Production-scale machines and full lines available
Recommended configuration✓ Food-grade product-contact parts
Multihead weigher: 10-head for 100 g to 2 kg, 2-head for 500 g to 5 kg
Rice and other free-flowing grains
Pillow bags with a centre seal, in PET/LLDPE, BOPP/CPP or LDPE film
100 g to 5 kg on the lines we have supplied; up to about 10 kg on a VFFS
Rated 10 to 60 bags a minute (10-head, up to 2 kg); 6 to 8 (2-head, up to 5 kg)
About our modelModel codes shown are machines we have supplied and configured for previous projects. Your machine is specified and configured to suit your product, output and pack format — not supplied off the shelf.
These are the rice products our machines pack, with the bag each one usually goes into and the machine that fills it. A trial on your own rice confirms the setup.
Retail bags of 100 g to 2 kg. On the rice line we have supplied, a Z-type bucket elevator lifts the rice to a 10-head multihead weigher, which fills pillow bags formed on the VFFS from 100 g to 2 kg, rated at 10 to 60 bags a minute to within 3%. A volumetric cup filler is a simpler option for a single bag size, because rice flows evenly and a small variation in weight is acceptable.
Family bags of 5 kg and 10 kg. Bags up to 5 kg run on the same VFFS with a 2-head weigher, the setup we supplied for 500 g to 5 kg sugar bags, rated at 6 to 8 bags a minute to within about 5 g on a 500 g bag and 6 to 7 g on 1 kg and 2 kg bags. 10 kg bags run on a VFFS at a lower speed. Family bags run more slowly, on heavier film, and each size needs a product test on your rice. An auger filler is not used for rice: it is built for powders and would break the grains, as the grain and granule packing machines page explains.
Bulk rice from 10 kg to 50 kg. A Z-type elevator lifts the rice from a 500 L floor hopper to a 2-head weigher, which weighs each fill and drops it into a pre-made paper, foil or plastic bag. The bag then moves on a conveyor through a sewing head that closes it. The line we have supplied runs at about 3 bags a minute, to within ±3% on a 10 kg bag, and one or two operators run it. See the bagging machines for heavy bags.
Sewn and sealed woven bags. Woven 25 kg and 50 kg bags are sewn and sealed: the inner plastic bag is heat-sealed and the woven bag is sewn closed, because plain film alone is not strong enough at these weights.
These are the rice pack sizes producers ask us to quote for, with the format and machine setup for each. Each bag width needs its own forming shoulder on the VFFS, so a line that runs several widths is quoted with extra shoulders.
| Pack size | Format | Machine setup |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g to 2 kg | Pillow bag with a centre seal | VFFS with a 10-head multihead weigher, rated at 10 to 60 bags a minute |
| 500 g to 5 kg | Pillow bag with a centre seal | VFFS with a 2-head weigher, rated at 6 to 8 bags a minute (as supplied for sugar) |
| 5 kg to 10 kg | Pillow or gusseted bag | VFFS at a lower speed, on film thick enough to carry the weight |
| 10 kg to 50 kg | Pre-made or woven bag | 2-head weigher fed by a Z-type elevator, with a bag-sewing head; woven 25 kg and 50 kg bags have a heat-sealed inner bag |
| Retail vacuum pouches | Vacuum-sealed pouch | Weighing and vacuum-sealing line fed by a bucket elevator |
Output on a rice line is set by the bag size and the weigher. The rice line we have supplied is rated at 10 to 60 bags a minute for 100 g to 2 kg bags on a 10-head weigher, and our 2-head weigher line for 500 g to 5 kg bags is rated at 6 to 8 bags a minute. These are the ratings of each build, not results measured on a customer’s line.
We confirm the output for your rice and bag size by running a trial before we quote, rather than promising a figure in advance. Producers asking for high volumes, such as several tonnes an hour, are quoted a line sized to that target.
We have supplied a VFFS rice line that pairs a 10-head multihead weigher with the VFFS for 100 g to 2 kg pillow bags, fed by a Z-type bucket elevator and finished with a working platform and a finished-bag conveyor. It is rated at 10 to 60 bags a minute, to within 3%, and is run by two operators.
Our range also includes an automatic baling machine that bales finished rice bags after the VFFS for dispatch, and a weighing and vacuum-sealing line for rice sold in vacuum pouches. Both are shown in the videos below, and the grain and granule packing machines page covers our other granule lines.
Rice and grain lines from our range: a VFFS machine followed by an automatic baling machine, a VFFS fed by a multihead weigher, and a weighing and vacuum-sealing line.
A vertical form-fill-seal machine packing grain into pillow bags, followed by an automatic baling machine that bales the finished bags.
A multihead weigher dosing a granular product into bags formed on a vertical form-fill-seal machine.
A bucket elevator feeding a weigher, with the filled pouches vacuum-sealed, for grain sold in vacuum packs.
Volumetric cups dose free-flowing rice, sugar and seeds at a fixed volume per bag.
A rice line is quoted to configuration, so we need these details about your product and plant.
The bag sizes you sell, from the smallest retail pack to the largest family bag
Target output, in bags a minute or tonnes an hour
The bag style: pillow or gusseted, and whether it needs a carry handle
Whether you already have printed film, and its thickness for heavier bags
Any other grains you want to pack on the same line, such as beans or lentils
Site power, air supply and the floor space available, and whether bags need bundling after packing
Send a sample of your rice with the enquiry and we will trial it before we quote. For what shapes the figure on a machine quotation, read the packaging machine cost guide. Installation and operator training are included in your quote, and spares are held in Johannesburg.
Rice is one of the easier granules to dose, but these points decide how a rice line is set up.
Rice flows freely and evenly. Its grains are similar in size and pour consistently, so a volumetric cup filler can dose it accurately. A multihead weigher is chosen where the value of the rice makes every gram of giveaway count.
Broken grains and dust reach the seal. Rice carries broken pieces and fine dust. Any that land on the seal area stop the bag closing properly, so dosing is set up to drop the rice cleanly into the bag, clear of the seal.
Family bags are heavy. Rice sells in 5 kg and 10 kg bags as well as retail packs. Most VFFS machines form bags up to about 10 kg from roll film, and the larger models go up to 25 kg, and bags above that are filled pre-made.
Rice is a granule, so it sits under the grain and granule packing machines page, alongside the tea bag machine and the sugar packaging machine. These are the pages most rice buyers read next.
“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.
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 a sample of your rice and the bag you sell it in, and we will run it on a VFFS machine at our Riversands showroom before you order.
Yes, within limits. Most VFFS machines form rice bags up to about 10 kg, and the larger models go up to 25 kg, but 5 kg and 10 kg bags run more slowly than retail packs and need film thick enough to carry the weight. Each bag size is confirmed with a product test on your rice.
Usually, yes. Rice and dry beans are both free-flowing grains dosed the same way, by cup filler or weigher, so one VFFS line can pack both. We trial each product before quoting to confirm the setup.
On a VFFS machine the bag is sealed as it is formed, so no separate sealer is needed. Rice filled into pre-made bags is closed on a heat sealer or band sealer, and woven 25 kg and 50 kg bags are sewn closed over a heat-sealed inner bag.
A VFFS rice line covers bags from 100 g up to about 10 kg, but each bag width needs its own forming shoulder, so a line that runs several widths is specified with extra shoulders. Bags above about 10 kg move to a semi-automatic system for pre-made bags.
