Production-scale machines and full lines available
Recommended configuration✓ Food-grade product-contact parts
| Recommended machine | L-bar sealer and shrink wrap machine with shrink tunnel; side bar sealer for conveyor-fed lines; tray sealing machine, cling wrap machine or vacuum packaging machine where the pack needs it |
| Filling system | None: product is loaded, not dosed |
| Pack format | Clear outer wrap on frozen meat trays, whole poultry, biltong and dried meat, cartons and multipacks |
| Pack sizes | Whole chicken about 1.2 to 2 kg; tray portions 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg |
| Film | Food-grade POF; pre-perforated for whole birds, anti-fog for chilled product |
| Output | Rated up to 25 packs/min; well below that when birds are loaded by hand |
These are the meat products a meat wrapping machine wraps, with the pack each one usually goes into and the machine that wraps it. The machine is set to your tray or bird, and a trial on your own product confirms it.
Frozen meat in trays, whole poultry and biltong are wrapped on an L-bar sealer and shrink tunnel; meat and poultry arriving on a conveyor in higher volumes suit a side bar sealer and shrink tunnel. Both put a clear outer wrap on the pack, and neither takes the air out. Meat is loaded, not dosed: on manual and semi-automatic L-bar machines the operator places each tray or bird into the film, the automatic L-bar adds an infeed conveyor and automatic film feed, and a side bar sealer takes packs straight from the line. The first table shows where each machine fits and where meat needs a different technology altogether.
Which machine for which meat pack
| Meat application | L-bar sealer + tunnel | Side bar sealer + tunnel | Needs a different technology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine |  View the L-bar sealer › |  View the side bar sealer › | |
| Frozen meat in a heat-tolerant tray | Best fit | Suits at higher volume | No |
| Whole chicken, up to about 2 kg | Best fit | Suits on a conveyor-fed line | No |
| Biltong and dried meat | Best fit: dried, so it does not rely on air removal | Suits at higher volume | No |
| Frozen poultry and meat, loose | Best fit | Best fit for continuous lines | No |
| Meat cartons | Suits at lower output | Best fit | No |
| Retail meat multipacks | Suits | Best fit at volume | No |
| Meat on polystyrene (Styrofoam) trays | Not suitable: tray is heat sensitive | Not suitable: tray is heat sensitive | Change to a heat-tolerant tray |
| Fresh cuts that need extended shelf life | Not suitable | Not suitable | Yes: vacuum, MAP or skin packing |
| Vacuum-packed, MAP or skin-packed meat | Not suitable | Not suitable | Yes: those are different machines |
L-bar or side bar sealer for meat
| For meat | L-bar sealer + shrink tunnel | Side bar sealer + shrink tunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Machine | View the L-bar sealer › | View the side bar sealer › |
| Best for | Whole chickens and frozen trays loaded one at a time | Meat and poultry arriving on a conveyor, cartons and multipacks |
| How packs arrive | Placed into the film by the operator, or by an automatic infeed | Straight from the line, sealed as they move |
| Pack size | Within the sealing frame; whole chickens up to about 2 kg fit | Length unlimited: the side seal runs continuously |
| Output | Rated up to 25 packs/min; well below that when birds are loaded by hand | Up to 25 packs/min in continuous flow, set by spacing on the infeed |
| Automation | Manual, semi-automatic or automatic | Continuous, for fixed production lines |
| Changing sizes | Handles birds and trays that change through the day | Best with standardised packs on one line |
A horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine is not usually used for meat, but it can pack small pieces of meat into pouches it forms from film.
For the full comparison beyond meat, see L-bar vs side sealer shrink wrap machines.
Meat and poultry portions that need a sealed film lid on the tray, rather than a shrink wrap around it, are sealed on a tray sealing machine.
Not all meat is shrink wrapped. Which meat packaging machine suits your product depends on the pack you want on the shelf and how long it has to keep.
Heat seals a film lid onto a tray of meat, chicken portions or a cooked meal, so the pack is closed rather than wrapped. The rotary tray sealer we supply seals two trays at a time, at 1,000 to 1,500 trays an hour.
Stretches cling film over meat trays for supermarket counters and central packing. The automatic model can be linked to weighing and labelling, so each tray is weighed, wrapped and labelled in one line.
We have supplied a three-servo flow wrap machine to a meat supplier, wrapping fresh and frozen meat in trays and sealing each tray in a film tube.
Takes the air out of the pack before sealing it, for fresh cuts and cured meat that need a longer shelf life than a wrap gives.
A sausage packaging machine packs sausages after they have been filled and linked. The right machine depends on how the sausages are sold.
Fresh sausages are usually laid in a tray and sealed under a film lid on a tray sealing machine, which holds them in shape and keeps the juices in the pack. Trays of sausages for a supermarket counter can instead be wrapped in stretch film on a cling wrap machine, or sealed in a film tube on a flow wrap machine. Sausages that need to keep for longer are vacuum packed on a vacuum packaging machine.
Send us a tray of your sausages and tell us the pack weight and how many packs you run a day, and we will recommend the sausage packaging machine and run a trial.
A bacon packaging machine packs bacon after it has been sliced, as rashers laid on a board or in a tray, or as bacon pieces.
Sliced bacon is usually vacuum packed on a vacuum packaging machine, which takes the air out of the pack and keeps the bacon fresh for longer. Bacon in trays can also be sealed under a film lid on a tray sealing machine. A shrink wrap is not the right pack for fresh sliced bacon, because it does not take the air out.
Tell us how your bacon is presented, the pack weight and your daily volume, and we will recommend the bacon packaging machine to suit.
Meat that is shrink wrapped in South Africa is usually frozen and already in a tray, or a whole bird. These are the sizes it is typically sold in, and the film and tray each one needs.
| Pack | Typical sizes sold | Film and tray |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen meat in a tray | 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg portions | Food-grade POF; heat-tolerant tray, not polystyrene |
| Whole chicken | About 1.2 to 2 kg a bird | Pre-perforated food-grade POF so trapped air escapes |
| Frozen poultry and meat, loose | Varies by product | Food-grade POF, heavier gauge for bone-in |
| Biltong and dried meat | Varies by pack | Food-grade POF; dried product needs no anti-fog film |
| Meat cartons and retail multipacks | Varies by carton | POF or heavier film for bundling |
The L-bar sealer is rated at up to 25 packs a minute, and the side bar sealer at up to 25 packs a minute in continuous flow. With meat the operator usually sets the real pace: whole chickens are irregular and are placed into the film by hand, so a manual or semi-automatic line runs well below the rated figure. An automatic infeed on the L-bar, or a conveyor-fed side sealer, is what brings a meat line closer to the rated speed.
These points decide your figure: the size and shape of the bird or tray, how packs are loaded, whether packs arrive on a conveyor, and the tunnel setting. We confirm a realistic rate by running your product in a trial.
Every meat enquiry starts with a product trial. Send us frozen trays or whole birds and we will wrap them on the L-bar sealer and shrink tunnel at our Johannesburg showroom, so you see the seal, the shrink and how your tray behaves in the tunnel before you buy.
We have also supplied a three-servo flow wrap machine to a meat supplier in Gauteng that wraps fresh and frozen meat in trays, sealing each tray in film much as we do for fresh produce in trays; see the flow wrap packaging machine.
Shrink wrapping machines from our range: L-bar sealers with shrink tunnels for trays and single packs, and a side seal shrink wrapper for longer packs.
An L-bar sealer seals film around trays and a shrink tunnel shrinks it tight.
An automatic L-bar sealer and tunnel wrapping packs in clear shrink film.
Packs are fed, arranged and shrink wrapped without an operator placing each one.
A side sealer wraps packs continuously, so pack length is not limited by the sealing bar.
A meat wrapping machine is quoted to your product and your volume, so we need these details from you.
If your fresh meat needs vacuum, MAP or skin packing for shelf life, tell us that first, because it changes the technology. The shrink wrap machine cost guide explains what moves the figure. Installation and operator training are included in your quote, and spares are held in Johannesburg.
Whether the pack needs the air taken out decides whether a meat wrapping machine is the right technology at all. The points below shape how it is set up.
Shrink film encloses meat; it does not take the air out. Food-grade polyolefin is a poor oxygen barrier, made for presentation and protection rather than extended shelf life. Fresh cuts that rely on vacuum, modified atmosphere or skin packing need those systems, not a shrink wrapper.
The tray has to survive the tunnel. Most meat that is shrink wrapped is frozen and already in a tray. Polystyrene (Styrofoam) trays are heat sensitive and do not cope with the shrink tunnel, so the tray is chosen for the heat as much as for the meat.
Whole birds trap air and vary in size. A whole chicken holds air in its cavity and around its shape, so pre-perforated film lets that air escape as the film shrinks; film makers produce POF shrink film made for whole chicken, with anti-fog and pre-perforated grades.
The film touches the food. Wherever it sits on the meat it must be certified food-grade polyolefin, with a heavier, more puncture-resistant gauge for bone-in product and anti-fog film where chilled meat would otherwise fog the pack.
Meat wrapping sits under the shrink wrap machines range, with the side bar sealer and shrink wrap machine for conveyor-fed lines. For the wider food guidance read how to shrink wrap food safely, and for another chilled product on the same machines, shrink wrap for dairy products.
the full range of L-bar sealers, side sealers and shrink tunnels
the recommended machine for whole birds and trayed meat
produce in trays, sealed in film on the same type of flow wrapper
meat and poultry portions sealed into trays under a film lid
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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.
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.
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.
We have supplied packaging machines since 2017. Send us frozen trays or whole birds and we will wrap them on our L-bar sealer and shrink tunnel before you commit to anything.
Yes. Whole chickens are wrapped on an L-bar sealer with a shrink tunnel in clear food-grade polyolefin. Pre-perforated film lets the air trapped in and around the bird escape as the film shrinks, and whole chickens up to about 2 kg fit the sealing frame and tunnel.
No. A meat wrapping machine puts a clear shrink wrap around meat or a meat tray. A vacuum sealer draws the air out of a bag around the meat before sealing it, which is what extends the shelf life of fresh cuts. They are different technologies, so decide which pack your meat needs before choosing a machine. For fresh cuts and biltong, see the vacuum packaging machine.
Food-grade polyolefin, usually called POF. Pre-perforated POF suits whole birds, anti-fog POF keeps the pack clear on chilled meat, and heavier or bone-in meat needs a thicker, more puncture-resistant gauge. PVC shrink film is avoided where it would touch the meat.
Yes, and they are a good fit. Biltong and dried meat are kept by drying rather than by chilling or air removal, so a clear food-grade polyolefin wrap on an L-bar sealer and shrink tunnel gives them a tight, tamper-evident pack that shows the product. A side bar sealer suits higher volumes on a conveyor.
Vacuum packing takes the air out of the pack before it is sealed, and modified atmosphere packing (MAP) replaces the air with a gas such as nitrogen. Both slow spoilage, and vacuum packing extends shelf life by about two to five times. A shrink wrap or cling wrap protects meat and keeps it clean, but does not take the air out. See the vacuum packaging machine and the tray sealing machine.
Yes. The automatic cling wrap machine can be linked to weighing and labelling, so each tray is weighed, wrapped and labelled in one line. The tray sealing machine can be linked to a filling machine and conveyors, and the automatic L-bar sealer and the side bar sealer take packs from an infeed conveyor.
A semi-automatic L-bar sealer with shrink tunnel suits about 500 to 2,000 packs a day, and an automatic L-bar sealer 2,000 to 6,000. Above about 6,000 packs a day, an automatic side bar sealer with shrink tunnel suits a continuous line.
