Wrapping machines
A wrapping machine encloses products or groups of products in film or paper, sealing or folding the wrap around them to protect them and present them for sale. Wrapping machines appear at two points in the packaging station. Primary wrappers wrap individual products straight after production and cooling, such as biscuits, bars, bread or confectionery. Secondary wrappers group finished packs, bottles or cans into multipacks or bundles before case packing or palletising. Both must match the output of the line upstream and keep up with it without damaging product. The most common primary wrapper in food is the horizontal flow wrapper, which forms film into a tube around products moving along a conveyor, seals it lengthways and seals and cuts each end, producing a pillow pack. Flow wrappers are used for bars, biscuits on edge, cakes, bread, fresh produce and many other items, and can add gas flushing for longer shelf life. Fold wrappers fold film or paper neatly around a product and are used for tablets, blocks and some confectionery. Shrink wrappers enclose products or groups in film and pass them through a heat tunnel so the film shrinks tightly around them, which is widely used for multipacks of bottles, cans and trays. Stretch wrappers apply stretch film under tension and are used for trays of produce and meat, and on a larger scale for wrapping whole pallets. Band wrappers and sleeve wrappers apply bands or sleeves to group or decorate packs. In food plants wrapping machines are used for bakery and biscuits, confectionery, snack bars, cheese, fresh produce, frozen products, beverage multipacks and canned goods. Cost and performance depend on speed, product handling and infeed design, the range of pack sizes, changeover time, film type and consumption, seal quality, gas flushing and the automation of product feeding. Automatic feeding systems that place products into the wrapper at high speed can cost as much as the wrapper itself, but they reduce labour and product damage.
Where it sits in the line
Featured Partner slot · open
Be the maker buyers see first on this page
Compare models
No sourced models yet. Makers: list yours.
Buying criteria
Match the wrapper to the product and pack. Flow, fold, shrink and stretch wrapping each suit different products, so start from the pack you want to sell. Look hard at the infeed. How products arrive, are spaced and fed into the wrapper decides the achievable speed and how much product is damaged. Ask for a trial with your product. Check seal quality and film. The machine should seal the films you plan to use reliably, including recyclable mono-material films, which can have narrower sealing windows. Compare changeover time, film waste, energy use of shrink tunnels, hygiene and access for cleaning, and the supplier's local service capability. Ask whether the wrapper can grow with you, for example by adding gas flushing, printing or seal inspection later, and how quickly format parts can be supplied.
Buyers ask
How much does a food wrapping machine cost?
It depends on the wrapping type, speed and level of automation. A semi-automatic shrink wrapper costs far less than a high-speed flow wrapper with an automatic feeding system, gas flushing and seal inspection. The infeed and product handling system is often a major part of the total price.
What is a flow wrapper?
A flow wrapper is a horizontal wrapping machine that forms film into a tube around products moving on a conveyor, seals it along its length and seals and cuts it between products. It produces pillow packs and is widely used for bars, biscuits, cakes, bread and fresh produce.
What is the difference between shrink wrapping and stretch wrapping?
Shrink wrapping encloses a product in film and then heats it so the film shrinks tightly around it. Stretch wrapping applies elastic film under tension, holding the product without heat. Shrink wrap is common for multipacks; stretch wrap is common for trays and pallets.
Can wrapping machines run recyclable films?
Many can, but recyclable mono-material films often have narrower sealing windows and different stiffness than traditional laminates. The machine's sealing system, temperature control and film handling must suit the new film, so trials are needed before switching.