Two ways to make a filled bag
A vertical form fill seal (VFFS) machine starts from a roll of printed film. It wraps the film around a forming tube, seals the back seam, seals the bottom, lets the dosing device drop a portion in, then seals the top and cuts the bag off. A premade pouch machine starts from bags that were already made by a converter. It picks one pouch from a magazine, opens it, fills it, and seals the top.
Both machines can be paired with the same dosing devices: a multihead weigher for snacks, an auger filler for powder, a volumetric cup for free-flowing granules, or a pump for liquids and pastes.
Where VFFS wins
- Packaging cost. Roll film is cheaper per bag than premade pouches because the bag is formed on your line.
- Footprint. A compact VFFS such as the 450K vertical granule packing machine stands about 1.1 × 0.8 m.
- Speed on simple bags. Multi-lane machines such as the 480K-4 four-lane granule stick pack machine reach 80–140 stick packs per minute in total.
Where premade pouches win
- Bag style. Stand-up pouches, zippers, spouts and shaped pouches are made by the converter, so the filling machine does not need to form them.
- Shelf appearance. Pouches arrive with finished print, gussets and features, which matters for retail.
- Smaller runs with many SKUs. Changing to a different pouch is usually a matter of adjusting grippers rather than changing a forming tube.
A quick decision table
| Question | Points to VFFS | Points to premade pouch |
|---|---|---|
| Bag style | Pillow, gusset, stick, sachet | Stand-up, zipper, spout |
| Cost focus | Lowest cost per pack | Brand presentation |
| Run length | Long runs of one size | Many sizes and designs |
| Product | Snacks, granules, powders, sachets | Premium snacks, powders, liquids in spouted bags |
What to send us for a quotation
Send the product, the target weight or volume per bag, the bag type and dimensions (or a photo of a bag you like), and the number of bags per minute you need. For a premade pouch line, also tell us the pouch width range you plan to run. Compare our 420Z / 520Z multihead weigher VFFS packing system with the GD210K-1 premade pouch packing machine for nuts and snacks if you are packing snacks.
Questions and answers
Is a VFFS machine cheaper than a premade pouch machine?
Running costs are usually lower on VFFS because roll film costs less per bag than premade pouches. Machine prices depend on the configuration, so ask for a quotation for both if you are unsure.
Can a VFFS machine make stand-up pouches?
Some VFFS machines make block-bottom or gusset bags, but true stand-up zipper pouches are normally run on a premade pouch machine.
