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Pillow bag routes

Pillow Pouch Packaging Machine

Back-fin seal. Top and bottom seals. Usually a VFFS job.

A pillow pouch has a back fin seal and top and bottom seals. For dosed products such as powders or granules, start with a vertical form-fill-seal machine. A biscuit, bar or other solid piece fed horizontally needs a flow wrapper. The product and how it enters the pack determine which route fits.

Send project details Open the VFFS pouch section

Premade zipper and doypack belong on a rotary or horizontal premade host. 3-side and 4-side sachets belong on the sachet guide. A horizontal biscuit or bar pillow belongs on the flow-wrap machine.

Printed sea-salt pillow pack, shown as a finished bag format reference
Finished pillow pouch format reference. Confirm your own bag dimensions and film before selecting a configuration.
Best fit
US, UK and Australian brands or co-packers selecting a first automatic pillow line, and still deciding whether the pack is a vertical back-seal bag or a horizontal piece-good wrap.
Not this page
See the pillow pouch guide for seal layout, shape and common uses.
Start with
Finished bag width and length, the product going in, the target dose and bags per shift — not a peak bags-per-minute figure copied from another page.

01

Finished pack

What a pillow pouch actually is

Three seals make the pack. A pillow bag is a tube with a longitudinal back (fin) seal and top and bottom cross seals. It does not stand by itself unless gussets are added — and then it is no longer a plain pillow.

Printed sea-salt pillow pack, shown as a finished bag format reference
Sea-salt pillow pouch shown as a bag-format reference.
  • 01
    Longitudinal back (fin) sealThe web is formed into a tube and sealed along its back. That spine is what makes it a pillow, not a folded 3-side sachet.
  • 02
    Top and bottom cross sealsHorizontal jaws close each serving, then the cut separates one bag from the next. Tear notch, MAP and coding are drawing questions, not assumed extras.
  • 03
    A tube, not a stand-up pouchA plain pillow lies on its back or sits in a carton. Zipper stand-up packs are premade doypacks, not this geometry.
  • 04
    Gussets change the bagThe high-speed VFFS page lists a gusset option, subject to review of the bag drawing, film and tooling. Do not assume a gusset kit on VFFS-220 / 320 / 420. See the gusset bag guide for the format.

Format reference. Use the example to identify the seal layout. Your finished-bag dimensions and film specification are needed to confirm the forming and sealing setup.

02

Vs other bags

Pillow vs 3-side vs stick vs doypack vs flow wrap

Buyers say “pillow” for more than one pack. This table is only enough to stop a mis-route. 3-side and 4-side flat sachets belong on the sachet guide. A horizontal pillow around a biscuit or bar is flow wrap, not VFFS.

Minimum distinction for procurement. Cost, speed and film claims are not made here.
Decision Pillow (this page) 3-side sachet Stick Doypack Flow wrap
Finished shape Tube, back fin Flat, one fold Narrow tube Stand-up premade Horizontal pillow around a piece
Seal layout Longitudinal back (fin) seal plus top and bottom cross seals One folded edge and seals on the other three Same three-seal idea as a pillow, sold as a slim stick Bag arrives already made; the host fills and seals it Longitudinal fin plus two end seals around a solid product
Packed from Roll film on VFFS Roll film on VFFS Roll film on VFFS, stick forming set Premade pouch magazine Roll film on a horizontal wrapper
Stands on the shelf? No, unless gussets are added — then it is no longer a plain pillow No — it is a flat sachet No — it is a slim stick Yes — that is the point of a doypack No — the piece inside gives the pack its shape
Compare machines VFFS pouch section Sachet hub + 3-side page + VFFS Stick hub Doypack hub + rotary or horizontal premade Flow-wrap machine

New to this format? The pillow pouch guide explains its shape, seals and common uses.

03

How it is packed

How a pillow pouch is packed on VFFS

Unwind the roll, form a tube, dose the product, then cross-seal and cut. Pillow, stick and flat sachets need different forming and sealing setups.

Vertical form-fill-seal machine with the film path visible

Stage 1

Unwind and register the film

Rollstock is fed into the film path. If the web is printed, a photoelectric eye reads the registration mark. Finished bag width and film-roll width are different numbers — send both.

Stage 2

Form the tube

The web is formed around a tube and the back fin is sealed. Pillow and stick share the tube idea; 3-side and 4-side sachets do not. They do not share one former.

Stage 3

Dose the product

Powder, granules, liquids and small solids use different filling routes. Dust on the seal, bridging, viscosity and piece count decide the filler — not the word “pillow”.

Stage 4

Cross-seal, cut and discharge

Cross seals close the pack, the cut separates it, and the finished pillow leaves for coding, checkweighing or cartoning if those stations are in the project.

Machine reference. The Stage 1 photograph shows a VFFS machine. The following steps describe the packing sequence; the forming and sealing setup must be matched to your bag and film.

Roll film

The machine forms the bag from a roll of film, fills it and cuts the finished pack.

Film structure, roll width, core, outer diameter, unwind direction and the eye-mark still have to be confirmed with the finished-bag drawing. They are not the same input as bag width.

Premade pouches

The bag arrives already made. The machine only opens, fills and seals it.

If you buy zipper, stand-up or other premade pouches, you are on the rotary or horizontal premade family — not a pillow VFFS host.

04

What you can pack

The product decides the filler, not the bag name

Start with how your product flows and how it must be handled. A product name alone cannot confirm dosing accuracy or a clean seal.

Powder product photograph used as a visual screening example

Powders

Dust on the seal is the usual failure, not brochure speed. An auger route is a common starting point. Free-flowing and cohesive powders still need a sample. Industry notes: powder packaging.

Granule product photograph used as a visual screening example

Granules & solids

Cup, linear weigh or multihead weigh is chosen from piece size, fragility and target dose. Counting is a different question. Industry notes: granule and solid packaging.

Liquid product photograph used as a visual screening example

Liquids & pastes

Pump or piston routes follow viscosity, temperature, particles, foam and clean-down. Splash control belongs in the same conversation as the seal. Industry notes: liquid and paste packaging.

Small-solid product photograph used as a visual screening example

Small solids

If a feeding and dosing route can deliver the piece without damaging it or contaminating the seal, the VFFS host can be discussed. A name such as tablet or seed is not enough.

Screening images. Visual examples of product state, not measured particle-size, viscosity or hygiene specifications. Compatibility is confirmed by running your own sample. A whole biscuit or bar that must be wrapped horizontally is not this page — that is the flow-wrap machine.

05

Compare machines

Which machine page should you open?

Compare the two VFFS families for products dosed into vertical pillow bags. For individual items wrapped on a horizontal infeed, compare the flow wrapper shown below.

Published vertical form-fill-seal machine, used as a family reference photograph
Published VFFS-family reference photograph, not a quoted pillow configuration.

VFFS-220 / 320 / 420

Vertical form-fill-seal machine

A roll-film machine family with forming setups for pillow bags, small sachets and stick packs. Start with finished pouch width, then confirm the filler, forming setup and film together.

What the machine has to do

Unwind and register the web, form the tube, make the back fin, receive the dose, cross-seal and cut. Premade zipper pouches are out of scope on this host.

Published screening figures

Pouch width screen
220: up to 100 mm (3.94 in)
320: up to 150 mm (5.91 in)
420: up to 200 mm (7.87 in)
Family bag-size range
45 × 20–280 × 200 mm
(1.77 × 0.79–11.02 × 7.87 in)
Filling routes named
Auger; volumetric cup; weigher; liquid pump / piston
Frame / warranty
304 stainless-steel frame listed;
12 months from receipt
Open the VFFS pouch section

VFFS 320S / 420S / 620S

High-speed pouch packing machine

Compare the VFFS 320S / 420S / 620S series when reviewing output requirements and bag sizes. Use the model specifications on its machine page, then confirm the forming setup, filler and achievable rate for your product.

What the machine has to do

The machine forms, fills and seals roll-film bags. Check the finished width and length for your format; a family-wide size range does not mean every model or forming setup covers the full range.

Published screening figures

Family named on that page
VFFS 320S / 420S / 620S
Role on this hub
VFFS 320S / 420S / 620S series
Bag-size / speed figures
See the model specifications and confirm the rate for your product
Why they stay there
The page is still the older template; figures need confirmation against your bag drawing
What to send
Finished bag, dose, film roll data and target bags per shift
Open the high-speed VFFS page

Initial selection. Use the listed widths to narrow the frame size, then confirm bag length, film, forming setup and filler together. The two machine series have their own specifications. Published speeds are a starting point for discussion; your product and finished bag determine the achievable production rate.

06

Width screen

Screen VFFS-220 / 320 / 420 from finished width

The per-frame fact published on the VFFS page is maximum pouch width. Compare your finished pillow width to that screen. Film-roll width is a different number.

100 mm

VFFS-220

Published maximum pouch width 100 mm 3.94 in. Use this screen when the finished pillow is at the small end of the family.

150 mm

VFFS-320

Published maximum pouch width 150 mm 5.91 in. Mid-family frame on the same VFFS page.

200 mm

VFFS-420

Published maximum pouch width 200 mm 7.87 in. Above that published maximum, this family is not the screen — send the drawing rather than forcing a fit.

Family envelope from the accepted VFFS page. Screening values, not a quotation for your pillow.
Screen Published figure How to read it
Frame width maxima 100 / 150 / 200 mm 3.94 / 5.91 / 7.87 in Finished pouch width on VFFS-220 / 320 / 420. Not film-roll width.
Family bag-size range 45 × 20–280 × 200 mm 1.77 × 0.79–11.02 × 7.87 in Family envelope on that page. It is not a promise that your pillow fills the whole range.
Bags per minute Not used as a frame picker on this hub Headline and typical ranges live on the VFFS page as screening only. Compare quotations on bags per shift, on the same bag.

Width is not film width. Send finished W × L and the film-roll data sheet. Treating them as one number is a common reason a former does not match the artwork. Dual-inch figures above are conversions of the published millimetres — not a US standard claim.

07

Project inputs

What to define before asking for a configuration

Start with a photo or sample of your pack, the product, the fill amount and your target output. Send the details you already have; missing film or machine information can be clarified during selection.

01
Finished bag W × LThe pillow you sell, in millimetres. Not the same number as film-roll width. Screen it against VFFS-220 / 320 / 420.
02
Back-seal typeFin (back) seal is the pillow default on this hub. If the drawing shows a fold and three edge seals, you are on the sachet hub, not here.
03
Product and dosePowder, granule, liquid/paste or small solid — plus target grams or millilitres and the tolerance your label accepts.
04
Film rollStructure, thickness, roll width, core, outer diameter, unwind direction and registration mark. Ask the film supplier for the data sheet.
05
Output per shiftBags per shift and how many shifts, rather than a single peak bags-per-minute figure.
06
MAP / gas flush?Say whether modified atmosphere is in the brief. It is a confirmation question, not a listed pillow option on this page.
07
Tear notch / openingStraight cut, serrated cut, tear notch or another opening — mark it on the drawing. Not assumed included.
08
Site and secondary packPower the building actually supplies, room humidity, coding, carton or display box. They are not assumed in the host quote.

Sample validation. Compatibility is confirmed with a production-representative product sample and your intended film. A product name or a photograph alone does not confirm dosing or sealing.

Send project details

08

Before you order

What to confirm when you import the machine

Spack Machine builds these machines in Shantou, Guangdong, China. Before ordering for a US, UK or Australian plant, confirm utilities, documentation, acceptance testing and shipping responsibilities in writing.

Power and utilities at your site

Confirm supply voltage, phase, frequency and compressed-air requirements for the quoted configuration. For example, a US 480 V / 60 Hz supply or a UK 415 V / 50 Hz supply must be checked against your site and the machine specification; neither is a default compatibility claim.

Ambient humidity

Powders cake, films slip and seals weaken when the plant runs humid. If that is your room, raise it early — it affects sustained output more than peak rate.

Documentation for your market

Decide which certificates and food-contact declarations you need on arrival, and who issues them — the machine builder or the film supplier. This page does not claim a destination-market approval.

Acceptance before dispatch

Agree what the machine has to demonstrate before it ships — which product, which film, which bag, what weight tolerance — and that it runs your sample, not a generic one. That is the FAT conversation.

Shipping, duty and clearance

Crated dimensions and weight drive freight; the HS classification drives duty. The customs clearance walkthrough lists what a US, UK or Australian broker will ask for.

Spares, tooling and format change

List wear parts and the change parts for each bag size, and include their cost and delivery arrangements in the quotation. The VFFS page states a 12-month warranty from receipt, with freight for replacement parts paid by the buyer.

Before you order. Confirm lead time, installation and after-sales responsibilities in your quotation. The packaging machine buying guide covers the questions to work through with your supplier.

09

Common questions

Pillow pouch packaging machine FAQs

Answers to the questions buyers ask when comparing bag formats, machine configurations and project costs.

What is a pillow pouch packaging machine?

A pillow pouch packaging machine is a rollstock form-fill-seal host that makes a back-fin-seal bag with top and bottom seals, then fills and cuts it.

For products fed downward into the bag, start with the VFFS pouch section. The frame, forming setup and filler must suit your product and finished pack.

Is a pillow pouch the same as a 3-side-seal sachet?

No. A 3-side sachet is a flat pack with one folded edge. A pillow pouch is a tube with a longitudinal back fin seal.

If the bag you sell is a flat 3-side or 4-side sachet, open the sachet guide and the 3-side page — do not force that drawing onto a pillow former.

Pillow packing machine — VFFS or flow wrap?

A vertical pillow from roll film is a VFFS job. A horizontal pillow wrapped around a solid piece — biscuit, bar, soap — is a flow-wrap job.

For individual pieces fed horizontally, compare the flow-wrap machine and its infeed options.

Can a pillow bag stand up on the shelf?

A plain pillow pouch does not stand by itself. It needs a display, a carton, or gussets — and gussets make it no longer a plain pillow.

The high-speed VFFS page lists a gusset option. Confirm the bag drawing, film and required tooling for that configuration; do not assume it is standard on VFFS-220 / 320 / 420. The gusset bag guide explains the format.

Do you add zippers and spouts to pillow bags?

Zippers and spouts are not listed as standard options for this configuration. If either is needed, compare the premade pouch routes below.

Open the rotary or horizontal premade host, or the doypack guide. Confirm the pouch structure and closure with the machine configuration.

What speed can I expect?

Screening figures live on the VFFS page: a headline of up to 70 bags per minute, and a typical 15–60 packs per minute range. Both are orientation, not a guaranteed production rate.

Actual output depends on dose, bag length, film, sealing time, filler and product behaviour. Compare quotations using the same product and bag, including sustained output per shift.

How wide a pillow can the VFFS frames take?

Published maxima are 100 mm (3.94 in) on VFFS-220, 150 mm (5.91 in) on VFFS-320, and 200 mm (7.87 in) on VFFS-420.

Those are screening widths from the VFFS page, not a custom former promise. The family bag-size range on that page is 45 × 20–280 × 200 mm (1.77 × 0.79–11.02 × 7.87 in).

Is film width the same as bag width?

No. Finished width and length describe the bag you sell. Roll width, repeat length and the eye-mark describe the web that makes it.

Send both. Treating them as one number is a common reason a former does not match the artwork.

Where are your machines built?

Spack Machine builds these machines in Shantou, Guangdong, China, for export to the destination agreed in your order.

For an imported machine, confirm your destination, site utilities, required documentation and local installation arrangements before ordering.

How much does a pillow pouch packaging machine cost?

No figure on this page would be meaningful, because price follows the finished pack, the filler and the stations around it.

A plain back-seal pillow, the same bag plus coding and cartoning, and a horizontal flow-wrap of a biscuit sit at different levels. Fix bag, dose, film and output per shift, then ask for a comparable quotation.

Is a pillow pouch a premade pouch?

No. A vertical pillow pouch is formed from roll film on a VFFS host. A premade pouch arrives already made.

Zipper stand-up and doypack projects belong on the premade hosts, not on this format page.

What do you need to recommend a configuration?

Finished bag width and length, back-seal type, product and dose, film-roll data, and bags per shift.

MAP, tear notch, coding and secondary pack are questions — mark them unknown if you do not have them yet. A production-representative sample confirms dosing and sealing; a photograph does not.

What is a pillow pack / pillow pack meaning?

A pillow pack is another name for a pillow pouch: a flexible tube with a back fin seal and two cross seals.

For more on the bag itself, see the pillow pouch guide. Use the machine comparison above to choose between VFFS and horizontal flow wrapping.

10

Read next

Keep reading

Compare bag formats, review machine specifications and prepare the details needed for a quotation.

Horizontal pillow

Horizontal flow-wrap machine

When the pillow is wrapped around a solid piece on a horizontal infeed, not formed as a vertical tube.

Gusset

Gusset bag packaging machine

If the bag must stand, and that means gussets, this is the format fork — not a promised VFFS gusset kit.

Stick

Stick pack machine

Same three-seal idea as a pillow, sold as a slim stick. Different forming set.

11

Next step

Send your project details

Tell us the finished pillow you sell, the product going into it and the output you need. That is enough to put you on the right VFFS page — or to send a horizontal piece-good pillow to flow wrap.

Request a configuration review Open the VFFS pouch section

Project confirmation. Machine, forming set, filler and output are confirmed against your samples and site conditions before anything is quoted as final.

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