Packaging machines play an essential role in most packaging production processes; A suitable packaging machine can impact your production efficiency and profitability. In this article, we will take two of the most popular packaging machine as an example for discussion – the premade pouch filling machines and form-fill-seal (FFS) packaging machines.
What Is Premade Pouch Filling Machines?
Premade pouch filling machines are designed to fill and pack products into pre-made bags.
Integrating various filling machines makes it suitable for packaging different products, including powders, liquids, and solids.
Premade pouch filling machine starts by gripping a pre-made bag from the pouch magazine, then the upstream filling machine will fill the pouch with the product and seal it. Premade pouch filling machines can be built in various types, including rotary, linear, and horizontal structures.
Advantages of Premade Pouch Filling Machines
Premade pouch filling machines has excellent versatility. It can handle different premade pouches, including stand-up, flat, and gusseted pouches.
This is very helpful for customers with multiple SKUs production with various bag styles and sizes…
Another advantage of premade pouch filling machines is their ease of use. As it applies to a premade pouch, the operation is no need to load the film roll as on a Vffs machine; It requires less time and skill to set up and operate. This is very friendly for quick changeover and lowers the requirement for the operator’s expertise.
Disadvantages of Premade Pouch Filling Machines
One of the disadvantages of premade pouch filling machines is their higher cost. They are more expensive than FFS packaging equipment, particularly for the dual model.
In addition, It also requires bigger floor space. Thus it is suitable for smaller production facilities.
What is Form-Fill-Seal Packaging Equipment?
The form-fill-seal packaging machine is designed for film roll stock packaging. It forms a bag, fills them with products, and seals them. Integrating with various filling machines can be used for packaging different products, including powders, liquids, and solids. FFS packaging equipment is available in various construction, including vertical and horizontal form fill seal machines.
Advantages of Form-Fill-Seal Packaging Equipment
One of the biggest advantages of FFS packaging equipment is its speed, especially for the continuous model. They can achieve speeds of up to 200 pouches per minute, depending on the type of machine.
Another advantage of FFS packaging equipment is its cost-effectiveness. These machines are less expensive than premade pouch filling machines, particularly for high-speed machines.
They also require less floor space than premade pouch filling machines, making them an ideal choice for smaller production plants.
FFS packaging equipment is also highly customizable. They can be tailored to meet specific product and packaging requirements, including different bag sizes, styles, and filling systems. This makes them a versatile option for packaging a wide range of products, from snacks and candy to pharmaceutical products.
Disadvantages of Form-Fill-Seal Packaging Equipment
FFS packaging machine with its limited flexibility. They can only handle a specific bag size and style without changing the forming set and optional parts. So customers have to prepare extra forming sets for each bag size, which increase their cost and time for changing over.
Another disadvantage of FFS packaging equipment is its complexity compared to premade pouch machines. Operators have to spend more time setting up and operating. Thus the operator should have enough expertise.
Five Things to Consider When Choosing Between Premade Pouch Filling Machines and Form-Fill-Seal Packaging Equipment
- Bag style: Premade pouch packaging machine is designed for premade pouch packaging, and the FFS machine is used for film roll stock packaging.
- Production Volume: FFS packaging machine is related faster than the premade pouch packaging machine. Thus it is ideal for high-volume production runs.
- Floor Space: FFS machine is more compact compared to premade pouch machine.
- Cost: FFS packaging equipment is generally less expensive than premade pouch filling machines.
- Flexibility: Premade pouch filling machines are highly versatile and can handle different bag or pouch sizes and shapes. At the same time, FFS packaging equipment is highly customizable and requires an extra forming set for every bag size.
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing a suitable packaging machine is crucial for packaging production. Premade pouch filling machines and FFS packaging equipment are the most popular choice among most applications.
However, both have advantages and disadvantages; choosing the suitable machine can depend on several factors, including bag type, production volume, floor space, cost, and flexibility.
Ultimately, deciding between premade pouch filling machines and FFS packaging equipment will depend on your specific production requirements and budget.
This article can give you helpful information to make an informed decision and choose the right packaging equipment for your business.