A form fill seal machine makes the pack from a roll of film, fills it with your product and seals it in one continuous run. We supply vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machines for pillow, gusseted and sachet bags, horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machines for shaped, zipper and stand-up pouches, and multi-lane machines for sachets and sticks. Where your pouches arrive ready-made, a horizontal fill-seal machine fills and seals them instead.
Four things decide which machine you need: the pack you sell in, how your product flows, the output you need and whether your packaging arrives as film or as ready-made pouches.
The pack. Pillow, gusseted and sachet bags are formed on a vertical form-fill-seal machine. Shaped, stand-up, zipper, spout and flat-bottom pouches are formed on a horizontal form-fill-seal machine. If you are choosing by pack, see pouch packaging machines and bagging machines.
The product. Powders, granules, liquids and pastes run on both. What changes is the filler: an auger for powders, a multihead weigher or measuring cup for granules, and a pump or piston for liquids.
The output. High volumes of small sachets and sticks suit a multi-lane machine, which forms several packs side by side in each cycle.
The packaging. Forming from roll film gives the lowest cost per pack. If you sell in premium premade pouches, a horizontal fill-seal machine fills and seals them without forming them.
A multi-lane form fill seal machine forms, fills and seals several sachets or stick packs side by side in each cycle, so output rises without adding a second machine. It suits high-volume single-serve packs such as coffee and sugar sticks, spice blends and pharmaceutical powders.
We configure the number of lanes, the pack size and the dosing system to suit your product. Send us your product and pack size to ask about a multi-lane machine.
See it running
Form fill seal machines from the range running: vertical machines with a multihead weigher and a measuring cup, horizontal machines forming pouches, a multi-lane sachet and stick machine, and a horizontal fill-seal machine filling premade pouches. Book a visit to see them in person at our Riversands showroom in Johannesburg.
A multihead weigher portions granules into pillow bags formed from roll film on a vertical form-fill-seal machine.
A horizontal form-fill-seal machine forms pouches from roll film and fills them with a granular product.
A multi-lane machine forms, fills and seals several sachets or sticks at once, for high-volume single-serve packs.
When pouches arrive ready-made, a horizontal fill-seal machine opens, fills and seals them instead of forming them.
A measuring cup doses powder into bags formed from roll film on a vertical form-fill-seal machine.
A horizontal form-fill-seal machine forms shaped pouches from roll film and fills them in one run.
A form fill seal machine works in three steps on one machine. It pulls flat film off a roll and shapes it into a tube or pouch, seals the bottom or sides, then doses the product in through a filler and closes the top seal before cutting the pack free.
On a vertical machine the film runs down around a forming tube and gravity carries the product into the bag, which suits free-flowing powders, granules and liquids. On a horizontal machine the film runs flat and the pouch is formed and opened on its side, so it can make shapes a vertical machine cannot, such as stand-up, zipper and spout pouches.
The filler decides how accurately each pack is dosed: an auger for powders, a multihead weigher or measuring cup for granules, and a pump or piston for liquids and pastes. Options such as date coding, nitrogen flushing and checkweighing fit into the same line.
Most products that flow can be packed on a form fill seal machine, whether dry or liquid. What changes is the filler and the pack.
Rice, maize, beans and lentils in pillow and gusseted bags, weighed by a multihead weigher. Read more: rice packaging machines.
White and brown sugar in bags, sachets and sticks, dosed by weigher, measuring cup or auger. Read more: sugar packaging machines.
Beans and ground coffee in gusseted valve bags with nitrogen flushing, and instant coffee in sachets and sticks. Read more: coffee packaging machines.
Tea bags formed, filled and sealed with an outer envelope, and loose tea dosed by measuring cup. Read more: tea bag machines.
Flour, spices, protein, milk powder and chemicals, dosed by an auger so the powder does not bridge or flood. Read more: powder packaging machines.
Seeds, nuts, snacks, sweets and pet food, dosed by measuring cup or multihead weigher. Read more: grain and granule packing machines.
Sauces, oils, honey and detergents in pillow sachets and spout pouches, dosed by pump or piston. Read more: liquid filling machines.
Buying
We supply form fill seal machines configured to suit your product, packaging requirements and production needs. Each machine is customised and prepared at our workshop in Riversands, Johannesburg before delivery and commissioning across South Africa and into neighbouring SADC markets.
A quotation is put together from four things: the product and pack size, the output you need, the pack format, and the filler your product needs. Send us a sample and we trial it on the machine, so you see the bag, the seal and the fill weight before you decide.
Our own technicians install and commission the machine and train your operators on site. Every machine carries a one-year warranty, and spares are held in Johannesburg.
Our PDF catalogue has images and specification tables for the form fill seal machines on this page and the rest of our range. Download it, or ask for a quote on your product.
A form fill seal (FFS) machine makes the pack from a roll of film, fills it with your product and seals it in one continuous run. A vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine forms pillow, gusseted and sachet bags around a forming tube, while a horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine forms flat and stand-up pouches as the film travels sideways. The filler, such as a multihead weigher, measuring cup, auger or pump, is matched to how your product flows.
Forming from roll film costs less per pack and suits high volumes, so it is the usual choice for pillow, gusseted and sachet packs. Premade pouches cost more per pack but give a retail finish, such as a stand-up base, zipper or spout, with no forming section on the machine. If you already sell in premade pouches, a horizontal fill-seal machine fills and seals them. If you want to make the pouch yourself, a horizontal form-fill-seal machine forms it from film.
A vertical form-fill-seal machine with an auger filler is the usual choice for fine powders such as flour, spices, protein and instant coffee, because the auger doses by volume without the powder bridging or flooding. For powder in stand-up or zipper pouches, a horizontal form-fill-seal machine takes the same auger. See powder packaging machines for the full range.
Yes, within a range. On a vertical machine the bag width is set by the forming tube, so each width needs its own forming tube and collar, while the bag length is set on the touchscreen. On a horizontal machine, size parts are changed to suit the pouch. Tell us every pack size you plan to run so the machine is specified to cover them.
When you need high volumes of small single-serve packs, such as sugar sticks, coffee sachets or sauce portions. A multi-lane machine forms several sachets or sticks side by side in each cycle, so output rises without a second machine. For larger bags, a single-lane machine is the better fit.
The price depends on the machine type (vertical, horizontal or multi-lane), the filler your product needs (multihead weigher, auger, measuring cup or pump), the pack sizes and output you need, and options such as nitrogen flushing for coffee. Because each machine is configured to your product, we quote per application rather than publish a price list. For what drives cost on each type, see our guides to VFFS machine cost in South Africa and HFFS machine cost in South Africa, or send us your product, pack sizes and output for a quote.
