Recommended configuration✓ Food-grade product-contact parts
VFFS machine with an auger filler for spice bags; HFFS machine with an auger filler for spice pouches
Spice powder lifted by a stainless screw conveyor to an auger filler that doses each pack by weight, to within 2%
Spice powders and seasoning blends
Pillow and side-gusset bags, standing and punched bulk bags, and stand-up, flat-bottom and zipper pouches
200 g pouches; 500 g to 3 kg retail bags; 5 kg to 25 kg bulk bags
Thermal transfer printer, checkweigher, dust collection and zipper applicator
Product behaviour
Spice powder is fine, dusty and often salted, and spice producers sell it in everything from 200 g pouches to 25 kg bags. Those traits decide how a spice packaging machine is set up.
Fine spice powder is dosed by a screw. Spice powder does not pour evenly, so an auger screw doses each pack by weight, and a screw conveyor keeps the auger hopper full. Whole or coarse spices are different: a turning auger would crush them, so they are weighed instead.
Spice dust has to be controlled. Spice powder is dusty, so the spice lines we have supplied carry dust collection on the pouch line, and a deduster and a static eliminator on the bulk-bag line.
Salt calls for SUS316 stainless steel. Seasoning blends often carry salt, so product-contact parts on a spice packaging machine are SUS316 stainless steel rather than SUS304 where the blend needs it.
Recommendation
Spice powder in bags is packed on a vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine with an auger filler. The machine forms each bag from roll film, the auger doses the spice by weight, and the bag is sealed and cut in one cycle, so one line covers retail bags of 500 g to 3 kg; a larger machine takes bulk bags of 5 kg to 25 kg.
Where spice is sold in stand-up or zipper pouches, a horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine forms each pouch from roll film and the same auger dosing fills it.
Video
An automatic VFFS machine with an auger filler forming, filling and sealing powder bags, the setup used for spice bags.
A horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine packing powder into pouches formed from roll film, the setup used for spice pouches.
Filling system
An auger for spice powder. The auger filler turns a set number of times to dose each pack, and interchangeable screws match it to each weight range. On the spice lines we have supplied it fills to within 2%, and to within 0.5% to 1% on the bulk-bag line.
Semi-automatic or automatic. At lower volumes, an operator places pre-made pouches under a semi-automatic auger filler and a band sealer closes them. Automatic VFFS and HFFS spice lines form, fill and seal each pack without an operator at the filler.
Formats
Pouches for the shelf. The full-servo HFFS line we supplied for spice forms stand-up, flat-bottom and zipper pouches from roll film and fills 200 g of spice powder in each, with a zipper applicator, a die cutter for rounded corners and an automatic film splicer.
Bulk spice bags. The bulk-bag auger VFFS we supplied forms pillow, standing and punched bags of 5 kg to 25 kg from LDPE film 0.06 to 0.2 mm thick, with SUS316 contact parts and a screw conveyor with an agitator.
Pack sizes
Spice is sold by weight, so the pack weight and format decide the machine. These are the spice packs on lines we have supplied; your pack is confirmed on a trial.
| Pack size | Format | Machine setup |
|---|---|---|
| 200 g | Stand-up, flat-bottom or zipper pouch formed from roll film, 70 to 150 mm wide | Full-servo HFFS machine with a twin-head auger filler |
| 500 g to 3 kg | Pillow or side-gusset bag, 150 to 350 mm wide | Auger VFFS machine with screw conveyor, thermal transfer printer and checkweigher |
| 1 kg to 3 kg | Pre-made pouch | Semi-automatic auger filler with screw conveyor and band sealer |
| 5 kg to 25 kg | Pillow, standing or punched bag in LDPE film | Bulk-bag auger VFFS machine with SUS316 contact parts |
Output
On the spice lines we have supplied, the full-servo HFFS line is rated at 80 to 90 pouches a minute at 200 g, the auger VFFS at 5 to 30 bags a minute for 500 g to 3 kg, the bulk-bag line at 2 to 3 bags a minute at 25 kg, and the semi-automatic auger filler at up to 10 pouches a minute. These are ratings of each build, not results measured on a customer’s line.
The pack weight, how freely your spice flows, the pack format and the film all move the figure. We confirm the output for your spice by running a trial before we quote, rather than promising a figure we have not tested.
Experience
For a spice producer in Nigeria, we supplied two automatic auger VFFS lines: one for 500 g to 3 kg retail bags with a thermal transfer printer and a checkweigher, and one for 5 kg to 25 kg bulk bags with SUS316 contact parts, a deduster and a static eliminator. Read the case study.
We supplied a full-servo HFFS line with a twin-head auger filler that forms stand-up, flat-bottom and zipper pouches and fills 200 g of spice powder at a rated 80 to 90 a minute, with SUS316 contact parts and dust collection. Read the case study.
We supplied semi-automatic auger fillers with screw conveyors and band sealers to spice producers in Durban and Johannesburg, each filling pre-made pouches of 1 kg to 3 kg at up to 10 a minute. Read the case study.
Quotation
A spice packaging machine is quoted to configuration, so we need these details about your spice and plant.
Your spice: fine powder, coarse or whole, and whether the blend carries salt
The pack weights you sell, from the smallest to the largest
The pack: a bag formed from roll film, a pre-made pouch or a bulk bag, with a sample if you have one
Any coding, checkweighing or dust control you need on the line
The output you plan for, now and as you grow
Floor space, power and compressed air at your plant
Send a sample of your spice with the enquiry and we will trial it before we quote. For layout planning, the full-servo HFFS spice line we supplied is about 11 m long, and the semi-automatic auger filler runs on a 220 V single-phase supply. For what shapes the figure on a machine quotation, read the packaging machine cost guide.
Related pages
Spice powder is dosed by auger, so this page sits under the powder packaging machines hub. Coffee is another powder product we pack on auger and weigher lines.
Ahead of packing, we have also supplied a spice milling machine that grinds spices to size through interchangeable sieve screens, with dust collection built in.
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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.
Send us a sample of your spice and your film or pouches, and we will run it at our Riversands showroom before you order.
Questions
Yes, within the range of the spice packaging machine. Interchangeable auger screws match the filler to each weight range, and on a VFFS machine a forming shoulder is fitted for each bag width. The spice VFFS line we supplied covers 500 g to 3 kg on one machine; 200 g pouches and 25 kg bags run on different machines.
Yes. A semi-automatic auger filler fills pre-made spice pouches with an operator placing each one, and a band sealer closes them. The ones we supplied to spice producers fill 1 kg to 3 kg pouches at up to 10 a minute, and interchangeable screws suit other pack weights.
Yes, where the masala or chilli powder is a fine powder. It is dosed by an auger like other spice powders, and a blend that carries salt calls for SUS316 contact parts. We confirm the setup by running your blend on a trial.
Yes. A horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine forms stand-up, flat-bottom and zipper pouches from roll film and fills them with spice powder; the line we supplied fills 200 g pouches. Pre-made zipper pouches of spice can also be filled on a semi-automatic auger filler.
