Pharmaceutical packaging in South Africa is under more pressure than ever.
Whether you are packing blister cards, medical devices, syringes, test kits, sachets, swabs or other pharmaceutical and healthcare items, your packaging must do more than just “look good”. It has to protect the product, support patient safety, meet strict regulatory requirements and maintain a consistent standard batch after batch.
A flow wrap machine is one of the most efficient ways to achieve that level of control, consistency and hygiene.
The South African pharmaceutical and healthcare sector is growing, with demand from:
Hospitals and clinics
Pharmacies and retail chains
Online pharmacies and delivery services
Export markets in Africa and beyond
With that growth comes tighter expectations around:
Product protection and tamper evidence
Traceability and batch coding
Hygiene and contamination control
Regulatory compliance and validation
Professional, standardised presentation
Many pharmaceutical and healthcare products – especially single-use or unit-dose items – are ideal candidates for packaging on a flow wrap machine.
A flow wrap machine (horizontal flow wrapper / flow pack machine) is an automatic system that:
Transports products horizontally on a conveyor
Wraps them in a continuous roll of packaging film
Creates a back (longitudinal) seal
Seals both ends and cuts the film into individual packs
In a pharmaceutical or healthcare context, a flow wrap machine can be used for items such as:
Blister cards (grouped and wrapped)
Cartons or wallets containing tablets
Diagnostic test kits and strips
Medical devices (e.g. syringes, inhaler bodies, small components)
Sachets, wipes, swabs and similar items
Bandages, dressings and other sterile-packed products (within the right cleanroom setup)
The key advantage is that you gain a controlled, repeatable packaging process that supports your quality system.
In pharma, inconsistency is more than a cosmetic issue – it can become a compliance and safety problem.
A flow wrap machine helps you:
Achieve uniform seal strength and seal integrity
Keep pack dimensions consistent
Present products in a neat, professional, standardised format
This consistency makes it easier to:
Pass audits
Meet customer specifications
Reduce complaints and rejections
Pharmaceutical products must be protected from:
Dust and particulate contamination
Moisture and oxygen (where barrier is needed)
Physical damage during handling and transport
A flow wrap machine, combined with the correct film, supports:
Secure, fully enclosed packs
Controlled product handling with minimal manual contact
Tamper-evident sealing options
In a properly designed pharma environment (e.g. cleanroom, controlled area), a flow wrap line can be integrated into your hygiene and GMP procedures.
Manual packing of pharmaceutical items can be:
Slow
Labour-intensive
More prone to human error
With a flow wrap machine, you can:
Increase the number of packs produced per minute
Reduce the number of operators needed for repetitive packing tasks
Standardise handling and positioning of products prior to packing
This improves both productivity and traceability, especially when integrated with upstream feeding, counting or inspection systems.
Regulators and customers increasingly expect clear, accurate coding for:
Batch numbers
Expiry dates
Serialisation and tracking (where applicable)
A flow wrap machine can be integrated with:
Thermal transfer printers
Inkjet coders
Vision inspection systems
This allows you to print and verify critical information on every pack as part of a controlled process.
A big advantage of investing in a flow wrap machine is flexibility.
Within defined limits, the same machine can often run:
Different pack lengths and heights
Various healthcare products (test kits, devices, sachets, dressings)
Multi-packs or promotional configurations
This is especially useful for contract packers and pharmaceutical manufacturers in South Africa who work with multiple SKUs and product formats.
If you are currently packaging pharmaceutical or healthcare products using:
Manual bagging and impulse sealers
Simple pre-made pouches sealed by hand
Very basic, semi-manual lines
you may already be dealing with:
Inconsistent seal quality
Variable pack sizes and appearances
Limited speed and capacity
Higher risk of contamination due to excessive handling
A flow wrap machine provides:
Automated, consistent sealing
Higher throughput
Cleaner, more controlled handling
Professional packaging suitable for major pharmacy and retail chains
For any pharmaceutical or healthcare business in South Africa that wants to scale, a flow wrap machine quickly becomes a key part of the packaging strategy.
When selecting a flow wrap machine for pharma and healthcare products, consider:
Product range
Types of items (test kits, devices, cards, sachets, wipes)
Level of fragility or special handling required
Environment and hygiene requirements
Cleanroom class or controlled area requirements
Stainless steel construction or washdown needs
Speed and throughput
Packs per minute required today
Expected future growth
Film and barrier properties
Need for moisture or oxygen protection
Clarity vs opacity
Compatibility with coding and labelling
Integration and validation
Upstream feeding, counting or inspection
Downstream cartoning, case packing or palletising
Qualification and validation within your quality system
The right partner will help you match the flow wrap machine to both your products and your regulatory framework, not just sell you a standard machine.
If you are serious about improving your pharmaceutical packaging in South Africa, upgrading to a dedicated flow wrap machine is a strategic move – not just a technical one.
SA Packaging Machinery focuses on providing flow wrap machine solutions that suit real-world pharmaceutical and healthcare applications. We understand the importance of:
Controlled, repeatable sealing
Clean, hygienic designs
Reliable coding and traceability
Throughput that matches your production targets
When you partner with SA Packaging Machinery, you get:
Help choosing the right flow wrap machine for your pharmaceutical products and environment
Advice on films, coding and inspection to support compliance and quality
A configuration that integrates into your existing line and documentation processes
Local installation, training and technical support in South Africa
If you want to:
Improve the consistency and professionalism of your pharmaceutical packaging
Reduce manual handling and increase throughput
Strengthen product protection, hygiene and traceability
then now is the time to explore how a flow wrap machine can fit into your pharmaceutical operation.
Contact SA Packaging Machinery today to discuss your pharmaceutical packaging requirements, ask technical questions, and request a tailored quotation for a flow wrap machine that matches your products, your standards and your growth plans.
Below are common questions about using a flow wrap machine for pharmaceutical packaging in South Africa. These answers explain how flow wrapping supports compliance, hygiene and consistency for pharma products.
A flow wrap machine is a horizontal packaging machine that wraps pharmaceutical or healthcare items in a continuous roll of film, seals it along the back and both ends, and then cuts it into individual packs. It is commonly used for items such as diagnostic kits, medical devices, blister card bundles and sachets because it delivers a controlled, repeatable pack format suitable for regulated environments.
A flow wrap machine can handle a wide range of products, including diagnostic test kits, blister card bundles, syringes (in protective formats), small medical devices, wipes, swabs, dressings, sachets and certain over-the-counter items. The key is that the products fit within the machine’s size range and are consistently presented to the infeed for reliable wrapping and sealing.
Yes. There are entry-level and mid-range flow wrap machine models designed for smaller and medium-sized pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthcare suppliers and contract packers. If manual or semi-manual packing is limiting your speed or causing inconsistency, moving to a flow wrap machine is often the next step to improve throughput and packaging quality.
A flow wrap machine reduces direct handling of pharmaceutical items during the packaging process, helping to lower contamination risk. Machines can be specified with hygienic designs, stainless steel construction and features that support cleaning and inspection. When used in a controlled environment and integrated into your quality system, a flow wrap machine can support your GMP, hygiene and audit requirements.
Film choice depends on your product and regulatory requirements. For pharmaceutical packaging, films may need to provide moisture or oxygen barriers, tamper evidence, or light protection. Many pharma applications use laminated or coated films that are compatible with coding and labelling. Your film supplier and flow wrap machine supplier can help you select the most appropriate material for your products and markets.
Yes. Flow wrap machines are commonly integrated with thermal transfer or inkjet printers for batch numbers and expiry dates, and with vision systems or scanners for code verification. They can also be combined with metal detectors, checkweighers and other inspection equipment as part of a complete pharmaceutical packaging line, supporting traceability and quality control.
The cost depends on factors such as required speed, level of automation, hygiene design, integration with printers and inspection equipment, and any special features needed for your products. Entry-level models are more affordable, while high-speed, fully integrated systems cost more. The best approach is to request a tailored quotation based on your specific products, standards and throughput goals.
In many cases, yes. As long as the products fit within the machine’s size and weight limits and your quality system allows it, you can often run other items such as healthcare products, cosmetics or compatible non-food products. However, in regulated pharmaceutical environments you must consider cross-contamination, validation and changeover procedures before using the same machine for multiple product categories.
The Flow Wrap Packaging Machines are used to seal products horizontally in printed or clear film packaging.
