Streamline your production line with our range of horizontal flow wrappers. From entry-level manual machines to fully automated high-speed systems, we provide the reliability and UK-based support your business needs.
Not sure which machine suits your requirements? Compare our core range below to find the ideal balance of criteria that matches your requirements.
Best For
Heavy or irregular items requiring MAP (Fresh cuts, bulky produce).
Sealing Style
Bottom-film feed with box motion jaws.
Key Advantage
Hybrid: Combines gentle handling with airtight seals.
MAP Compatible
Yes (Premium Quality)
Production Speed
Medium
Best For
Delicate, soft, or sticky items (Soft cakes, medical textiles, wraps and tortillas).
Sealing Style
Bottom-film feed with rotary jaws.
Key Advantage
Gentle Handling: Product is carried on the film, not pushed.
MAP Compatible
Limited
Production Speed
High
Sealing Style
Continuous high-speed rotary jaws.
Key Advantage
Maximum Speed: The fastest option for high-throughput lines.
MAP Compatible
Limited
Production Speed
Very High
Sealing Style
Reciprocating "Long Dwell" jaws.
Key Advantage
Hermetic Integrity: Superior seal strength for gas flushing (MAP).
MAP Compatible
Yes (High Performance)
Production Speed
Medium to High
Inverted box motion flow wrappers represent a highly specialised, premium packaging solution. They are engineered to solve the most difficult packaging challenges by combining two distinct technologies: an inverted bottom-film-feed system and a long-dwell “box motion” sealing head.
The inverted design allows delicate, sticky, or difficult-to-handle products to be gently carried on the film, eliminating friction and potential damage. Simultaneously, the box motion sealing head provides the extended dwell time required to create high-integrity, fully hermetic seals, even with thick or complex films.
This makes it the definitive choice for high-value fresh food products—such as raw meat, poultry, fish, and soft cheeses—that require both extremely gentle handling and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) for extended shelf life.
Inverted rotary motion flow wrappers are high-speed, precision systems engineered for products that are delicate, soft, sticky, or difficult to manage.
Unlike standard machines, the film is fed from below. This innovative design allows products to be gently carried directly on the film, rather than being pushed. This process minimises friction and prevents damage.
Combined with a continuous-motion rotary sealing head, this system provides exceptional throughput, making it the ideal choice for high-volume lines where gentle handling is essential.
Rotary motion flow wrappers are the industry standard for high-speed, continuous packaging. These machines are defined by their fast-rotating end-seal jaws, which seal and cut the film in one seamless, continuous motion without stopping the product.
This design makes them the ideal solution for high-volume production lines wrapping individual, robust items like chocolate bars, biscuits, snack cakes, hardware, and many other everyday solid products.
They are prized for their exceptional throughput, reliability, and efficiency, offering a cost-effective and proven method for creating classic “pillow-pouch” style packs at very high speeds.
Box motion flow wrappers, also known as long-dwell or reciprocating-jaw machines, are advanced packaging systems designed for creating high-integrity, hermetic seals.
Unlike the continuous rotary motion of standard wrappers, the “box motion” sealing head moves with the film, clamping down for a longer period. This extended sealing time, or “long dwell,” is essential for ensuring a completely airtight seal, especially when working with thicker or more challenging laminated films.
This technology is the benchmark for applications requiring Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) to extend shelf life. It is the ideal solution for fresh produce, meat, cheese, bakery items, and medical devices where pack integrity is critical.
Flow wrapping is one of the most popular and efficient packaging processes for businesses of all sizes, offering an ideal balance of speed, protection, and presentation.
Record Packaging Systems preventative maintenance contracts offer a comprehensive solution covering all types of packaging machinery and accessories. This ensures the operational integrity of your equipment.
Our extensive stock covers various machine models and generations, allowing us to cater to a diverse range of customer needs. By supplying high-quality, genuine parts, we guarantee the optimal performance and longevity of our packaging equipment.
Flow wrapping (HFFS) creates a “pillow pack” with a longitudinal seal and two end seals, whereas shrink wrapping uses heat to shrink film tightly around the product. Flow wrapping is generally faster and better for individual items.
Our range covers everything from entry-level machines at 20–40 packs per minute (ppm) to high-speed automated lines capable of exceeding 150 ppm, depending on product size and film type.
Yes, our modern flow wrappers are designed to work with a variety of films, including recyclable mono-materials and compostable options, provided the sealing temperature and tension are correctly calibrated.
This varies by model. Each machine has a maximum “film width” and “jaw height.” We recommend checking the specifications for each of our four models or sending us your product dimensions for a compatibility check.
Most of our standard flow wrappers require a single-phase or three-phase UK power supply. We provide full electrical specifications for each model during the consultation.
Our machines feature “quick-changeover” designs. Digital HMI screens allow you to save product recipes, meaning adjustments to bag length and timing can be done in minutes without heavy tool use.
Yes. Every machine purchase includes the option for professional installation by our UK engineers and comprehensive on-site training for your operators to ensure maximum uptime.
Absolutely. We can integrate thermal transfer overprinters (TTO) or inkjet coders directly onto the flow wrap line to print real-time data onto the film.
Regular cleaning of the sealing jaws and lubrication of drive chains is essential. We offer scheduled service contracts to ensure your machine remains in peak condition and to prevent unplanned downtime.
Yes, we maintain a comprehensive stock of critical spare parts at our UK facility, ensuring fast dispatch and minimal disruption to your production.
A horizontal flow wrap machine, also known as an HFFS (Horizontal Form Fill Seal) machine, is an automated packaging system that wraps a product in a continuous film. The process involves three main steps:
Creating a tube of film around the product.
Sealing the bottom (longitudinal seal).
Sealing and cutting the ends to create a “pillow-style” pack.
It is the industry standard for packaging solid items like bakery goods, confectionery, medical devices, and hardware because it offers high-speed efficiency and excellent product protection.
The cost of an industrial flow wrap machine varies significantly based on your specific production requirements. Generally, the price is influenced by three main factors:
Level of Automation: Manual-feed entry-level machines are the most affordable, while fully integrated, high-speed automated lines require a higher investment.
Sealing Technology: Specialized Box Motion (long-dwell) heads for airtight MAP packaging cost more than standard Rotary heads.
Build Material & Customization: Stainless steel “wash-down” versions for the food and medical industries or custom infeed systems will affect the final price.
Note: At Record Packaging, we offer various finance options to help businesses scale their production with the latest technology.
The choice between a Horizontal Flow Wrapper (HFFS) and a Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) machine depends entirely on your product:
Choose Flow Wrapping (Horizontal) if you have solid, individual items that need to be “pushed” or “carried” into the film, such as biscuits, IV bags, or chocolate bars. It is generally faster and produces a tighter, more branded pack.
Choose VFFS (Vertical) if you are packaging loose, granular, or liquid products that need to be dropped into a bag via gravity, such as crisps, frozen peas, or powders.
Yes. While standard rotary wrappers are great for dust protection, our Box Motion Flow Wrappers are specifically designed for hermetic (airtight) sealing. By using a reciprocating sealing head, the machine allows for a “long-dwell” time, ensuring the film is perfectly bonded. This is essential for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which uses gas flushing to extend the shelf life of fresh meat, cheese, and produce.
Select from a high-speed Rotary Sealing Head for continuous-motion wrapping of standard products, or a Box Motion (Long Dwell) Sealing Head for creating high-integrity, hermetic seals essential for fresh food, medical items, and Modified Atmosphere Packaging.
Multiple servo motors provide precise, independent control over the infeed, film feed, and sealing jaws. This ensures smooth product handling, reduces mechanical wear, minimises film waste, and allows for fast, digitally-controlled product changeovers.
This critical component, also known as a "former," shapes the flat film into a continuous tube around the product. Its adjustable design allows the machine to be quickly adapted to package products of different widths and heights, offering maximum flexibility.
A user-friendly colour touchscreen simplifies operation. It allows operators to easily load pre-programmed product recipes, adjust settings like temperature and pack length, run diagnostics, and monitor production data in real-time.
A smart sensor detects the presence of a product on the infeed. If a product is missing, the machine will inhibit both the film feed and the sealing jaws for that cycle, preventing empty bags, saving film, and avoiding machine jams.
