How to Choose the Right Pillow Packing Machine for Your Needs? — A Guide to 6 Core Decision-Making Dimensions

With its advantages of "horizontal forming and high-speed sealing & cutting", the Pillow Packing Machine is widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, daily chemical, and industrial parts industries. However, requirements for equipment functionality, precision, and efficiency vary greatly across different scenarios. When making a selection, you need to focus on three cores—your product characteristics, production needs, and compliance standards—and screen step by step from the following 6 dimensions to avoid "excessive functionality" or "insufficient performance":
I. First, Clarify the "Packaging Object": Product Characteristics Determine Basic Equipment Configuration
The shape, size, and material of the product are the "first criteria" for selecting a Pillow Packing Machine, directly influencing the equipment’s former design, conveying structure, and sealing & cutting method:
1. Product Shape and Physical Properties
For packaging block/strip solids (e.g., biscuits, bread, soap): Prioritize models with a "flat-push conveyor" and adjustable formers to prevent product deviation during conveying.
For packaging fragile/soft materials (e.g., potato chips, cakes, soft candies): Choose models with a "flexible conveyor belt" (e.g., silicone material) and a "low-speed start buffer function" to reduce damage from impact.
For packaging products with liquids/grease (e.g., pickles, marinated eggs, bacon): Ensure the machine has a "drip-proof filling structure" and "food-grade 304 stainless steel contact parts". Additionally, the sealing temperature must be compatible with oil-resistant films (e.g., PET/PE composite films) to prevent seal contamination.
2. Product Size and Packaging Specifications
Confirm the "maximum length, width, and height" of the product, and match it with the equipment’s "bag width adjustment range" and "former size":
Small products (e.g., candies, tablets): Select a mini Pillow Packing Machine with a bag width of 30–150mm to balance precision and speed.
Medium-to-large products (e.g., instant noodles, folded clothes): A standard model with a bag width of 150–300mm is required, and the conveyor belt load capacity should be ≥5kg to avoid conveying jams caused by heavy products.
II. Match "Production Scale": Efficiency and Automation Level Must Be Compatible
Based on "daily output" and "future capacity planning", select equipment with corresponding speed and automation levels to balance "efficiency needs" and "cost input":
1. Match Output with Equipment Speed
The speed of a Pillow Packing Machine is usually measured in "bags per minute (bpm)". It is necessary to calculate the required speed based on the "actual effective production time" (e.g., 8 hours per day, minus approximately 20% of time for film replacement and debugging):
Small-batch production (daily output ≤50,000 bags, e.g., small food workshops): Choose an economical model with a speed of 50–80 bpm. There is no need to pursue high speed to avoid equipment idleness and waste.
Medium-batch production (daily output 50,000–200,000 bags, e.g., regional brand factories): Select a standard model with a speed of 80–150 bpm, equipped with an "automatic film splicing device" to reduce downtime for film replacement.
Large-batch production (daily output ≥200,000 bags, e.g., leading food enterprises): A high-speed model with a speed of 150–250 bpm is a must, and it should be equipped with "dual servo drives" (controlling film conveying and sealing & cutting separately) to ensure sealing precision at high speeds.
2. Automation Level: The Key to Reducing Labor Costs
Basic needs (packaging only): Choose a model with "manual feeding + automatic sealing & cutting", suitable for scenarios where products have a regular shape and are easy to place.
Advanced needs (cost reduction and efficiency improvement): Select an integrated model with "automatic feeding (e.g., vibratory feeder, conveyor belt) + automatic coding + automatic finished product stacking", especially suitable for the pharmaceutical and electronic parts industries where cleanliness requirements are high and labor costs are steep.
High-end needs (unmanned operation): Equip the machine with a "visual inspection system" (e.g., detecting incomplete seals, missing materials, printing errors) and an "automatic defective product rejection" function to reduce manual quality inspection and meet compliance requirements in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
III. Focus on "Packaging Materials": Film Characteristics Determine Sealing & Cutting Adaptability
The "sealing effect" and "operation stability" of a Pillow Packing Machine are directly related to the film material and thickness. Choosing the wrong film may lead to "unreliable seals" or "film breakage":
1. Film Material Adaptability
Ordinary films (e.g., PE, PP): Select a model with a "standard heat-sealing knife", and a sealing temperature of 120–180℃ is sufficient.
Composite films (e.g., PET/PE, NY/PE): A model with an "adjustable temperature heat-sealing knife" (supporting segmental temperature control, e.g., 160℃ for the seal edge and 180℃ for the cutting edge) is required to avoid film delamination.
Special films (e.g., biodegradable films, aluminum foil films): Confirm whether the equipment supports "low-temperature sealing" (for biodegradable films) or "high-frequency heat sealing" (for aluminum foil films). Additionally, the tension control system needs to be more precise (within ±3%) to prevent film stretching and deformation.
2. Film Thickness Requirements
Generally, a Pillow Packing Machine is compatible with films of 20–100μm in thickness:
Thin films (20–50μm, e.g., snack packaging): A "light-tension conveying" system is required to avoid film tearing.
Thick films (50–100μm, e.g., puncture-resistant packaging for industrial parts): The pressure of the sealing & cutting knife needs to be increased (≥0.3MPa) to ensure tight sealing.
IV. Prioritize Compliance: Industry Standards Determine "Special Configurations" of Equipment
Different industries have strict quality, safety, and cleanliness standards. When selecting equipment, confirm whether it meets the corresponding compliance requirements to avoid subsequent modification costs:
1. Food Industry: Safety and Hygiene Are Core
The machine must have a "food-grade 304 stainless steel body" (especially parts in contact with products and films), and the surface should be "polished" with no hygiene dead ends.
For packaging "products requiring preservation" (e.g., fresh meat, cooked food): Select a model with a "nitrogen filling function" to extend the shelf life.
For "infant food and health products": An additional "metal detection linkage" function is required to prevent metal impurities from mixing in.
2. Pharmaceutical Industry: Cleanliness and Precision Are Critical
The machine must comply with the "ISO Class 8 cleanroom standard", with a "no-sharp-angle, easy-to-clean" body. Additionally, motors and electrical components should have "waterproof and dustproof" protection (IP65 or higher).
When packaging "tablets and capsules", confirm the equipment’s "counting precision" (e.g., ±1 tablet) and ensure it is equipped with a "visual inspection system" to identify missing or incorrect loading.
For packaging "sterile medical devices" (e.g., masks, syringes): Select a model with an "ultraviolet/ozone sterilization module", and the seal should be "free of particle shedding".
3. Industrial/Daily Chemical Industry: Durability and Protection Are Key
For packaging "hardware parts and electronic components": Choose a model with a "scratch-resistant conveyor belt" and a "puncture-resistant film adaptation structure" to avoid equipment wear.
For packaging "corrosive daily chemicals" (e.g., disinfectants, detergents): A "corrosion-resistant body material" (e.g., 316 stainless steel) is required, and the seal should be "chemically resistant".
V. After-Sales Service and Expandability: Avoid "Affordable to Buy, Hard to Use"
A Pillow Packing Machine is a long-term production equipment. The speed of after-sales response, spare parts supply, and later expandability directly affect production stability:
1. After-Sales Support: Confirm "Localized Services"
Prioritize brands with "local service centers" to ensure "24-hour response" in case of failures and avoid production losses.
Inquire about the "spare parts supply cycle" (e.g., for easily worn parts such as sealing knives, conveyor belts, and photoelectric sensors) and whether "emergency spare parts delivery" is supported.
2. Expandability: Reserve Space for Future Upgrades
If you may expand product categories in the future: Select a "modular design" model, which allows for later installation of a "coding machine, labeling machine, or weighing and rejection device".
If the machine needs to be connected to a production line: Confirm whether the equipment supports a "PLC communication interface" (e.g., linking with front-end feeding machines and back-end cartoning machines) to realize an automated assembly line.
VI. Reasonable Budget Allocation: Do Not Blindly Pursue "High Configuration" — Focus on Core Needs
The price of a Pillow Packing Machine ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan. Budget allocation should focus on "key points":
Basic budget (50,000–150,000 yuan): To meet "small-batch, single-product" packaging, choose a "standard configuration" (manual feeding, basic heat sealing, no inspection). Prioritize "sealing precision" and "body durability".
Medium budget (150,000–300,000 yuan): Suitable for "medium-batch, multi-category" production. You can add functions such as "automatic feeding, visual inspection, and nitrogen filling" to balance efficiency and compliance.
High-end budget (over 300,000 yuan): For "large-batch, high-compliance requirements" (e.g., pharmaceuticals, high-end food), select a "high-speed dual-servo model + fully automated modules + customized formers" to ensure long-term stable operation.
Summary: The "Three-Step" Selection Process
Clarify core needs: First, determine "product characteristics (shape/size) + output (daily number of bags) + industry compliance requirements", and list "must-have configurations" (e.g., food-grade materials, nitrogen filling) and "optional configurations" (e.g., automatic stacking).
Screen suitable models: Eliminate incompatible models based on "must-have configurations", then compare "optional configurations" and "prices" to avoid paying for "unused functions".
On-site test verification: Prioritize requesting the manufacturer to "test the machine with your own products". Observe the "sealing effect (whether there are incomplete seals or wrinkles), speed stability (whether there are jams), and finished product precision (bag length deviation, pattern alignment)", then confirm after-sales service and expandability.
Through the above steps, you can accurately select a Pillow Packing Machine that is "highly adaptable, cost-effective, and easy to use in the long term", truly achieving "cost reduction and efficiency improvement".