VFFS and HFFS Equipment

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Pairing the proper film structure with the food type is critical to food safety. That's why it's necessary to choose the right equipment. Two of the more common types of packaging machines are vertical form fill seal and horizontal form fill seal machines.

Summit Packaging has expertise in all film structures and goes to great lengths to recommend the right combination of films for your application. From custom approaches to fully engineered solutions, we have the experience and capacity to create systems that integrate seamlessly into your production lines, saving you hours of labor and reducing your waste.  

Vertical Form Fill Seal Machines (VFFS)

Vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machines are used to make pouches out of thin film webs. They do this by creating pouches from a continuous web of flexible heat seal material and filling the pouches with the desired contents. These pouches are then sealed within a single, continuous operation. This type of packaging is typically used for flowable products like dry pet food, popcorn, candies/confections, and many other applications where you have many individual pieces packaged together. The vertical flow of VFFS machines provides a quick and accurate method of packaging difficult-to-handle products.

Horizontal Form Fill Seal Machines (HFFS)

The horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) technology is based on the same principles as those of vertical form-fill-sealing (VFFS). However, the process of forming, filling, sealing, and cutting the material takes place horizontally rather than vertically. This type of packaging is mainly used for solid products like foodstuffs, cosmetics, detergents, etc., which are typically packaged in a bag.

In contrast to VFFS, where the material travels downwards through the machine, HFFS uses a conveyor belt system to move the material horizontally. As soon as the material enters the machine, it passes through the forming unit and creates a continuous tube. Next, the material moves towards the filling unit where it is filled with the desired contents. Once the filling operation is completed, the material continues moving further down the machine where it reaches the sealing station. Here, the material is sealed along its length and then the end seal is made, separating the completed package from the tube of film. Finally, the material is moved out of the machine by another conveyor belt.

Reliable HFFS or VFFS Packaging Machines From Summit

We know how important it is to keep your packaging lines running smoothly, and we want to help you do just that. If you're looking for a reliable HFFS or VFFS machine, we've got plenty of options for you to choose from. Our experts will identify the correct machine providing you with packaging that will work perfectly for your operation. Our team of experts will help you pick out the perfect piece of equipment for your specific application. And once it arrives at your facility, we'll make sure everything goes according to plan.

Summit is your local, one-stop solution for all your packaging needs. With the largest quantity of rollstock film stock in the NW, we have your back in an emergency shortage. Our team is committed to helping you increase your production speed, efficiency, and throughput. 

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Common Questions

The horizontal form fill and seal (HFFS) machine takes a roll of plastic film, forms the film around a plow or shoe that is sized to your product, thus creating a tube of film. You then fill those packages and seal them. This is done while the film moves horizontally along the base of the machine. The operation of both VFFS and HFFS are very similar in that the web of film is formed around a plow or shoe that is sized to the product to be packaged. The primary difference is that VFFS machines use gravity to have the product fall into the film tube and with HFFS you are driving it with a conveyor.

While there are many different types of bags, stand-up pouches are one of the most popular styles and are commonly found in retail stores such as grocery stores, convenience stores, drugstores, etc. There are several different ways to make these bags including those that use a roll and die method, a spiral tube method, a rotary cutting method, etc. The most common challenge people face is that older machines do not have the registration tolerancing or gusseting ability needed to produce a good-looking bag. This makes it difficult to produce the same look and feel as some high-end bags. However, it may be possible to make these bags without needing a new machine by integrating other components into your current machine.

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