In recent years, the food packaging industry has been revolutionised by automated processes and a wide variety of new packaging solutions. Rigid boxes and containers have increasingly been replaced by flexible packaging materials that are lighter, more cost-effective, kinder to the environment and more convenient to the modern consumer. As packaging materials have evolved so has packaging machinery – let’s focus on some of the most common types of food packaging machine.
Form Fill and Seal Machines
Form fill and seal machines quite literally form, fill and seal a package. As a result, form fill and seal, or FFS machines are well suited for the food industry as they will often use flexible film materials and provide a tight seal to ensure food and other consumable items stay fresh for as long as possible.
There are a range of different FFS machines, including:
Flow wrapping machines
Horizontal flow wrappers provide an effective automated solution for packing many food products, including pasties and snacks, frozen food, and fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables.
Flow wrappers automatically feed products into a bag, formed from flexible rollstock material. The capacity and length of each bag (or pillow pack) can be controlled to ensure each package is consistent and the bag is heat sealed to provide an effective barrier against oxygen and contaminants.
Vertical form fill and seal machines
VFFS machines (or Vertical baggers) are extremely popular for many food production and packaging companies as they are easy to run and highly versatile in terms of the shape and size of packaging they create. As a result, they can be used to package a wide range of products. The VFFS all in one process forms a bag from roll film material, fills it vertically, and seals or caps the bag.
In addition to versatility of vertical FFS packaging machinery, these machines can also operate at high speeds to meet bulk production requirements.
Stick pack and sachet machines
Stick pack and sachet machines are yet another highly versatile packaging solution. This particular food packaging machine is designed to package smaller dose products, including sauces, liquids, gels, granules, powders, and seasonings, along with a range of other perishable or consumable products.
As well as offering great versatility in terms of what can be packaged by a sachet or stickpack machine, they also provide a variety of different sealing and opening styles to suit each product.
Pouch Filling Machines
Pouch machines are designed to fill and seal pre-made pouches. Pouch filling machines are suitable for a wide range of food and drink products and are designed to fill a range of different pouch styles to suit the product.
Spouted pouch machines
Spouted pouch machines are designed to fill and seal pouches with a pre-made spout or cap, which is ideal for resealing. This packaging solution is well suited to food and beverages, for example, sauces and pastes, cooking oils, yoghurt, soy milk, seasoning and more.
Stand up and flat bottom gusseted pouch machines
Stand up pouch machines fill flat bottomed and sealed bottom pouches and doypacks. They are extremely versatile in terms of the range of products they can pack and size of pouches.
Stand up pouch machines can be integrated with a wide range of filler options, such as multi-head, volumetric, paste and liquid dosers. They can also operate at high speeds (dependent on the product and choice of packaging material).
Flat bottom and gusseted pouch machines are extremely possible for packaging products such as tea and coffee, helping businesses within this industry to considerably scale up their operations.
Choosing a Food Packaging Machine
If you need help choosing the right food packaging machine to suit the needs of your business, you can find out more information on the Intamac Packaging Systems website.
Keywords: food packaging machine, packaging machinery