specified in the selected line recipe that are to be implemented to produce the final package unit; and downloading the line automation parameters contained in the selected Line recipe to the filling machine and the distribution equipment specified in the selected line recipe.