Horizontal form fill seal packaging
Horizontal flow wrapping encloses a supported product in roll film while it travels through the machine, creating a longitudinal seal and sealed ends around each pack.
Operating principle
A horizontal flow wrap machine spaces products on an infeed, forms roll film around them, creates a longitudinal fin or lap seal, then makes transverse end seals and cuts individual packs. Product dimensions, spacing, film, seal position and heat sensitivity must remain coordinated throughout the process.
The product enters the wrapper in a known orientation and pitch. If products arrive touching, skewed, varying in length or moving independently on the infeed, the end-seal jaws may trap product or create inconsistent pack length. Feed belts, lugs, flights or upstream spacing controls should therefore be selected around the product’s shape, surface and tolerance.
The film path and former must create enough clearance for the product without excessive loose film. The longitudinal seal needs a clean, repeatable overlap; end seals need a clear zone between products. The final appearance depends on both pack design and the accuracy of product presentation.
Technology choice
Both use film, but the way the pack is formed and the result expected are different. The choice should start with the required finished pack, not with a general preference for one machine type.
| Decision area | Horizontal flow wrapping | Shrink wrapping |
|---|---|---|
| Pack formation | Film is formed and sealed around each supported product as it moves horizontally. | Film is commonly sealed around a product or bundle and then shrunk using controlled heat. |
| Typical decision driver | Individual pack presentation, continuous film feed and defined end seals. | Bundle containment, overwrap presentation or grouped packs. |
| Product presentation | Requires controlled orientation and pitch before the end-seal jaws. | Requires stable product or bundle arrangement through sealing and heat treatment. |
| Evidence to trial | Product feed, film tracking, seal clearance, code position and cut accuracy. | Film behaviour, seal, tunnel conditions, product heat response and finished bundle stability. |
Film and seals
Film construction affects sealing temperature, dwell, friction, stiffness, clarity and tear behaviour. Printed film also introduces a repeat length and registration mark that must match the required product pitch and cut position. Production reels should be used for acceptance testing whenever possible.
Heat-sensitive products may require careful seal-jaw design, dwell and clearance. The trial should show that the seal is formed without marking, crushing or overheating the product. Where a tray or card supports the product, its size and position must remain stable at the sealing point.
Buyer questions
Products can be flow wrapped when they can be presented horizontally in a stable orientation and spaced so film seals form between packs. Suitability depends on size, shape, fragility, surface, heat sensitivity, film and required pack appearance. Representative products and final film should be trialled before confirmation.
Flow-wrap pack length is determined by product length, clearance, end-seal width, printed-film repeat and the spacing created by the infeed. Variation in product length or pitch can move the seal or cut, so the full product tolerance should be included in the specification and trial.
A flow wrapper can use printed film when the machine can read the registration mark and maintain the required print-to-cut position. The artwork repeat, unwind direction, reel dimensions and allowable registration variation must match the machine and product pitch, so production-equivalent reels are needed for testing.
The infeed establishes product orientation, spacing and timing before film formation and end sealing. Poor or variable presentation can cause trapped products, misplaced seals, inconsistent pack length and stoppages. The infeed should be specified with real products and the actual upstream supply pattern rather than an idealised manual feed.
