HFFS & Flow Wrap Machine Suppliers & Manufacturers

HFFS and flow wrapping principle and product suitability

An HFFS (horizontal form fill seal) machine — commonly called a flow wrapper or flow pack machine — wraps a product in flexible film by feeding both the product and the film horizontally. The film is formed into a tube around the product as it moves along the machine; the top and side seals are made horizontally; the end seals (leading and trailing) are made transversely as the wrapped product exits the machine. The result is a hermetically sealed flexible pack — the classic 'flow-wrapped' or 'pillow pack' format seen on most packaged bread, biscuits, chocolate bars, and fresh produce. HFFS and flow wrapping are suitable for products that: cannot be dropped vertically (fragile, irregular, or filled items that would be damaged or spilled if loaded into a VFFS machine); need to maintain their orientation during packing; are solid, semi-solid, or in trays; have a consistent cross-section that allows them to be fed through the forming collar. Products commonly flow-wrapped: bakery products — sliced bread, rolls, baguettes, croissants, cakes, muffins; biscuits and cookies — individual or multi-packs of biscuits and crackers; confectionery — chocolate bars, cereal bars, chews, individual wrapped sweets; fresh produce — cucumbers, courgettes, leeks, corn-on-the-cob; soap bars — a very large flow-wrapping application globally; medical devices — syringes, wound dressings, test kits, in peel-pouches; ice cream and frozen products — individual portions; ready meals in trays — tray + overwrap flow-wrapping for ready-to-cook meals.

Machine configurations and sourcing

Flow wrapping machines are available in a range of configurations to match different product and output requirements. Standard flow wrappers: the product is manually or automatically placed on the infeed conveyor; the product is carried through the film forming collar and sealing section; the wrapped packs exit onto a discharge conveyor. Servo-driven flow wrappers offer higher speed, easier changeover, and better synchronisation for irregular-gap products. Rotary jaw wrappers use a continuously rotating seal jaw rather than a reciprocating jaw, enabling higher speeds for small packs. Pillow pack vs three-side-seal differences: a standard HFFS machine produces a pillow pack (fin seal on the top with two transverse end seals). Three-side-seal flat pouches are produced by a different machine configuration that seals three sides and leaves one side open for product insertion. Seal types: fin seal (top) for economy; lap seal (continuous flat top seal) for presentation; for some medical and pharmaceutical applications, a peel-open seal is required for sterile access. Output speeds: for biscuit and chocolate bar flow-wrapping, speeds of 100–300+ packs per minute are achievable. For bread and large bakery items, speeds of 30–80 packs per minute are typical. For fresh produce, speeds of 20–60 packs per minute are typical. Film compatibility: OPP (oriented polypropylene) — the most common film for flow wrapping; PE and PP laminates; cellophane for premium confectionery. When sourcing, specify: product dimensions and weight, product fragility and presentation requirements, film type, required output speed, manual or automatic infeed, seal type, and whether gas flushing or MAP is required.

Frequently asked questions