Bag formats, and what decides between them
- Pillow bags and gusseted bags — The classic VFFS output: a reel of film is formed over a collar, sealed and cut per cycle — the general-purpose choice for granules, powders and liquids in single-serve through bulk bags.
- Stick packs and multi-lane sachets — Several narrow lanes run in parallel on one film web, raising output per cycle for small doses; lane count and film width drive the machine size.
- Weigher-led lines — Multi-head combination weighers feed a VFFS bagger for higher-weight granule packs; feeding, weighing, bagging and metal detection are configured as one line.
The deciding inputs are the same across formats: film structure and width, product flow characteristics and bulk density, target bag dimensions, and output in bags per minute. Our longer guides cover the trade-offs in detail:
- VFFS machine selection guide
- VFFS vs premade pouch machines, compared
- Packaging film compatibility for VFFS and flow wrapping
- Stick pack versus sachet machines for powders and liquids
Format descriptions above are cross-checked against the manufacturer parameter tables behind our published machines (ZONESUN) and against our own published guides. Model-level performance figures are not asserted from marketing pages; they come only from a machine's own parameter table, and catalogue speeds are condition-dependent (product, film, bag size), not guaranteed output.
Film and packaging-material compatibility
A VFFS machine is only as good as the match between the film structure you buy and the sealing system on the machine. Film choice is not an afterthought decided at order time — it shapes the sealing jaw design, the expected line speed, and whether the seal holds through distribution. The published guides cover the trade-offs in detail (food-contact materials regulations); the checklist below is what we work through with a buyer before recommending a configuration:
- Sealant layer — which polyethylene or polypropylene blend forms the inner seal, and whether its sealing window fits the machine's jaw temperature range.
- Laminate vs monofilm — laminated structures (print web + barrier + sealant) run differently from single-layer PE or PP films.
- Barrier requirement — oxygen, moisture or light barrier (VMPET, foil, EVOH) where the product degrades; foil laminates seal differently from transparent structures.
- Peelability — whether the pack must open easy-peel, which needs a peelable sealant rather than full fusion.
- Film stiffness and slip — stiff films form crisp collars; low-slip films track better over the forming collar and belts.
- Sealant contamination risk — dusty or fatty products (powders, snacks) need seal-jaw anti-contamination features, or the seal fails on product-in-seal.
- Hot-fill or pasteurisation — packs that see heat after sealing need a sealant and laminate that survive it.
- Freezer and cold-chain use — low-temperature impact strength for frozen products; some sealants go brittle.
- Bag dimensions vs film width — the bag width plus lap and gusset allowance must fit the machine's maximum film web (our published granule line, for example, states a 630 mm maximum film width).
- Seal geometry — fin seal vs lap seal for pillow bags; both need compatible jaw sets.
- Coding method — thermal transfer or inkjet date coding interacts with film surface energy; some films need treatment for code adhesion.
- Perforation or venting — laser or pin perforation for breathable packs (produce, bread) must be specified with the film supplier, not improvised.
- Recyclability target — mono-material recyclable laminates have narrower sealing windows than mixed laminates; confirm before committing a spec sheet claim.
- Food-contact compliance — the film supplier's declarations for the destination market, independent of the machine.
- Film supply stability — a VFFS configuration is only reproducible if the film structure stays available; we flag single-source structures before quoting.
We do not claim a machine is compatible with an unstated film structure. Where a published parameter table names a bag material (the horizontal baggers in our sealing family state PE/OPP/PET and aluminized composite films, for example), that statement is the evidence; anything beyond it is confirmed through inquiry with the builder before it appears in a quote.
Matching the product to the machine
The film decision above only lands once the product's dosing behaviour is matched to the right concept. Our published family spans the main matches:
- Free-flowing granules by weight — a multi-head weigher feeding the bagger; our published granule line pairs a ten-head weigher with Z-type bucket feeding and a metal detector for 500–3000 g bags.
- Fine powders by auger — an auger filler doses against bulk density; our published powder sachet machine states 1–50 g per bag at 25–50 bags/min with the speed noted as material-dependent.
- Small doses in many lanes — stick pack and multi-lane machines raise output per cycle for narrow sachets; the published liquid stick pack machine runs 4–12 lanes under PLC control.
- Filter-paper infusions — tea and herb bags need filter paper, thread attaching and mouth heat-sealing; our published tea bag machine covers 1–10 g into 50–80 × 45–80 mm bags.
- Fragile produce into rigid packs — where the package is a clamshell or tray rather than a film bag, weighing and tray-closing machines serve instead (see the clamshell and blueberry lines in the machine list below).
Product behaviour — dusty, sticky, aerated, fragile — changes the feeding and sealing arrangement more than the bag format does, which is why our quotation process starts from a product sample discussion, not from a bag photo. Product behaviour classification explains the framework we apply.
Maintenance and changeover on this family
VFFS machines are consumables-driven in a way buyers underestimate: sealing jaws, heaters, film tracking belts and cutter blades wear with film meters run, and a changeover is mostly a film-spool and forming-collar change. Our general maintenance schedule and spare-parts guide applies across the family; family-specific points we raise with buyers:
- Daily items — film path cleaning, jaw face inspection for product build-up, and date-coder ribbon check where coding is on the machine.
- Wear parts to hold in stock — sealing jaw sets, heating elements, thermocouples, cutter blades and pull belts; these belong on the first spares order, not the first breakdown.
- Changeover scope — a bag-size change means a new forming collar and jaw set plus recipe recall; how much is tool-swap and how much is mechanical adjustment differs per machine and is confirmed per model before we quote changeover time.
- Documented settings — temperature, dwell and bag-length recipes should be recorded per film structure, so a returning product does not need a re-commissioning session.
Published machines in this family
Product family
ZONESUN ZS-GWF24 Multi-Head Weigher for Clamshell Fruit Packaging
Model ZS-GWF24
Product family
ZONESUN ZS-520BY Multi-Lane VFFS Stick Pack Machine for Liquid Sachet Packaging
Model ZS-520BY
Product family
ZONESUN ZS-FS120Q Vertical Powder Packing Machine Automatic Sachet Auger Filler and Sealer
Model ZS-FS120Q
Product family
ZONESUN ZS-FS30 Automatic Tea Bag VFFS Packing Machine
Model ZS-FS30
Product family
ZONESUN ZS-GWF15 Automatic Blueberry Weighing Filling and Tray Lid Closing Machine
Model ZS-GWF15
Product family
ZONESUN ZS-GW10 Automatic Granule Feeding Weighing Filling Sealing Machine with Metal Detector
Model ZS-GW10
Every machine above is published with field-level sourced specifications (dose range, speed, bag dimensions, power traced to the manufacturer parameter table) on its own page, alongside its published price where one exists.
What we need to quote a VFFS machine
- Film structure, thickness and width
- Product flow characteristics and bulk density
- Target bag dimensions and format
- Output target in bags per minute
Scope, limits and what stays unconfirmed
Product flow, film structure, bag dimensions and sealing conditions must be reviewed together rather than as isolated catalogue fields.
When this applies
- Your package is made from a reel of film on the machine (pillow bags, gusseted, stick packs).
- You can supply film structure and sealing-layer data.
- Dosing is by auger, cup or weigher and you know which suits the product.
Limits
- Published VFFS-family machines cover stick pack, powder sachet, tea bag and weigher-led formats; bag performance (seal strength, appearance, drop test) still requires a production-like trial on your film and product.
- Bag performance (seal strength, appearance, drop test) requires a production-like trial on your film and product.
What you get
- A film-and-bag feasibility review
- A dosing-method recommendation with its assumptions
- A supplier question set covering seal jaws, film tracking and changeover
Verified so far
- Seven VFFS-family machines are published with field-level sourced specifications (dose range, speed, bag dimensions, power traced to the manufacturer parameter table), each on its own page.
Still unconfirmed
- Machine availability, price band and lead time for this family are entirely quotation items.
- Dosing accuracy claims must come from a trial, not from any published figure.
Confirm before quoting
- Film structure and product characteristics require confirmation.
- Hygiene and washdown requirements depend on the product.
- Bag dimensions and seal performance require a production-like trial.
Buyer question
Is a VFFS speed rating universal? No. It depends on product, bag size, film and dosing method.
Supply through own production plus outsourcing
PackHub fulfils VFFS requirements through own production plus a vetted outsourcing network, so the family is not capped by a single factory floor. Standalone baggers, multi-lane stick pack machines and weigher-led complete lines are all quotable; whichever factory builds it, PackHub stays the one counterparty for specification verification, pre-shipment inspection and export.