The flow pack wraps the product, not drops it.
The most fundamental difference between vertical and horizontal machines: vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machines drop the product into the film pocket from above; horizontal flow pack (HFFS) machines feed the product onto the infeed and wrap the film around it. The product never falls. That's one sentence—and it determines the entire purchasing decision.
If your product is a sandwich cookie, bread, cake bar, chocolate, soap, or any other solid, fragile item — flow pack is the answer. A full vertical-versus-horizontal comparison in Vertical form fill seal vs flow pack; This article focuses on the flow pack machine itself.
5-step flow pack cycle
- Input — finger-type or tiered conveyor arranges products at fixed intervals, one product per cycle (or several parallel lanes).
- The movie is over. — The film roll is pulled horizontally; the selected date printer jerks before the film forms.
- Film canister shape — a forming plate folds the film into a tube around the product; a longitudinal seam (fin seal) closes the top.
- End seal — rotating or moving jaws close on both ends and cut — 100–300 packs/min on a single lane, up to 400+ with two jaws.
- Output — Pack flat falls into the discharge chute, then to the box or QC scale.
Actual speed depends on the product: stable-stacked cookies reach the catalog figures; soft bread and light products run 20–40% slower because the infeed requires careful handling.
Product and film: the combination that determines the rate of deterioration
| Product | Ordinary movie | Attention |
|---|---|---|
| Stacked cookies | BOPP/PE, BOPP metallized | Biscuit grease is attacking the coating — test the film first. |
| Bread and cake | Micro-perforated BOPP (MA) | Micro-pores control moisture; without them, the skin is damp. |
| Chocolate and bar | PET/met-PET/PE, cold seal | Jaw-melting chocolate — cold seal exit |
| Soap and goods | PE, PP transparent | Print both sides to display the product. |
Practical rule: flow pack film is cheap per meter, but flawed structures increase push-out rates (leaking packs, misaligned molds, dirty seals), which are more costly than the film price difference. Local Malaysian film suppliers are usually willing to test the structure with your product samples.
Lane: one, two or four
Flow packs can be multiplexed like stick packs — two to four parallel lanes with a shared infeed. Rough table:
| Daily volume | Alley | Total speed |
|---|---|---|
| Thirty thousand pack | 1 | 100-300/min |
| Eighty thousand pack | 2-3 | 200-600/min |
| Over 150,000 packs | 4 + automatic box | 400-1000/min |
Beyond a single lane, the downstream section (boxes, cartons) becomes a real bottleneck — high-speed wrapping machines are useless if the boxes are closed by hand.
Change the format and the tool you should ask about.
Changing between products (different lengths, different heights) involves swapping the forming plate and jaw set, taking 20–60 minutes on a standard machine. Pre-purchase questions: how many plate sets are included? Does changing formats require special tools or is it tool-free? Are recipes stored in the HMI (the PLC stores each product's parameters—5-minute setup versus 40-minute retuning)? Does the machine's structure support adding additional lanes later?
When a flow pack is not an option
- Loose product (powder, granule, bean) — that's the VFFS domain; refer to Automatic granule packaging machine for granules and Automatic powder packaging machine for powder.
- Premium standing bag with zipper — flow pack produces only flat pillow bags; pre-formed bags are another class in Pre-formed bag packaging machine.
- Volume under 15,000 packs per day — a semi-automatic machine or a table flow pack is sufficient; first calculate as follows: How to choose a packing machine for an SME.
Flow pack is part of the family. solid packaging solution — shaped product, does not fall, high speed. General specifications of the inner line. automatic packaging machine; A brief introduction to the site's old horizontal flow machines. flow wrapping machine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can the flow pack handle cookies without a secondary tray?
J: Sure — finger-fed stackers arrange stacks directly from the manufacturer onto the film. Cardboard trays are only needed for very fragile cookies or complex tiered arrangements.
Is a cold seal mandatory for chocolate in Malaysia?
J: Hot weather makes it almost mandatory — a hot jaw at 150 °C on the chocolate film produces melt and dirty seals. Cold sealing raises the film cost slightly but greatly reduces spoilage rates.
Is a print detector important for all products?
J: For printed film yes — without a detector (photocell), the print runs freely and the seal end cuts through the middle of the logo. For blank transparent film it's optional.
How often does the jaw need to be cleaned?
J: Depending on the product—grease and cake leave residue on the jaws every few hours. A good machine allows jaw opening without tools; schedule cleaning in the production SOP.
Related pages
Vertical form fill seal vs flow pack | Vertical Form Fill Seal vs Pre-formed Bag | Cookie packaging machine | Flow wrapping machine
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