When food is purchased from a supermarket, not much thought is given to how it got there. But when you work in the food packaging industry, you know packaging is probably one of the most important steps in food processing. It is, quite literally, what allows you to bring your product in front of your consumers. But too often, the packaging step is overlooked or not properly prioritized. The result of this is less efficiency, which could ultimately affect your bottom line.
That is why it is important to not only choose the best quality food pouch filling machines and other packaging tools, but to also make sure the equipment you pick is truly the best fit for your operation.
To that end, we have put together a guide to help you understand the two main types of pouch filling machines are and how they might help your business, all in under five minutes.
Form Fill Seal Machines
To understand these pieces of equipment, all you need to do is break down the name. First, they create the pouches on their own, or form them. The pouches they create can be flat or stand up and are made using a film roll stock. That means that you are able to save money by not having to purchase premade pouches for your product, up to 30% of the total cost.
There are a number of different variations for form fill seals, but the most common difference is between horizontal and vertical. Typically the horizontal variety is able to create and fill more quickly, whereas the vertical offers more options for the time of pouch.
Premade Pouch Filling Machines
This option allows you to take premade pouches and fill them. Some machines have the capacity to fill up to 120 pouches per minute. This is especially useful if your product uses custom shapes or doypack styles — pouches that cannot be generated in a form fill seal machine.
These also save you the hassle of having to dispose of scraps and other byproducts created in the process of making the fill pouch.
Packaging is an often overlooked element of food production, but it is incredibly important. Did you know that for each pound of plastic packaging, food waste is reduced by up to 1.7 pounds? It is therefore important that you take the time to consider what time of technology is right for your operation.
