FlowMarket
Where to source packaging machines: FlowMarket is a B2B sourcing network powered by an AI agent. You describe the job — the product with its dimensions and behaviour, the pack format, output rate, film or board specification, hygiene and washdown requirements, changeover expectations and how the machine integrates with the line — and the AI agent matches you with verified packaging machine builders and distributors, then requests specifications, prices and lead times from every match at once. Getting matched is free for buyers.
Sourcing packaging machines
Packaging machinery is bought on a number — packs per minute — and lives or dies on everything that number leaves out. The rated speed on a datasheet is achieved with one product, in one format, running without interruption. Your line will run several formats, with a product that varies, and will stop for changeovers.
So the useful enquiry describes the product and the formats before it describes the speed. A machine builder who knows what is being packed, how it behaves and how often the format changes can quote something that will actually hit your output. One who only has a target rate will quote the machine that meets it on paper.
Machine types
Form-fill-seal
The machine forms the pack from a reel of film, fills it and seals it in one continuous process. Vertical (VFFS) systems drop product into a formed tube and suit granules, powders, snacks and frozen goods; horizontal (HFFS) systems build the pack lying down and suit solid items and pouches. Efficient on film cost and floor space, and the standard answer for high-volume bagged product.
Flow wrapping and thermoforming
A flow wrapper draws film around a discrete product and makes a fin or lap seal with two end crimps — fast, forgiving and everywhere in bakery, confectionery and hardware. Thermoformers instead heat a lower web into a cavity, fill it, and seal an upper web over it, which gives a rigid pack and makes modified atmosphere and skin packing possible. Tray sealers do the same using pre-made trays.
Secondary and end-of-line
- Cartoners — erect, fill and close a folding carton, vertically or horizontally.
- Case erectors & packers — build the shipping case and load it, then seal with tape or hot melt.
- Shrink & stretch wrappers — bundle multipacks or stabilise a finished pallet.
- Vacuum & MAP — extend shelf life by removing or replacing the headspace gas.
What to specify when sourcing
These details decide both the machine and the price:
- The product — what it is, its dimensions and weight, and whether it is sticky, dusty, fragile or free-flowing.
- Pack format — style, size range and fill weight, plus every variant the machine must run.
- Output — required packs per minute at each format, and the hours per shift and days per week.
- Film or board — material, thickness, sealant layer, reel width and core, or board grade.
- Changeover — how many format changes per shift, and the changeover time you can accept.
- Hygiene & environment — washdown, IP rating, EHEDG or 3-A design, dust, cold store or humidity.
- Integration — what feeds it and what it feeds, plus conveyors, checkweigher and metal detection.
- Controls — PLC and HMI brand, fieldbus, recipe management, OEE and line data.
- Compliance — CE and the Machinery Regulation, food contact, validation or documentation needs.
- Commercial — new or used, installation and training, spares package, and the delivery date you need.
Rated speed, changeover and the output you actually get
The gap between a quoted rate and a real one has two usual causes, and both are avoidable at the enquiry stage. The first is the product itself: a rate is quoted with a nominal item, and a product that is slightly sticky, variable in size or prone to dusting will slow the machine or cause seal failures no specification sheet predicted. Send a product sample or a precise description, and ask for trials on your actual product before signing — reputable builders expect this and have test centres for it. The second is changeover. A line running four formats a shift can lose more output to format changes than to any speed shortfall, so a slightly slower machine with tool-free changeover often beats a faster one that needs an hour with spanners. Ask for the changeover time as a quoted figure alongside the rate. The last thing worth stating early is the film: seal quality depends on the sealant layer and the coefficient of friction, and a machine commissioned on the builder's film can fail on yours. Name your film supplier and specification, or plan to qualify the film with the machine.