Automatic, Horizontal Form-Fill-Seal Equipment Film Sizing

Automatic, Horizontal, Form, Fill, Seal Equipment

Automatic form/fill/seal equipment is designed for high-speed packaging (50 to 200 packages per minute). Product is fed into a flighted or belted infeed where it is fed into a horizontal tube of film which is formed by a forming shoe with singlewound film. The edges of the film are overlapped and bonded electrostatically or thermally. Both product and film are advanced by a vacuum belt into a continuous motion cross seal. The primary advantages of using this type of equipment is the lack of film scrap and the less expensive singlewound film.

Singlewound Film Sizing

Singlewound film sizing for horizontal form, fill and seal machines requires more exact calculations than does centerfolded film.

• FILM WIDTH is dependent upon the inside dimension of the FORMING PLOW (or shoe).
• PRODUCT WIDTH is the dimension that is run in the CROSS MACHINE DIRECTION (XMD).
• PRODUCT LENGTH is run in the MACHINE DIRECTION (MD).

Singlewound Formulas

Generally the product size must be known to properly specify the size of the forming shoe.
HEIGHT of FORMING PLOW is sized 1/4" greater than the highest dimension of the package.

WIDTH of FORMING PLOW is also sized 1/4" greater than the widest width of the package.

NOTE: The bottom of the forming plow has a 2 inch overlap.

Bottom Lap Seal Wrappers

When the PRODUCT SIZE is known, use the following formulas:

Film Width (FW):

2W + 2H + 2.5" (Known Product Size)
(2 x Product Width) + (2 x Product Height) + 2.5"

2W + 2H + 1.5" (Only Plow Size is known)
(2 x Width of Forming Plow) + (2 x Height of Forming Plow) + 1.5"

Cut Off (Film Length) (CO):

L + 2H
(Product Length) + (2 Product Height)

Film Usage:

FW x CO = Film Usage Per Pkg w\Bottom Lap Seal
(Total film usage per-package in square inches)

When only the PLOW SIZE is known, use the formulas above and substitute 1.5" in place of 2.5" in the FILM WIDTH calculation above. Therefore, FILM WIDTH = 2W + 2H + 1.5". The rest of the formula remains as is.

NOTE: The above calculations provide for a 0.75" lap seal width.

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