Flow wrap machine is the all-round solution for packaging food products. Flow wrapping is one of the most common packaging methods used by large companies and small start-ups.
Our portfolio includes various types of flow wrapper machines. They are suited for a variety of products, including chocolate, biscuits and baked goods, bars as well as frozen food and solid goods. The efficacy of flow wrappers in these applications highlights their versatility.
Suitable for all kinds of food, fruits, vegetables, medical supplies, daily necessities, aluminum profiles, door and window accessories, hardware accessories, plastic products and other long products automatic packaging sealing and automatic bagging.
Suitable for all kinds of food, fruits, vegetables, medical supplies, daily necessities, aluminum profiles, door and window accessories, hardware accessories, plastic products and other long products automatic packaging sealing and automatic bagging.
Applicable to all kinds of food, bread, rice cakes, rice flour, vegetables and daily necessities, industrial parts, daily chemical products and other packaging.
Flow wrapping is a packaging process where a product is placed on a polypropylene or polyethylene sheet, moved horizontally, and sealed at both ends.
The most common type is a horizontal flow wrapper. This process is also called horizontal bagging, fin seal wrapping, crimp seal wrapping, and pillow pouch wrapping.
In vertical form fill seal packaging, the movement of products is vertical not horizontal.
The entire process of flow wrapping is accomplished with a flow wrapper machine. This machinery carries out various steps to produce a flow-wrapped product:
Step 1: Pick and place products on a conveyor belt.
Step 2: Move the products on the conveyor belt to the forming zone.
Step 3: Package the product with automatically or manually-fed sealing film.
Step 4: Align the sealing film edges.
Step 5: Seal the aligned edges by applying heat and/or pressure.
Step 6: Move the sealed product to a cutter to create incisions between two consecutive sealed items to separate them.
Step 7: Offload the final flow-wrapped package from the machine to the output/storage area.
Like the speed of a flow wrapping machine, the cost can also vary significantly depending on the specific flow wrap machine, model, and features.
The cost of a flow wrapper suitable for small start-ups might be $10,000 to $100,000 – depending on requirements. The main expense in the flow wrapping process is the machine itself. The cost of the flow wrapping material, typically a polypropylene film, is negligible in the packaging process.
Flow wrapping has many benefits, a few of which are:
Versatility
Flow wrap packaging can be used on a wide range of products. For example, medical devices, baked goods, and other food products. Unlike overwrapping, it has no limitations on the shapes of manufactured items.
Airtight Packaging
Flow wrapping is an airtight form of packaging. Removal of oxygen protects the product from contact with moisture and any form of airborne contamination, such as dust. This also helps preserve shelf life and better freshness.
Compatibility With Other Machines
Horizontal flow wrappers or horizontal bagging stations can be seamlessly installed in a food processing setup. It is easy to use other technologies with flow wrapping machines to increase the quality of the final packaging.
Flow wrapping solutions are used for the packaging of solid products. Liquid items aren’t suitable for this process.
The most common applications of flow wrapping machines are biscuits and cookies, chocolate bars, candy bars, packs of tissues, frozen meats, boxes of tea, and baked goods. Flow wrapping is also used for packing high-hygiene requirement products such as medicines and lipsticks.
Flow wrapping uses a variety of film materials to wrap different food products. The specific film to use depends on the food product being packed.
Heat Sealing Film
Heat sealing uses a film, typically Polyethylene (PE). The seals on the ends are created by applying heat and pressure, resulting in a sealed bag/pouch or wrapper. This is the cheapest option for creating flow wrappers to package food products. Differences in films require the optimal temperature for the type of film used for flow wrapping.
Cold Sealing Film
Cold sealing is suitable for heat-sensitive food items like chocolates and candy bars. Cold sealing uses adhesive instead of heat to seal the bag/pouch/wrapper.
The flow wrapping machine applies the adhesive where the seal is required. And the sealing mechanism then applies pressure to secure the seal of the finished package.
Cold sealing films are generally more expensive than heat sealing films by about 5% to 10%.
Composite Film
Composite film wrapping uses multiple layers of different packaging materials for their enhanced properties. For instance, composite layers are more robust, have improved wear and tear resistance, are impermeable, or may have a better visual appearance.
The composite film is typically made from materials like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The film provides better protection for products than other flow wrap materials. However, composite films are made using different types of plastics, so they are the most difficult to recycle.
Mono Film
Mono film is one of the newer flow wrap materials. It consists of multiple layers of the same material. As a single plastic material, mono films are easily recyclable. However, using a single plastic can weaken the final packaging. Therefore, a hybrid additive of 5% is allowed to increase the robustness and quality of the package.
Paper-based Wrap
Paper-based wrappers are also made of plastic but with a coated layer of paper. Waxed paper packaging of bread is an example of this type of packaging.
FOSHAN SINCERE YUANBO MACHINERY CO., LTD
