Machine Overview
| Machine type | Side bar sealer with electric shrink tunnel |
| Products | Long, wide or irregular products, cartons, trays, printed matter, multipacks |
| Output | 0–25 packs/min in continuous flow |
| Product length | Unlimited — the side seal runs continuously |
| Max sealing width | 450 to 850 mm across six models |
| Film | Centre-fold POF or LDPE; the tunnel runs POF or PVC |
| Seal | Continuous side seal plus cross seal, four-side enclosure |
| Utilities | 220 V sealer, 380 V tunnel, compressed air 0.5–0.8 MPa |
Configurations
A side sealer wraps the product in centre-fold film on a moving conveyor, seals the open edge continuously along one side, and cross-seals between packs. Because the side seal never stops, product length is not limited by a sealing frame — which is the whole reason to choose one over an L-bar sealer. What you choose comes down to sealing width and how the machine is fed. If you are still deciding between machine types, start at shrink wrap machines.
01
An independent unit fed by hand or semi-automatically. Easier to install, no line integration required, and the usual step up for a producer outgrowing manual wrapping or an L-bar sealer.
02
The sealer discharges straight into a matched electric tunnel on rollers, where silica-tube heaters and two or four fans shrink the film. Each sealing width has a tunnel sized to it, so seal and shrink run as one continuous stage.
03
The sealer is connected directly to infeed conveyors, feeding systems and the downstream tunnel, running continuously with minimal operator involvement. The configuration for high-volume food, beverage, pharmaceutical and industrial lines.
04
Extended infeed and outfeed conveyors and a longer tunnel handle products that run well past the machine itself — curtain rails, timber, pipe, shelving, flooring and profile. Sealing width still applies; length does not.
Pack types
A side sealer suits anything the L-bar frame cannot take: products that are long, wide, awkwardly shaped, or simply arriving faster than a bench machine can handle. These are the four jobs it does most.
Curtain rails, timber, pipe, shelving, flooring, profile and furniture components — anything where length rules out an L-bar sealer entirely.
Bakery multipacks, fresh produce trays, frozen portions and ready-meal kits, where hygiene, visibility and shelf life matter and volumes are continuous.
Surgical instrument kits, disposable packs of gloves, masks and gowns, sterile sample kits and pharmaceutical accessories, where sealing integrity is the requirement.
Cleaning cloths and microfibre, kitchen utensil sets, photo frames and candles, DIY and craft kits, e-commerce goods, books and electronics.
Applications
Food and beverage. Continuous lines needing hygiene and shelf life:
Medical and pharmaceutical. Where sealing integrity is critical:
Industrial, retail and household. Long products and mixed goods:
The guides below cover the applications and buying questions we are asked about most for side bar sealers.
Choosing: L-bar vs side sealer · how shrink wrap machines work
By product: food packaging · food-grade shrink wrap · electronics · industrial components · cosmetics
By pack: household multipacks · retail promotional packs · beverage multipacks · pallet and transport loads
Specifications
A side sealer is specified by sealing width, not by length. Six sizes cover sealing widths from 450 mm to 850 mm, each paired with a shrink tunnel sized to match. Product length is unlimited on every model, so the question is how wide and how tall your product is, and how wide a film web that needs.
Sizing the machine. Measure the width and height of the largest product. Width plus height must stay inside the model limit, and the product must clear the tunnel shrink chamber. Length only matters for conveyor layout — long products need extended infeed and outfeed support, not a bigger sealer.
All six models run centre-fold POF or LDPE, and the tunnel handles POF or PVC. Sealing is continuous along the side edge with a cross seal between packs, giving a fully enclosed four-side pack without a length limit.
Output is quoted at 0–25 packs per minute across the range, but in continuous flow the real figure depends on product spacing on the infeed rather than the sealer. Confirm real speeds on a trial with your product.
| Side sealer | SAP-450A | SAP-550A | SAP-650A | SAP-750A | SAP-850A | SAP-950A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max product height | 150 mm | 150 mm (max 250 mm) | 150 mm | 150 mm | 150 mm | 150 mm |
| Max sealing width | 450 mm | 550 mm | 650 mm | 750 mm | 850 mm | 850 mm |
| Max product width | 330 mm | 430 mm | 500 mm | 600 mm | 700 mm | 800 mm |
| Width + height | ≤400 mm | ≤500 mm | ≤600 mm | ≤700 mm | ≤800 mm | ≤900 mm |
| Power supply | 1.35 kW, 220 V | 1.5 kW, 220 V | 1.5 kW, 220 V | 1.5 kW, 220 V | 2 kW, 220 V | 2 kW, 220 V |
| Belt width | 330 mm | 430 mm | 500 mm | 600 mm | 700 mm | 800 mm |
| Machine weight | 350 kg | 350 kg | 400 kg | 450 kg | 450 kg | 600 kg |
| Machine dimensions | 1700×1000×1500 mm | 1900×1100×1500 mm | 2000×1100×1500 mm | 2200×1300×1500 mm | 2400×1400×1500 mm | 2500×1500×1500 mm |
| Max product length | Unlimited on every model — the side seal is continuous | |||||
| Matched shrink tunnel | SAP-4020POF | SAP-5530POF | SAP-7040POF | SAP-8040POF | SAP-8040POF | SAP-9540POF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrink area (W×H×L) | 400×200×1200 mm | 550×300×1500 mm | 700×400×2000 mm | 800×400×2000 mm | 800×400×2000 mm | 950×400×2000 mm |
| Machine length | 1700 mm | 2100 mm | 2800 mm | 2800 mm | 2800 mm | 2800 mm |
| Fans | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Power supply | 12 kW, 380 V | 19.2 kW, 380 V | 24 kW, 380 V | 28 kW, 380 V | 28 kW, 380 V | 28 kW, 380 V |
| Machine weight | 180 kg | 180 kg | 300 kg | 350 kg | 350 kg | 350 kg |
| Machine dimensions | 1700×800×1300 mm | 2100×800×1400 mm | 2800×1000×1600 mm | 2800×1000×1600 mm | 2800×1000×1600 mm | 2800×1200×1600 mm |
Every model runs at 0–25 packs/min with the tunnel belt at 0–10 m/min, takes compressed air at 0.5–0.8 MPa, seals POF or LDPE centre-fold film, and uses silica-tube heating with roller conveying through the tunnel. CE certificates are available on request.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Pack types | Long and oversized products, cartons and trays, printed matter, multipacks, industrial components |
| Seal | Continuous side seal with cross seal between packs; four-side enclosure |
| Product length | Unlimited |
| Film | Centre-fold POF or LDPE on the sealer; POF or PVC through the tunnel |
| Automation | Standalone, semi-automatic feed, or fully integrated line |
| Tunnel | Electric, silica-tube heating, two or four fans, roller conveying, adjustable heat and speed |
| Controls | Adjustable seal temperature, film feed and belt speed |
| Utilities | 220 V single-phase sealer; 380 V three-phase tunnel; compressed air 0.5–0.8 MPa |
| Options | Label applicators, groove punches, pack cooling racks, extended conveyors |
| Integration | Infeed and outfeed conveyors, feeding systems; feeds cartoning, labelling or palletising |
Not sure whether a side sealer or an L-bar sealer suits your product? Read L-bar vs side sealer, then send us your product and pack size for a trial.
About our modelModel codes shown are machines we have built or configured for previous projects. Your machine is specified and built to suit your product, output and pack format — not supplied off the shelf.
ABOUT THE MACHINE
A side bar sealer wraps the product in centre-fold film as it travels on a conveyor, seals the open edge continuously along one side, and cross-seals between packs. Because the side seal runs without stopping, product length is unrestricted. The pack then passes into a shrink tunnel where hot air from silica-tube heaters pulls the film tight. For the wider category and the other machines in it, see shrink wrap machines.
Seal temperature, film feed speed and belt speed are set per product and held in the machine settings, so changing between sizes is an adjustment rather than a tooling change.
Downstream the pack feeds a labelling machine, cartoner, palletiser or shipper, which is why side sealers are commonly the sealing stage in a fully integrated line.
Read the full explanation in how shrink wrap machines work.
Side sealers wrap products of almost any length, so long as width and height fit the sealing web and the tunnel chamber.
Typical products are curtain rails, timber, pipe, shelving and flooring, bakery and produce multipacks, medical kits, e-commerce goods, books, electronics and household sets.
Where products are small, consistent and wrapped at a bench, an L-bar sealer costs less; for bundling bottles and cans in LDPE, use a sleeve sealer.
See it running
Case Studies
A glass-jar multipack line running the SAP-550 and a curtain-rail packer running the SAP-450, plus the comparison we send to anyone weighing a side sealer against an L-bar.
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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.
Comparison
Both machines produce a fully enclosed four-side-seal pack in centre-fold film, and both pair with a shrink tunnel. The difference is how the seal is made. An L-bar closes two sides in a single stroke of a frame, which caps pack length. A side sealer seals continuously along one edge as the product moves through, so length is unlimited and the machine keeps running rather than cycling.
| Side bar sealer | L-bar sealer | |
|---|---|---|
|  | |
| Product length | Unlimited — continuous side seal | Limited by sealing frame (500–600 mm) |
| Pack size | Medium to large, six sealing widths to 850 mm | Small to medium, within the frame |
| Film | Centre-fold POF or LDPE | Centre-fold POF |
| Operation | Continuous flow | Cycles per pack |
| Automation | Standalone through to fully integrated line | Manual, semi-automatic or automatic |
| Typical use | Curtain rails, timber, trays, multipacks, medical kits | Boxes, cosmetics, books, retail units |
| Best when | Products vary in length or run continuously | Sizes are consistent and volumes moderate |
Choose the side sealer when length varies, exceeds an L-bar frame, or throughput matters; choose the L-bar when packs are consistent and the budget or bench space is tighter. Our L-bar vs side sealer comparison goes further.
The other machine side sealers get compared with does a different job. A sleeve sealer bundles a group of products in LDPE with open ends; a side sealer encloses each pack completely.
| Side bar sealer | Sleeve sealer | |
|---|---|---|
|  | |
| Job | Seals each product or pack fully | Bundles a group as one batch |
| Film | Centre-fold POF or LDPE | LDPE from top and bottom rolls |
| Seal | Four-side seal, fully enclosed | Two-side seal, open ends |
| Typical use | Long products, trays, multipacks, medical kits | Bottles, cans, cartons, bulk bundles |
| Presentation | Clear, enclosed, retail-facing | Strong bundling for transport |
The second choice is how the machine sits in your factory. Both run the same sealing head; what changes is how product reaches it and what happens after the tunnel.
| Standalone | Fully integrated line | |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Feeding | Manual or semi-automatic loading | Connected conveyors and feeding systems |
| Operator input | Operator loads each pack | Minimal — loading and supervision |
| Installation | Simple, little technical integration | Line design and commissioning |
| Best for | Upgrading from manual or L-bar, mixed products | High-volume continuous production |
| Output | Flexible, set by the operator | Consistent and sustained |
| Typical buyer | Smaller producers and contract packers | Food, beverage, pharmaceutical and industrial lines |
Advantages
A side bar sealer removes the one limit that stops an L-bar machine: pack length. Products run through continuously rather than being cycled one at a time, so output holds up as volume grows, and the same machine handles a two-metre curtain rail and a bakery multipack without changing tooling. Centre-fold film keeps material use efficient, and because it runs POF or LDPE, the same sealer covers retail presentation and heavier industrial work.
Machines used for food and medical packaging are supplied with food-grade contact parts and can be specified for hygiene-controlled areas. Where products are small, consistent and wrapped at a bench, an L-bar sealer is the more economical machine.
Quotation
A side sealer is quoted to the product you need to wrap, so the quotation is built from your product dimensions, length and target output rather than from a list price. To narrow the specification before you enquire, read L-bar vs side sealer and how shrink wrap machines work; for what shapes the figure on any machine quotation, see the packaging machine cost guide. Send us your product and we will wrap it on a trial machine and quote the configuration that suits it.
Why us
Every side bar sealer we supply is installed and commissioned on your floor, with operator training, a spare-parts holding in Johannesburg and technical support once the line is running.
Installation and commissioning.
We position the sealer and tunnel, connect the 220 V and 380 V supplies and compressed air, align the film path and conveyors, set seal temperature and belt speed against your own product and film, and hand over once packs are shrinking clean and square.
Operator training.
Your operators are trained on film loading and tracking, adjusting for product width and height, seal temperature and speed, tunnel settings, daily cleaning of the sealing bars and cutting mechanism, and the wear items worth keeping on the shelf.
Service, spares and support.
Sealing elements, belts, film tracking parts and tunnel heating elements are held in Johannesburg, with service across South Africa and into neighbouring SADC markets. Routine care is set out in our packaging machine maintenance guide.
Choosing the right side sealer configuration comes down to five things:
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SA Packaging Machinery supplies side bar sealers and shrink tunnels across South Africa and Southern Africa. Send us your product and pack size and we will wrap it on a trial machine, recommend the configuration, and quote it.
Questions
A side sealer wraps the product in centre-fold film on a conveyor and seals the open edge continuously along one side, with a cross seal between packs. The pack then passes through a shrink tunnel where hot air shrinks the film tight. Because the side seal never stops, product length is unlimited.
Long or oversized items such as curtain rails, timber, pipe, shelving, flooring and furniture components; food multipacks and produce trays; medical kits and disposable packs; and retail goods including books, electronics, e-commerce orders, cleaning cloths and utensil sets. Width and height must fit the sealing web and tunnel; length does not matter.
Yes in almost every case. The sealer closes the pack but the film only pulls tight under heat, so without a tunnel the pack stays loose. Each sealing width has a matched tunnel — the SAP-450A with the SAP-4020POF, up to the SAP-950A with the SAP-9540POF.
Centre-fold POF or LDPE on the sealer; the tunnel will also shrink PVC. POF gives clarity and a glossy retail finish; LDPE is tougher and suits heavier industrial work. Running both from one machine is a large part of the side sealer’s appeal.
Quoted at 0–25 packs per minute across all six models. In continuous flow the real figure is set by how product is spaced on the infeed rather than by the sealer, so an integrated line sustains more than a hand-fed one. Real output is confirmed on a trial.
Length is unlimited on every model. Width and height are what vary: sealing widths run from 450 mm on the SAP-450A to 850 mm on the SAP-850A and SAP-950A, with maximum product widths of 330 mm to 800 mm, product height up to 150 mm (250 mm on the SAP-550A), and a width-plus-height limit per model.
Choose a side sealer when products vary in length, exceed an L-bar frame, or run continuously. Choose an L-bar sealer when packs are a consistent size within the frame and volumes are moderate — it costs less and takes up less space. Our full comparison covers the decision.
Routine care: clean the sealing bars and cutting mechanism, check the film tracking system stays aligned, calibrate seal temperature, inspect belts and conveyors, and check the tunnel heating elements. The general schedule is in our packaging machine maintenance guide.
