In the pharmaceutical industry, pouch packaging is widely used. Because its design is highly flexible, it works well as both primary and secondary packaging and is relatively low-cost. Vertical Form Fill Seal, or VFFS, is a common solution for this type of packaging. A VFFS machine begins with bag forming and then completes dosing, filling, and sealing in an automated process.
However, no single machine can meet every need. That makes equipment selection more complex. This article introduces 10 suppliers that provide VFFS machines, and it also outlines the main steps for choosing the right manufacturer.
Selected Criteria:
- They offer VFFS packaging equipment.
- Their VFFS machines are suitable for food and/or pharmaceutical applications.
- They serve international markets and are capable of global delivery.
- They have proven project experience in relevant packaging applications.
Note: The suppliers listed in this article are presented in no particular order. All information has been collected from their official websites. If any details change or differ from the information provided here, the supplier’s official website should be regarded as the most authoritative source.
Syntegon
Syntegon is a global packaging equipment supplier headquartered in Germany, with a strong focus on the pharmaceutical and food industries. For VFFS applications, the company offers stick pack and sachet packaging machines. Its RA series is used for stick packs, while the RN series is built for sachets. These machines are often selected for single-dose pharmaceutical products, including powders and granules. Depending on the product, manufacturers can pair the machine with dosing systems such as auger fillers or volumetric cups. The system then forms, fills, and heat-seals each pack in a continuous process.
A key advantage of Syntegon’s equipment is its high speed and multi-lane production capability. The machines also offer a high level of automation. Some models can reach an output of about 1,000 packs per minute. Based in Germany, Syntegon offers processing and packaging equipment around the world. It used to be part of Bosch Packaging Technology. But it became independent and was renamed Syntegon in 2020. Syntegon makes machines mainly for pharmaceutical and food companies. They handle tasks from filling and sealing to inspection and packaging. The machines support high-speed and precise production lines for operation.
Key Product: Sigpack RA
The Sigpack RA is a multi-lane vertical stick pack machine from Syntegon. It is designed for free-flowing and slow-flowing powders and granules in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries and is especially suitable for sensitive products. Depending on the product, the machine can be equipped with either an auger dosing system or a cup dosing system. Each lane can run at up to 100 cycles per minute, with a maximum output of 1,000 stick packs per minute in a 10-lane configuration. The machine produces stick packs with fin seals and lap seals. It supports bag lengths from 40 to 140 mm and a maximum bag width of 28 mm. With a modular servo-driven design, the Sigpack RA offers high dosing accuracy and low product loss. It also supports clean sealing, checkweighing control, HMI touchscreen operation, and easy cleaning. The design follows GMP guidelines.
Anxine
Anxine Machinery is a supplier of pharmaceutical and packaging equipment. The company is headquartered in Wenzhou, China. Its main products include capsule filling machines, tablet presses, softgel machines, gummy machines, powder mixers, and packaging equipment. One of its strengths is its broad equipment range, which can support production needs for different dosage forms.
For VFFS applications, Anxine machines are mainly used for powders, granules, solids, and liquids. Its vertical form-fill-seal machines can automatically form bags, dose, fill, and heat seal them. Different dosing systems can be selected based on the product characteristics. The machines also support touchscreen control, low-material detection, and automatic shutdown. Some models can reach about 70 bags per minute, making them suitable for small to mid-sized production runs. They can work with a range of packaging materials, including PE, PET, and aluminum foil laminated film.
Anxine serves customers in over 200 countries. It focuses on markets in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Anxine is experienced in manufacturing and innovating different designs. Typical clients are in supplements, food processing, and medicine production.
Key Product: VFSS-50P
This model VFSS-50P is a single-lane, fully automatic VFFS machine for powder packaging. It combines feeding, bag forming, dosing, filling, sealing, coding, cutting, and counting in one process. The vertical form-fill-seal packaging machine uses a stepper motor for film feeding, photoelectric tracking for print registration, and PID temperature control for stable sealing. It supports bag lengths from 50 to 200 mm and bag widths from 50 to 150 mm. Packing speed can reach up to 60 bags per minute, ideal for small to medium businesses. It supports common packaging films such as PE, PP, PET, and aluminum foil laminate. The machine can stop automatically when the material is low or the package is not filled properly. Its self-diagnosis function also helps operators find problems quickly.
Viking Masek
This is a packaging company with offices in both Europe and the United States. Its main European base is in the Czech Republic, with other units in Nová Role and Prague. Its North American headquarters is in Oostburg, Wisconsin. Viking Masek makes more than 200 machines a year.
The company serves the food, pharmaceutical, and non-food markets. For pharmaceutical use, the equipment can package tablets, capsules, and some powder products, with configurations adjusted to specific requirements. Overall, Viking Masek offers a broad machine range, flexible speed options, and wide application coverage. Its products are positioned more as general-purpose automated packaging solutions. Its VFFS line includes several models, such as the E300, M250, M300c, M400, and Velocity. These machines can handle powders, granules, solids, and liquids.
Key Product: E300
This model uses a short film path to support stable and efficient operation. Servo-driven sealing jaws help keep seal quality consistent. Tool-free changeover allows faster product switches, and the control system can store many product settings. The maximum speed is 100 bags per minute, and it supports bag sizes from 60 × 60 mm to 300 × 400 mm. This model is well suited for production lines that need frequent changeovers and multiple package sizes.
Matrix
Matrix Packaging Machinery is a U.S. company based in Wisconsin and is part of ProMach. It has more than 35 years of experience in flexible packaging equipment. Its main products include form, fill and seal machines, premade pouch machines, stick pack machines, and sachet equipment. The VFFS line covers both intermittent and continuous motion models, with support for many bag styles.
Matrix mainly serves food, beverage, pet food, nutraceutical, and non-food applications. For pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, it also offers VFFS solutions for powders, blends, supplements, and gummies. The MVI-330S/460S Elete Premier highlights a sanitary design, making it suitable for production environments with higher cleaning requirements. Overall, Matrix stands out for its broad machine range, bag style flexibility, and ability to configure equipment around the product.
Key Product: MVC-250
The MVC-250 is a continuous-motion VFFS machine from Matrix. It has a compact frame and can run at speeds up to 240 cycles per minute. The machine uses servo motion control, automatic film tracking, and ultrasonic web guiding, which help make operation and maintenance easier. It is mainly used for snacks, frozen foods, fresh-cut produce, IQF products, and cheese. It also works well with films that need a longer heat-seal dwell time.
Unified Flex
Unified Flex is a North American packaging machine maker. The company has offices in USA and Canada. It offers VFFS machines, stick pack and sachet systems, premade pouch machines, and custom packaging solutions. The company serves industries such as food, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and personal care. Its VFFS lineup includes the Hornet, Falcon, Maverick, AP Series, and the continuous-motion Vertobagger 2.0. These machines can handle powders, granules, solids, and liquids.
Key Product: VFFS Vertobagger Hornet XL
This is a large VFFS machine designed for oversized bags. It supports bags up to 18 inches wide and 30 inches long and can package powders, solids, and liquids. The machine runs at speeds of up to 50 bags per minute. It uses servo-driven film feeding and cross sealing, with an encoder for accurate bag length control. A 10-inch touchscreen and PLC system provide easy operation, while tool-free changeovers help reduce setup time.
IMA-Ilapak
IMA-Ilapak is a packaging equipment manufacturer founded in 1970. The company is headquartered in Switzerland, with factories in Italy, China, and the United States. Over the years, IMA-Ilapak has developed machines for both horizontal and vertical packaging, serving markets such as food, snacks, and pharmaceuticals.
Its VFFS equipment is mainly offered through Ilapak, with product lines including the VEGATRONIC and 3C series. These machines are mainly used for powders, granules, coffee, and other food products. Overall, its VFFS business is more focused on food packaging.
Key Product: VEGATRONIC 500
It is an entry-level automatic vertical bagging machine that supports various pack styles, with a maximum bag width of 280 mm and length of 330 mm. It suits products such as snacks, nuts, grains, coffee, tea, and liquids, especially those that are sensitive to product damage. An optional inclined design helps reduce product drop height. The machine can run at up to 100 cycles per minute, making it a practical choice for medium-speed packaging with different bag sizes.
GEA
GEA Group is a German engineering company based in Düsseldorf. It serves the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, offering processing, filling, and packaging systems. Its VFFS line mainly includes the SmartPacker series, such as the CX250 and CX400. These machines are mainly designed for food, pet food, and nutraceutical products, including powders and granules.
Key Product: CX250-H
This model is a high-speed, versatile VFFS machine that supports pillow, block-bottom, gusseted, and easy-Doy bags. It handles bags up to 250 mm wide and 3 kg per bag, with speeds of up to 200 bags per minute. The machine also supports recipe management and fast film changes. A product anti-pinch detection system helps prevent product from getting trapped in the seal area, reducing downtime and product waste. Compact design and recipe management ensure efficient and consistent packing.
Paxiom
Based in the US, this company offers automated packaging equipment for primary, secondary, and end-of-line needs. The group runs several facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its product range includes weighing, filling, VFFS, premade pouch, cartoning, and palletizing systems. Its VFFS lineup includes VerTek, XPdius, VF-1200, and VerTek 2400, covering small, medium, and large bags. These machines are mainly used for food, nutritional powders, granules, and some pharmaceutical products. Different filling systems, such as scales, augers, pumps, and volumetric cups, can be configured based on the product.
Key Product: VF 1200
This high-speed continuous-motion VFFS bagger forms, fills, and seals bags in one process. It can reach up to 150 bags per minute and supports various bag types and sizes, with a maximum bag length of 16 inches (about 406 mm). The machine works with different filling systems, such as augers, pumps, or weighing units. It is suitable for packaging lines that need high speed and flexible bag formats.
Rovema
Based in Germany, Rovema has delivered more than 30,000 machines worldwide. Its machines work with many products, from food to non-food items. Its VFFS lineup includes the BVC, BVI, and BVK series, with both continuous and intermittent models. These machines mainly handle powders, granules, solid products, and frozen foods, and can produce pillow, block-bottom, and stand-up bags. The company has expanded markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Key Product: BVC 180/260/400
BVC 180/260/400 is ROVEMA’s continuous-motion VFFS machine designed for high-speed production and reliable sealing. The three models can reach up to 220, 210, and 150 bags per minute, respectively, allowing users to select a model based on bag width and output needs. The series uses Sense&Seal product detection to help prevent product from entering the sealing area, which can reduce downtime. Combined with Premiumseal technology, it helps maintain seal quality during high-speed operation.
Sealed Air
This is a U.S. packaging company based in the Carolinas. Founded in 1960, it runs over 100 manufacturing sites. The company serves several markets, including food packaging, healthcare packaging, and industrial packaging. Its VFFS equipment is sold mainly under the CRYOVAC® brand. Its VFFS line supports several packaging formats, including single-material, dual-material, fitment, and Bag-in-Box solutions. These machines are mainly used for liquid and pumpable foods, such as sauces, soups, and dairy products. Overall, the company’s strength in VFFS packaging is its liquid food packaging solutions.
Key Product: CRYOVAC® FlexPrep® VFFS
FlexPrep® is a high-speed VFFS liquid packaging solution from Sealed Air. It is part of the CRYOVAC® brand and is designed for portion packs of sauces, condiments, and dressings. The system supports both hot and cold filling. It can handle products with particles up to 1/4 inch and can be configured as a single-lane or multi-lane system based on production needs.
How to Choose the Right VFFS Machine Supplier
After reviewing the suppliers above, you may feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure where to start. VFFS suppliers differ in the industries they serve, the products they handle, and the features they offer. Even when two suppliers focus on the same industry or product type, their machine design, application limits, and technical support can still vary. When building a production line, you should look beyond basic product fit. It is also important to consider the supplier’s overall capability and whether they can support you over the long term. By weighing these factors together, you can choose the VFFS supplier that fits you best, rather than simply looking for the “best” one.
Step 1: Know Your Production Needs
This may include the product type, material properties, packaging needs, expected output, production scale, level of automation, production environment, and required compliance documents. If you work in pharmaceuticals, you should also define GMP requirements, sanitary design needs, and the validation documents you will need.
Step 2. Match the Machine to Your Production
Focus on the equipment specs, such as the materials it can handle, the filling method, supported bag styles, and size range. Also check whether the machine can fit into your current production line, what risks it may bring, and whether there are workable solutions.
Step 3. Evaluate the Supplier
A supplier’s project capability is just as important as the quality of its machines. Industry experience, customization ability, after-sales service, and spare parts support all help determine whether your production line can be built smoothly. You can also ask the supplier if they have experience with similar line projects.
Step 4. Compare the Real Value Before Buying
The equipment price is usually the highest cost, but hidden costs also matter. These can include shipping, installation and commissioning, operator training, spare parts, material waste, changeovers, and downtime. If possible, ask the supplier to test the machine with your actual product and packaging materials. This helps verify how it will perform in real production.
No supplier can meet every need in the market. The best choice is to find the one that fits your actual requirements within your budget.
