GERÄT UND VERFAHREN ZUM FORMEN EINER ÖFFNUNGSVORRICHTUNG AN EINEM VERPACKUNGSBLATT

An apparatus and method for molding opening devices onto a packaging material sheet at respective holes provided in the sheet. The apparatus includes first and second mold tools arrangeable in a closed position so as to be in contact with opposite sides of the sheet and in an open position so as to be positioned distally from the sheet. In the closed positions a mold cavity is formed between the first and second mold tools for accommodating a hole edge in the sheet. The apparatus further includes an injection passage for injecting heated thermoplastics material into the mold cavity, which injection passage extends in one of the mold tools such that the thermoplastics material is injected directly into the mold cavity at an injection point of the mold cavity which is located distally from the hole edge, for providing effective formation of the opening device on the sheet. One of the mold tools includes a pair of half mold tools which are simultaneously moved from the open position to the closed position and vice versa such that the direction of movement of each of said half mold tools between the open and closed positions tangentially follows a circular path, for reducing wear of the mold tools. In the closed position of the mold tools, the sheet extends in a plane which is distally spaced from the plane of extension of the sheet in the open position aiding in release of the sheet and the molded opening device from the mold tools.