Pod coffee machine: filter paper, doser, and 60–150 pods per minute.

Pad: coffee grounds between two layers of filter paper

The third coffee format after bags and capsules: ground coffee compressed between two layers of filter paper, ready to brew with no waste. No plastic or aluminum waste like capsules, no powder spill like bags — and that's its main selling point in the European market where pads are strongest. Malaysian manufacturers mostly fill export contracts (the Netherlands and Germany are the pads' home markets) before building their own brands.

An overview of the pad's location on the map, with four coffee formats available. coffee packaging machine; capsule machine as a competing format in Coffee capsule machine. This article focuses on the pad-making machine itself.

5-station pad machine cycle

1. Open the paper — a two-layer filter paper roll (or a blank pre-treatment pad) is opened flat on the mold.
2. Dose — fine auger or volumetric cup dispenses 7–18 g of ground coffee per format; accuracy ±0.2 g.
3. Compression — the tamper levels and compacts the coffee for even density; the headspace determines the quality of the brew.
4. Paper seal — a grooved jaw presses two layers of paper together with heat; the coated sheet is affixed to itself, not to the coffee.
5. Punch and wrap — pads are cut out from a paper strip, then individually wrapped (flow pack) or 10-20 pads are stacked.

Speed: compact machines 60–90 pads/min, mid-range lines 100–150; beyond that, the industrial carousel sector 200–400 pads/min.

Pad format: diameter determines the market.

The format determines the machine's molds, dosing units, and jaws — changing the format after purchasing the machine means a new set of molds, just like capsules. Lock in the primary format in the RFQ from the start; a second format can be added later as an optional set.

Coffee in the pad: same rules as for ground coffee bags.

The ground coffee for the pad must be fresh and evenly ground — dosing rules, density, and tuning between blends as described in Ground coffee packaging It takes place entirely here, under tighter tolerances. A new no-retune blend = pad weight deviation = contract QC failure. The aroma, meanwhile, must hold without an obstacle film — the filter paper itself doesn't hold anything, so the outer flow-wrap film does the job; the logic is five layers of internal defense. Coffee aroma protection It was shortened to two: paper for printing, film for storage.

Wrapping: one at a time or as a set

• Single flow pack — retail export standards; brand hygiene and display; speed according to the accompanying flow pack machine.
• Sebeg 10-20 pads — low cost per unit, for office and hospitality; bag wrapping machine is more compact.
• Tin or jar containing 50 pads — premium; filling into the finishing container is another filling zone.

Compact pad machines typically pack directly into flow packs on a single line; bags and cans require separate downstream equipment.

When a pad is not an option

• Malaysian domestic market — capsules and 3-in-1 dominate; 3-in-1 coffee packaging machine Serving an economic segment with much higher volumes. In the export contract-free pad, there's almost no room to stand.
• Volume under 50,000 pads per month — semi-automated filling or outsourcing co-packing is more cost-effective.
• No buyers yet — just like a capsule: don't buy a machine for an untested market. The starting point for instant coffee in the local market. Instant coffee packaging machine.

Pad is a member of the compact powder family — doser comes from the world. powder packaging solution; Family flow pack wrap automatic packaging machine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can one machine make 55 mm and 70 mm pads?

J: It's possible with different molds and dosers—an additional purchase and a 1–2-hour format change. Realistically, the line runs one dominant format at a time.

Do capsules and pads share a doser?

J: The dosing logic is the same (fine auger, ±0.2 g), but the downstream stations are completely different — a denester and foil versus a paper-cup and punch station. Two machines, not one.

How long do pads stay fresh?

J: In a flow pack with barrier film: 9–12 months. Without a barrier (paper + transparent PE): just a few weeks — aroma passes freely through the paper.

Which supplier's filter paper?

J: Coated pad paper is a special item — just like blank capsules; lock in the price and specifications with the paper supplier before the machine arrives. Wide rolls with the wrong width cannot be cut on-site.

Related pages

Coffee packaging machine | Coffee capsule machine | Ground coffee packaging | Coffee aroma protection

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