Vertical form fill and seal machines are bagging machines that form a pouch, bag, or container, fill it with a product, and finally seal it. This guide goes into depth about the type of packaging equipment including how it works, what it often makes, and important questions to ask before purchasing one.
What is a Vertical Form Fill and Seal Machine?
At a basic level, a vertical form fill seal (VFFS) machine does exactly what it says within the name: forms, fills, and seals all in one process. It first forms a bag. That bag material is often plastic, polyurethane, or polypropylene. It then fills the bag with the material, which ranges from liquids to powders or bulk depending on the product being packaged. Finally, the machine seals the bag shut, completing the process.
There are semi-automatic and automatic vertical form fill seal machines. For automatic VFFS machines, creating 15-25 products a minute is considered a slow speed. If it has a rotary scale head, an automatic machine could create as many as 150 products a minute.
How a VFFS Machine Works in 5 Steps
VFFS machines vary in the type of bag they make and the material they work with, but a common product used with these types of machines is snack bags. So, to break down how a vertical form fill and seal machine works step-by-step, we’ll be using an example of how an automatic VFFS makes potato chip bags.
Step #1 Load Roll Stock and Unwind
First, roll stock is loaded into the VFFS machine. Roll stock is a flat roll of film that will eventually turn into individual bags. The roll stock of film goes into the back of the machine and is placed on a spindle. From there, it is unwound and threaded through guide rollers and dancers that spool it into the machine. Think of it like a printer taking a piece of paper.
Step # 2 Form the Tube
The machine will take the roll stock through different mechanisms to a forming tube. This forming tube will change the film from its flat shape to a cylindrical shape (there are also forming tubes that are rectangular, but the round one is more commonly used, so we will use it for this example). While wrapping around the forming tube, the flat film will slightly overlap. A vertical sealing mechanism will use heat and pressure to seal the edges of the film together, creating a continuous tube. The seal made here is known as a fin seal and is the classic longitudinal third seal that can be seen on the back of a potato chip bag. VFFS machines can also make 4-side seal bags (also known as a quad seal pouch), but in this example, we’re describing a 3-side seal bag.
Step # 3 Create the Bottom Seal
Next, the VFFS will momentarily stop to seal the bag by clamping the tube and applying heat and pressure. This horizontal seal will create the transverse seam at the bottom of the bag.
Step # 4 Fill the Bag
Then, a device will be used to open the bag right above the bottom seal so that the dosing system will drop the potato chips, or whatever product is being packaged, into the newly formed bag, filling it to the pre-set amount so the bag is neither too full nor too empty.
Step # 5 Create the Top Seal
After this, the VFFS machine will then use another horizontal sealing mechanism to create the top seal. Print marks are used by the machines to read where to seal and cut the bag. This will complete the form fill and seal process, providing a filled potato chip bag ready to be sold and consumed.
What Does a Vertical Form Fill Seal Machine Make?
While snack bags are one of the products people think of first and foremost when it comes to vertical form fill seal machines, there are numerous products the machine can help package.
Common Products Made by VFFS Machines
VFFS machines are versatile with the ability to package numerous products of all shapes, sizes, and materials. Below are just some of the products across industries that can be packaged with a vertical form fill seal.
- Food and beverage industry
- Potato chips
- Snack bars
- Frozen food
- Coffee
- Tea
- Pharmaceutical and medical industry
- Syringes
- Cotton gauze
- Single-dose medication packets
- Antibacterial surface wipes
- Cold packs
- Cosmetics and personal care industry
- Face masks
- Bath bombs
- Dry shampoo
- Hand warmers
- Chemical industry
- Insecticide
- Fertilizer
- Detergents
- Hardware and electronic industry
- Retail and consumer goods industry
- Crafting supplies (i.e. beads)
Other industries that make products using vertical form fill seal machines are the textile, automotive, and agriculture industries.
Common Vertical Form Fill Seal Manufacturers
There are numerous VFFS machine manufacturers. Based on our experience, below are some most commonly purchased brands:
- Heysen
- Woodman
- Bosch (which is now owned by Heysen)
- Wright
- Circle (known for liquid form fill and seals)
Frequently Asked Questions Before Purchasing a VFFS Machine
Before buying a vertical form fill seal machine it’s important to research to ensure you’re getting the machine that best fits the product you’re planning on packaging. First and foremost, after determining which product or products you need a VFFS machine to package, consider these specific questions:
- What kind of material is your product (liquid, powder, bulk)?
- Will you need a scale to feed the product into the mix?
- What kind of bag will you need to package it?
- Does your bag need a foil lining? Or is it just a clear plastic bag?
- How much of the product do you want to be made per minute?
- Do you need a vertical form fill seal or a horizontal form fill seal machine?
- How much are you willing to spend on the equipment?
Vertical form fill and seal machines can vary widely in cost. Used machines can go for as little as $10,000 to as much as half a million dollars depending on what is needed. Buying used equipment is often a more cost-effective solution and allows you to get access to the equipment immediately, avoiding long wait times that sometimes coincide with a brand-new machine. Many businesses prefer to buy used VFFS machines because they know the manufacturer and product they’ll be receiving, and will not have to retrain employees.
If you’re looking for more information about how a vertical form fill seal machine works or how to purchase a used VFFS machine, reach out. We can help you talk through what type of form fill and seal machine will work best for your needs. Bid-on-Equipment prides itself on helping coordinate the sales of used VFFS machines and other pieces of equipment between buyers and sellers.
