{"id":26929,"date":"2026-09-09T08:55:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T00:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/vffs-vs-flow-pack\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T18:22:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T10:22:30","slug":"vffs-vs-flow-pack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/vffs-vs-flow-pack\/","title":{"rendered":"VFFS vs. flow pack: vertical machine vs. horizontal machine"},"content":{"rendered":"

The fundamental difference: the form of your product.<\/h2>\n

Both machines wrap products in film \u2014 but their physical methods are opposite.<\/p>\n

Vertical form-fill-seal machine (VFFS)<\/strong> Drop products from above into a vertically formed film pocket. Suitable for loose products: powders, granules, bulk snacks. Vertical product = gravity works for you.<\/p>\n

Horizontal wrapping machine (flow pack)<\/strong> Delivers a fixed-shaped product on a horizontal conveyor belt, and a film wraps it as it moves\u2014like caramel wrapping. The product does not fall, is not compressed, and does not shift from its position. Suitable for single shaped items: cookies, chocolate bars, bread, cakes, soap.<\/p>\n

One of the most expensive questions when buying a machine is this simplest one: Is my product loose or shaped? Answer wrong, and an expensive machine will ruin your product every day.<\/p>\n

Comparison table<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Criteria<\/th>\nVertical Form Fill Seal<\/th>\nFlow pack (horizontal)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Product form<\/td>\nLoose: powder, granule, bulk<\/td>\nIndividual & shaped: cookies, bars, bread<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Normal speed<\/td>\n40-120 bags\/min<\/td>\n100-300 packs\/min<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fragile product protection<\/td>\nsimple \u2014 product fall<\/td>\nHigh \u2014 no fall distance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Packaging format<\/td>\nPillowcase\/back seam 20 g-5 kg<\/td>\nTriple-sealed packaging by product size.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filler<\/td>\nauger \/ cup \/ multihead<\/td>\nnone \u2014 product has already been counted\/shaped<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Product count<\/td>\nby weight or volume<\/td>\nFollow the number (feeder or manual arrangement)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Powder compatibility<\/td>\nyes<\/td>\nnot practical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The speed figure is a typical industry range; the actual figure is determined by the product, film, and initial setup.<\/p>\n

When VFFS wins<\/h2>\n

Your products are loose and sold by weight \u2014 500 g of rice, 200 g of snacks, 50 g of spices, 1 kg of sugar. No other machine provides uniform bags at film costs as low as VFFS. For powders and granules, the filling configuration is described in Automatic powder packaging machine<\/a> and Automatic granule packaging machine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When the flow pack wins<\/h2>\n

Your product is in a fixed, fragile state. Three classic examples:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cookie<\/strong> \u2014 drop cookies from above into the bag (VFFS) and spend your weekends counting broken cookies. Flow pack sends cookies stacked on a belt, with film wrapping without any surprises. Specific example: cookie packaging machine<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. Bar chocolate and shaped snacks<\/strong> \u2014 The flow pack speed of 100\u2013300 packs per minute easily outperforms VFFS for lightweight single-piece products.<\/li>\n
  3. Bread and cake<\/strong> \u2014 no other machine is as gentle with the flow pack's delicate texture; the film seals without compressing the product.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Flow pack is also an option when packaging needs to closely follow the product's shape (less air, less film) \u2014 thin film packaging that adorns bakery shelves.<\/p>\n

    Common assumptions of both sides<\/h2>\n

    \u201cI can pack cookies in a VFFS machine with a soft chute.\u201d<\/strong> Yes, with a drop adjuster and reduced speed \u2014 but you're paying for VFFS speed to get a lower output than a flow pack. At low volumes it's worth it; at high volumes it never is.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe flow pack can fill powder using a funnel.\u201d<\/strong> It technically exists, but a vertical seal moving with a dusty product is a source of pushback rates \u2014 a vertical powder machine solves this better and more cheaply.<\/p>\n

    \u201cOne flexible machine is better than two specialized machines.\u201d<\/strong> For SMEs, yes\u2014a semi-automatic all-purpose machine is often sufficient. For full-scale manufacturers, a dedicated machine running at full speed almost always outperforms an all-purpose machine running at half speed. Phased upgrade calculations included. How to choose a packing machine for an SME<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    The answer in 3 questions<\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Loose product (weighted by weight) or solid-shaped product (counted by piece)? \u2014 Loose \u2192 VFFS; shaped \u2192 flow pack.<\/li>\n
    2. Does the product break when dropped from 30\u201350 cm? \u2014 Yes \u2192 flow pack.<\/li>\n
    3. Target units\/min above 150? \u2014 if the product is formed, use a flow pack; if loose, use a VFFS with a multihead scale or a multi-lane stick pack.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n

      Can one row have both machines?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      J: It's possible and common \u2014 cookie production lines often have flow pack for primary packaging and VFFS for large family-size refill bags. Plan the layout and power requirements for both from the outset.<\/p>\n

      What is the actual speed of the flow pack?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      J: 100\u2013300 packs per minute for automatically sorted products; with manual sorting, speed is limited by human hands (typically 30\u201360 pieces). Infeed is often the most expensive part of a flow pack line\u2014not the machine itself.<\/p>\n

      Are flow pack and VFFS films the same?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      J: Most structures are the same (BOPP\/PE, PET\/PE), but flow packs often use reversible films (outer laminated sealant) for cold sealing at high speeds. The cost per package is low due to minimal film usage.<\/p>\n

      Which one is for the mixed nut snack?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      J: Mixed nuts are a bulk product \u2014 VFFS with a multihead. See Snack food packaging machine<\/a> and flow wrapping machine<\/a> for those two classes.<\/p>\n

      Related pages<\/h2>\n

      Vertical Form Fill Seal vs. Preformed Bag (Doypack)<\/a> | Automatic granule packaging machine<\/a> | Cookie packaging machine<\/a> | How to choose a packing machine for an SME<\/a><\/p>\n

      \n

      Specify the product, bag size, and bag target per minute. Get a quote<\/a>, specifications and delivery timeframe.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      VFFS vs. flow pack (horizontal): speeds 40\u2013120 vs. 100\u2013300 packs\/min, fragile product protection and product-form options. Selection guide with tables.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22155,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"VFFS vs flow pack: bila mesin menegak, bila mesin mendatar","_seopress_titles_desc":"VFFS vs flow pack (mendatar): kelajuan 40-120 vs 100-300 pack\/min, perlindungan produk rapuh dan pilihan ikut bentuk produk. Panduan pilihan dengan jadual.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","neve_meta_reading_time":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[199,200,182],"class_list":["post-26929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-flow-pack","tag-mesin-mendatar","tag-vffs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26929"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26960,"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26929\/revisions\/26960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lintyco.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26929"}],"curies":[{"name":"WordPress","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}