Welcome to All about packaging machines, an educational website showing how packaging machines work using animation and diagrams accompanied by brief descriptions.
Please note this website is a work in progress with three of the nine listed sections complete. Additional sections will be added regularly.
There are thousands of different machines for packaging every conceivable raw material and manufactured product. Packaging machinery is particularly important in fast moving consumer goods (fmcg) industries such as food, drinks, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, toiletries and household products. The machines described and illustrated here are widely used in these industries.
A comprehensive descriptive list of packaging machines is found in European standard EN 415-1:2014, Safety of packaging machines - Part 1: Terminology and classification of packaging machines and associated equipment.
Packaging machines are grouped on this website in the following categories. Navigate using links for the category headings below or through the site map.
1. Container cleaning machines (in preparation)
Machines that clean or sterilise the internal volume and/or the external surface of rigid or semi-rigid containers such as bottles, jars, cans, tubs and vials before filling.
2. Container filling machines
Machines that fill rigid or semi-rigid containers with a product which can be solid material, powder, liquid or paste.
3. Container closing machines (in preparation)
Machines that apply and seal a closure such as a cap, lid, or cork to a rigid or semi-rigid container after filling.
4. Container labelling machines (in preparation)
Machines that apply labels and decoration such as foil to a rigid or semi-rigid container.
5. Form, fill and seal machines (in preparation)
Machines that form and fill individual product packs from a continuous reel of packaging film and then seal and separate the packs.
6. Cartoning machines (in preparation)
Machines that pack an individual product into a carton, normally for presentation at the point of sale. Cartons are typically made from fine gauge, decorated carton board.
7. Wrapping machines (in preparation)
Machines that completely or partially wrap individual products or groups of products with a flexible packaging material.
8. Case and tray packing machines
Machines that insert and seal multiple product items in an outer case or tray for protection, transport, storage and handling through the supply chain.
For quick access to animations for these machines use the this link to video animations
9. Palletizing, depalletizing and pallet wrapping machines
Machines that: (a) form a load of individual products or packages on a pallet for transport and storage (palletizers), (b) remove from a pallet bulk items, typically containers used in a packaging process (depalletizers), (c) apply protective film to a pallet load (pallet wrappers).
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