Flow Wrapping Machines

Where flow wrapping fits

A flow wrapper, also called a horizontal form fill seal or pillow packing machine, wraps solid products that travel horizontally. Film is formed into a tube around the product, sealed along the bottom with a fin seal and closed with end seals.

The 27 configurations in this family cover chocolate and energy bars, biscuits and wafers, candy and lollipops, bread, mooncakes, instant noodles, ice lollies, fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen dumplings on trays, and household items such as sponges, toothbrushes, cutlery kits, slippers and sanitary napkins. Reference models include the LV-250B/D and the LV-250X.

• Bars, biscuits, wafers, candy and lollipops
• Bread, mooncakes, instant noodles and trayed frozen food
• Fresh fruit and vegetables, loose or on trays
• Household items such as sponges, toothbrushes and cutlery kits

How a horizontal flow wrapper works

Pack length is set by the cut length, while pack width and height are set by the forming box. Products of very different cross-sections may need a different forming box.

Some layouts feed film from below the product, which can help with soft or loose items that are difficult to push. Confirm the layout for your product.

• Infeed conveyor with pushers, loaded by hand or from an automatic feeder
• Film unwinding with registration for printed film
• Forming box that folds the film around the product
• Fin seal wheels that make the longitudinal seal
• Rotary end-seal jaws that seal and cut each pack
• Discharge conveyor, with optional coding or gas flushing

Start with product geometry and feeding

Provide the product dimensions, orientation, surface behavior and whether a tray is used. Feeding regularity and product spacing are central to a wrapping proposal.

• Minimum and maximum product dimensions
• Fragility, stickiness and orientation
• Manual or automatic infeed and grouping needs
• Whether several items are wrapped together in one pack

Infeed options

Most wrapping problems start at the infeed. The machine can only wrap well if each product arrives in the right position and at a steady pitch.

• Manual loading onto the infeed chain for lower volumes and mixed products
• Automatic transfer from a production conveyor, with alignment and spacing
• Rotary disc feeding for small candies, shown in a confectionery configuration
• Tray feeding for produce and frozen dumplings
• Multi-component feeding for kits such as cutlery sets or noodles with seasoning sachets

Review film and end seals

Confirm the film type, finished pack length and seal area. State whether coding, inspection or downstream cartoning must be included.

Heat-sensitive products such as chocolate are sometimes wrapped in cold-seal film, which changes the sealing arrangement. Gas flushing is listed as an optional device on some configurations; if you need it, define the target and how it will be checked.

• Heat-seal or cold-seal film, thickness and reel specification
• End seal pattern and any easy-open feature
• Coding position and code content
• Gas flushing, if the product requires it

Line integration

Flow wrappers often sit directly after production: a bakery cooling conveyor, a bar forming line or a candy line. Downstream, wrapped products may go to cartoning or case packing. Some cartoning configurations are presented as complete lines from flow wrapping to cartons for bars and pizza.

Rigid boxes that need a tight folded film finish belong to the cellophane overwrapping route rather than flow wrapping.

What to send for an evaluation

Send product samples or dimensions with photos, trays if used, the film specification, a finished pack sample and the output you need. Describe how products reach the wrapper today. Sample quantities for any trial are agreed with the team before shipping.

Questions buyers ask about flow wrappers

Can one wrapper run several product sizes? Pack length changes with the cut length. A significant change in width or height may need another forming box and infeed adjustment, which should be listed in the quotation.

Should I choose hand loading or an automatic infeed? Hand loading suits lower volumes and frequent product changes. An automatic infeed needs products to arrive consistently and is usually part of a wider line project.

What is the difference between flow wrapping and overwrapping? A flow wrapper makes a pillow pack with fin and end seals. An overwrapper folds film tightly around a rigid box, like the film on a perfume or tea box.