Welcome to Package This, your guide to packaging machinery and materials. Today, we’re going horizontal — but no, we’re not napping! We’re diving into the world of horizontal form, fill, and seal, or HFFS, machines.
These systems are used for bagging and pouching a wide range of products — from liquids and powders to grains, tablets, pellets, and more.
Doypack & standup pouch machines
First up are HFFS machines that handle one of the most popular flexible packaging formats: doypacks and stand-up pouches. You’ll find them on store shelves holding jerky, powders, seeds, and even laundry pods.
Here’s IMA Ilapak’s doypack equipment in action. Film unwinds from reels and moves to the forming unit, which features ultrasonic sealing and duplex heat-sealing jaws for precision. IMA Ilapak’s patented cutting enables easy-open features and rounded corners, while a robotic transfer system moves pouches to magnetic shuttles for perfect alignment.
At the filling station, suction hoods inflate each pouch. A dual filling nozzle ensures even product distribution, and an integrated anti-static system guarantees proper pouch opening.
This machine seals three edges, folding the fourth to create a stable bottom gusset — giving the pouch its signature stand-up shape and great shelf presence.
And if you need extras like zippers or hang holes, IMA Ilapak has you covered.
Three-sided seal bags
Similar to stand-up pouch systems, three-sided seal pouch machines form a flat flexible package by sealing three sides of a laminated film structure, leaving one side open for product filling before final sealing.
This packaging format delivers strong barrier protection, efficient material use, and excellent printability for high-impact graphics. It’s widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications as a cost-effective, durable, and reliable packaging solution.
Four-sided seal pouches
Next, we have equipment for four-sided seal pouches — ideal for liquids, powders, and solid products. You’ll recognize these in single-serve packs for drink mixes, nutritional powders, and beauty products.
HFFS machines create a tight seal on all four sides, ensuring maximum freshness and product protection. Because they’re often smaller in size, these pouches are frequently integrated with downstream equipment like cartoners or case packers for a complete packaging line.
Flat pouches
Last but not least, we have horizontal form, fill, and seal machines designed for flat pouches.
These versatile packages appear everywhere — from instant oatmeal and soups to pharmaceuticals and effervescent tablets. Each pouch is formed directly from rollstock film, precisely filled, and sealed in a three- or four-side format at high speeds.
The resulting pouch is a durable, space-saving package with excellent seal integrity, strong barrier protection, and standout shelf appeal.
That’s our quick look at what HFFS machines can do — and we didn’t even have time to cover custom shapes, spouts, or resealable features.
For more on HFFS equipment, visit PMMI ProSource at prosource.org and explore a free directory of over 1,000 of North America’s top packaging and processing suppliers.
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Thanks for watching — and until next time, keep on packaging!
