Vertical form fill seal machines

Which products can a vertical form, fill and seal machine package?

A vertical form, fill, and seal machine is a versatile packaging machine that is capable of packing a wide variety of products. Whether it is liquids, powders, granulates, or chunky bulk goods, this machine can handle it all. The product to be packaged is more the determining key factor in the choice of dosing unit.

The dosing unit is responsible for accurately measuring and dispensing the product into the packaging material, so which dosing method or dosing unit is ultimately used depends solely on the product characteristics.

• For liquids or pasty products, piston pumps are used for dosing.
• Auger fillers are best suited for powdery products.
• In the case of granulates or chunky bulk materials of any kind, multihead weighers can fill your bag quickly and precisely.
• For granular products with a consistent size, volumetric cup fillers prove to be an economical and effective solution.

How does the packaging process work?

In contrast to a horizontal form, fill and seal machine, the packaging process here is vertical. A significant distinction is that pre-fabricated bags cannot be utilized. Rather, the bag is generated from a roll.

The following is a description of the packaging process for bags with a back seam.

Film feed: The film is unwound from a roll using a film feed motor and fed to the forming shoulder via several deflection rollers. This step often involves printing the best-before date and batch number on the film, for example. Our machines are equipped with a ribbon or hot stamping printer depending on your requirements.

Tube formation: To make a bag, the flat film is pulled over a forming shoulder and shaped around the filling tube. A vertically aligned sealing bar seals the overlapping ends together to form the so-called back seam. 

Take-off belts driven by a servo motor pull the film tube downwards quickly and evenly by pressing it against the drop tube.

Horizontal sealing: The sealing process of the bag involves using horizontal sealing jaws to seal both the upper and lower ends of the bag. These sealing jaws create a tight seal to ensure the contents of the bag are secure. Additionally, a cutting knife is installed in the sealing unit to separate the upper end of the finished bag from the lower end of the unfinished bag after cross-sealing. This cutting process ensures that each bag is properly sealed and ready for use. Overall, the sealing and cutting mechanisms work together to create a well-sealed and functional bag for packaging various products.

Bag forming: Depending on the bag design, different shapes and properties can be produced after horizontal sealing. For example, gusset stand-up pouches may have lateral folds created during the sealing process to allow the pouch to expand and stand upright when filled. Additionally, a hanging hole may be punched into the top of the bag to allow for easy display or storage on hooks. These features can enhance the functionality and convenience of the bag for both manufacturers and consumers.

Filling: The bags are filled after each cross-sealing process. The timing can be controlled easily and directly in the parameter menu of the VFFS machine's operating software. Multi-head weighers have their own comprehensive operating menu for optimizing the weighing process.

Other processes can run simultaneously during filling, as products vary in terms of their properties and handling. For example, some products require the bag to be shaken to prevent "product jams". For weight-intensive filling quantities, a bag support tool ensures that the bag is supported so that it does not tear off.

Bag ejection: The bags are ejected via a small chute and usually transported to the next unit in the packaging line via a small external conveyor belt.

What types of bags can be produced?

Vertical form, fill and seal machines are flexibly configurable and can therefore produce a wide range of bag shapes and bag types. Below are some examples of bag types that can be produced with vertical form, fill and seal machines:

• Pillow bags
• Gusset stand-up pouches with back seam
• Flat bags
• 3-side seal bags
• 4-side seal bags
• Stick packs / sachets
• Quad seal bags
• Brick shape bags
• Doypacks
• Doypacks with zipper
• Flat bags

A vertical form, fill and seal machine is a reliable and efficient solution for automating the packaging process.