Packing machines for rice, grain, seeds, sweets and other free-flowing granules, with the cup filler or weigher to suit.
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. For smaller volumes, see our semi-automatic filling machines, where an operator places each pack.
These technical realities decide which granule packing machine you need and how it is configured, whatever the pack.
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.
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.
Some granules break easily. Granola, 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.
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; see our semi-automatic filling machines.
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.
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.
These are granular products we supply packing machines for. Each is covered on this hub until it has its own product page.
Powders, liquids and solid products need different dosing and machines.
Packing by product
Nuts and peanuts are weighed rather than measured by volume. A multihead weigher portions each pack by weight, which keeps giveaway down on a higher-value product. The weigher feeds a VFFS machine for pillow and gusseted bags, or an HFFS machine for stand-up zipper pouches.
A gentle portion with a short drop into the pack stops nuts chipping and keeps broken pieces out of the seal. Salted nuts need SUS316 contact parts, which resist corrosion from salt.
Chips, popcorn and puffed snacks are weighed on a multihead weigher into pillow bags formed on a VFFS. The recommended configuration, pack sizes and lines we have supplied are on our snack packaging machine page.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A horizontal form-fill-seal machine forming stand-up zipper pouches and filling them with a granular product by weight.
A four-head weigher filling sweets into pre-made bags on a horizontal fill-seal machine.
Case Studies
Granule projects from the range: a sweet packing line and a stand-up zipper pouch line.
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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.
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.
