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Grain and Granule Packing Machines
Product form · Granule

Grain and Granule Packing Machines

Packing machines for rice, grain, seeds, sweets and other free-flowing granules, each fitted with the cup filler or weigher your product needs.

✓  Product trials available
✓  One-year warranty
✓  Installation & service across Southern Africa
✓  CE marked machines

Machines that pack grain and granules

Each grain and granule packing machine in the SA Packaging Machinery range has its own machine page. The vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine forms pillow and gusseted bags from roll film, and the horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine forms stand-up and zipper pouches. The horizontal fill-seal (HFS) machine fills bags and pouches that arrive already made. These bag and pouch machines are fitted with a cup filler or a weigher for granules. Capsule filling equipment fills granules into hard capsules.

What you need to know about packing granules

These technical realities decide which granule packing machine you need and how it is configured, whatever the pack.

Cup filler or weigher, never an auger

Granules are dosed by volume or by weight. A volumetric cup filler measures a fixed volume for each pack and suits uniform, free-flowing granules. A multihead weigher weighs each portion and suits higher-value or irregular products, where giveaway costs more. A linear weigher does the same job on simpler, slower lines. An auger filler is for powders: its turning screw crushes granules, so it is not used for them.

Fines and dust in the seal

Broken pieces and fine dust travel with most granules. Any that land on the seal area stop the seal closing properly, which is one of the most common reasons a granule pack leaks. Dosing is set up so the product drops cleanly into the bag, clear of the seal.

Breakage and product integrity

Some granules break easily. Kibble, sweets and dried products lose value when they chip or crumble, and the crumbs add to the fines in the seal. A weigher that portions the product gently, with a short drop into the pack, protects fragile granules better than a filler that forces product through.

Pack weight decides the machine

Retail packs of granules run on an automatic VFFS machine. About 10 kg is the most a VFFS machine forms from roll film, and packs of 5 kg and 10 kg run more slowly. They need a product test and a film thick enough to carry the weight. From about 10 kg, granules are usually filled into pre-made bags on a semi-automatic system.

Contact materials and hygiene

Food granules need stainless-steel contact parts that can be cleaned between products. Our machines are built in SUS304 stainless steel as standard, and in SUS316 where the product carries salt, such as seasoning granules and salted snacks.

Common granule pack styles

Granules are sold in a handful of pack styles, and the pack style narrows the machine choice fastest. Each link opens the machines in our catalogue that make that pack.

Products we pack as granules

These are granular products we supply packing machines for. Each is covered on this hub until it has its own product page.

Food & Grain Packaging
Rice & grain packing machine
Covered on this hub
Seed, bean & legume packing machine
Covered on this hub
Sweet packing machine
Covered on this hub
horizontal Pouch Packaging Machine
Pet food & kibble packing machine
Covered on this hub
Tea bag machine: a vertical form-fill-seal machine in tea-bag configuration
Tea bag machine
See the machine →

Other product forms

Powders, liquids and solid products need different dosing and machines.

Typical grain and granule packing lines

These are typical line configurations for granules. Each starts with the dosing the product needs and ends with the pack the buyer wants on the shelf.

how to choose the right VFFS machine

Rice and grain into pillow bags

A multihead weigher or a cup filler doses the grain into a vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine, which forms, fills and seals pillow or gusseted bags from roll film. Retail packs run at full speed; packs of 5 kg and 10 kg run more slowly.

Fill-Seal Packaging Machine for Granule

Sweets into pre-made bags

A four-head weigher feeds a horizontal fill-seal (HFS) machine, which opens, fills and seals bags that arrive already made. One confectionery line packs sweets from 30 g to 500 g this way. Read the sweet packing case study.

HFFS Packaging Machine for Granules

Dried products into stand-up zipper pouches

A horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine forms stand-up zipper pouches from roll film and fills them by weight, for granular products sold on shelf presentation. Read the zipper pouch case study.

Bulk granules into large bags

Granules for 10 kg bags and heavier are weighed into pre-made bags on a semi-automatic filling system. Woven bags are sewn and sealed: an inner plastic bag is heat-sealed and the woven outer bag is sewn closed.

See granule machines running

Machines from the range packing granules: a horizontal form-fill-seal machine filling stand-up zipper pouches, and a four-head weigher fill-seal machine filling pre-made bags.

Horizontal form-fill-seal

HFFS machine filling granules into zipper pouches

A horizontal form-fill-seal machine forming stand-up zipper pouches and filling them with a granular product by weight.

Horizontal fill-seal

Four-head weigher fill-seal machine for sweets

A four-head weigher filling sweets into pre-made bags on a horizontal fill-seal machine.

Customer feedback

Trusted by Packaging Manufacturers Across Southern Africa

Google Reviews
SA Packaging Machinery · Riversands
4.6
★★★★☆
13 Google reviews

“Highly recommended! Excellent customer service, great prices, and they always go above and beyond.”

Ratings and reviews are published on our Google Business Profile, where they can be read in full and in context.

PackMan purchased an Automatic 6-Lane, 4-Side Seal Vinegar Packaging Machine, and it has been performing reliably since installation. The machine delivers consistent packaging quality, operates efficiently, and has met our production expectations.

PackMan Packing logo
Thorsten
Robertville, South Africa

SA Packaging Machinery delivered a solution that has met our expectations. The equipment has been reliable in daily production, and we’re pleased with its performance. We found the team knowledgeable, professional, and willing to assist whenever required.

Grace Haven Industries logo
Matthew
Durban, South Africa

We’ve been very happy with the equipment supplied by SA Packaging Machinery. It’s straightforward to use, performs consistently, and has helped us improve our production process. The team was easy to work with and made the entire experience smooth.

JCJ Sweets logo
Basil
Brakpan, South Africa

Trial your granules before you buy

Send us a sample of your product and the bag or pouch you want to use. We run it on the machine at our Riversands showroom, so you can see the fill weight, the seal and the finished pack before you order.

Granule FAQ

Frequently asked questions about packing granules

Can granules be filled with an auger filler?

No. An auger filler turns a screw to move the product, and the screw crushes granules. Granules are dosed with a volumetric cup filler or a weigher instead. Auger fillers are used for powders.

A cup filler measures by volume and suits uniform, free-flowing granules where a small variation in weight is acceptable. A multihead weigher measures by weight and suits higher-value, irregular or fragile products, where giveaway costs more. We recommend the dosing after seeing your product, and a trial on your own granules confirms it.

About 10 kg. Packs of 5 kg and 10 kg run on an automatic VFFS machine at a lower speed, and they need a product test and a film thick enough to hold the weight. Heavier packs are filled into pre-made bags.

On a semi-automatic filling system for pre-made bags, or on a dedicated automatic pre-made bag filler. Woven bags are usually sewn and sealed: the inner plastic bag is heat-sealed and the woven outer bag is sewn shut. The inner bag is there because plain film alone is not strong enough at these weights.

Machines are built in SUS304 stainless steel as standard. Where the granule carries salt, such as seasoning or salted snacks, the contact parts are SUS316, which resists corrosion from salt.