Short answer
Key takeaways
- A vertical form fill seal machine and a horizontal form fill seal machine both run printed film from a roll. They do not share one setup sheet.
- Web width, unwind direction, core size, and eye marks are film specs. Take them from the machine or the current roll label.
- Film structure includes the sealant that has to seal on your jaws.
- Send the checklist on this page with artwork or a color count.
- PCI's standard lead time is 3 to 4 weeks after artwork approval.
Start from the film
VFFS film and HFFS film are printed roll stock built to track, register, and seal on a specific machine. People searching for vertical form fill seal machines are often looking at equipment. If you already run the bagger or the wrapper, the buying decision here is the film. VFFS packaging film is not a machine, and neither is printed film for an HFFS line. Share the machine make and model before you compare print quality.
Web width
Web width is the width of the film from edge to edge on the roll. On a VFFS machine it follows the forming collar and the back seal. On an HFFS machine it follows the product and the seals. Do not send only the finished package width. Send the web width the machine is set up to pull, and say how you measured it.
Unwind direction
Unwind direction tells the supplier which way the print faces as the film leaves the roll, and which side leads. A correct print wound the wrong way will not present the art to the former. Copy the unwind from the current roll label or from the machine manual, and send a photo of the label if you have one.
Core size
Core size is the inside diameter of the tube the film is wound on. Also send the largest roll diameter or roll weight the machine will accept. A roll that is the right film on the wrong core, or a roll that is too large for the unwind, does not run. There is no single core size that fits every line, so send the size your machine uses.
Eye marks
An eye mark is a printed block the machine sensor reads so each cut stays in register with the print. Specify the mark size, the color, where it sits on the web, and the clear space around it. If the current film runs well, a photo of the eye mark and the sensor is more useful than a guess.
Film structure
Film structure is the layers, the gauge, and which layer seals. The sealant has to work with your jaw temperature, dwell, and the product that lands in the seal. Barrier, if you need it, comes from the structure, not from the machine name. If you do not know the structure, send a sample and say the structure is unknown.
What is different for VFFS film and HFFS film
VFFS packaging film is pulled over a collar, formed into a tube, and filled from above. The back seal is a fin or a lap, and the repeat matches the bag length. HFFS film moves with the product on a horizontal form fill seal machine. The web width, the cutoff, and the seal style follow that horizontal setup. Use the same checklist for both, and do not copy a VFFS roll spec onto an HFFS machine.
What to send for a quote
Send the machine make and model, whether the line is VFFS or HFFS, web width, repeat or cutoff, unwind direction, core size, maximum roll diameter or weight, eye mark size and position, back seal or end seal style, film structure or a sample, the product, artwork or color count, order quantity, annual usage, and ship to location.
Certification and lead time
PCI prints by flexo only on 10 color presses, is SQF certified for food safety and GMI certified for print quality, and quotes a standard lead time of 3 to 4 weeks after artwork approval.
Where PCI fits
Where PCI fits: Matt Louie, who writes this site, sells for Poly Craft Industries (PCI). PCI prints by flexographic printing only, runs new 10 color presses, is SQF and GMI certified, quotes a standard lead time of 3 to 4 weeks after artwork approval, and supplies brands sold at major retailers. That makes PCI one supplier to put on a short list, not an automatic answer. Use the checks on this page to compare PCI with every other supplier you are considering.
Next step
If you want PCI to quote the film, use the quote form or Ask Matt, email Matt@PolyCraftInd.com, or call 516 849 6237.
| Spec | Send this for VFFS film | Send this for HFFS film |
|---|---|---|
| Web width | Width across the roll, plus collar or bag width and fin or lap seal | Width across the roll, plus product size and seal style |
| Unwind direction | Direction and print side from the current roll or manual | Direction and print side from the current roll or manual |
| Core size | Inside diameter, and the largest roll the unwind accepts | Inside diameter, and the largest roll the unwind accepts |
| Eye mark | Size, color, position, and clear space for the sensor | Size, color, position, and clear space for the sensor |
| Film structure | Layers, gauge, and the sealant that meets the jaws | Layers, gauge, and the sealant that meets the jaws |
Questions buyers ask
Does this page sell VFFS or HFFS machines?
No. It explains the printed roll stock those machines run. The quote is for film.
What is VFFS film?
VFFS film is printed or plain roll stock made to run on a vertical form fill seal machine. The web width, repeat, eye mark, unwind, core, and sealant have to match that machine.
What is HFFS film?
HFFS film is roll stock made to run on a horizontal form fill seal machine. Send that machine's web width, cutoff, unwind, core, and seal style.
Which core size should I order?
Send the core inside diameter your machine uses. There is no single core that fits every line.
What if I do not know the film structure?
Send an unused sample or the current roll label and say the structure is unknown. Do not guess the layers.
See something that needs correcting? Tell Matt.