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Customer Packaging Requirements

The customer required one flexible packaging system capable of handling several different pack sizes rather than using separate machines for each product format.

Main project requirements included:

• Product: apple chips, dried fruit slices and similar snack products

• Packaging weight range: approximately 112–900 g

• Bag type: back-sealed pillow bag

• Packaging film: composite laminated film

• Weighing system: 14-head 2.5L multihead weigher

• Maximum required bag length: approximately 510 mm

• Power supply: 220V, 3-phase, 50/60Hz

• Nitrogen flushing function

• Air-exhaust function

• Date coding system

• Multiple bag formers for different bag widths

• English-language machine interface and labeling

• Export wooden-case packing

For smaller bags, the customer also requested a packaging speed target of approximately 40 bags/min, subject to the actual product characteristics, target weight and film dimensions.

Packaging Solution

Samfull configured the project around a vertical form fill seal packaging machine combined with a 14-head multihead weighing system.

This configuration is particularly suitable for lightweight products such as dried apple slices because these products often occupy a relatively large volume even at moderate package weights.

Compared with a small-capacity weighing system, the 2.5L weighing buckets provide more usable volume for bulky dried fruit products and help maintain more stable product feeding.

The packaging machine automatically completes:

product weighing → dosing → film forming → filling → nitrogen flushing → bag sealing → coding → finished bag discharge

This provides the customer with a compact automated solution for multiple dried-fruit and snack packaging applications.

Multihead Weigher for Apple Chips and Dried Fruit

The project uses a:

14-Head 2.5L Multihead Weigher

The larger weighing buckets are well suited to products such as:

• Apple chips

• Dried apple slices

• Banana chips

• Dried mango

• Dried pineapple

• Dried strawberries

• Dried vegetables

• Fruit crisps

• Vegetable crisps

• Corn snacks

• Puffed snacks

• Mixed dried fruit

• Mixed fruit and nut snacks

For fragile products such as fruit chips, the feeding and weighing system can also be configured according to the actual product size, surface characteristics and breakage sensitivity.

Multiple Bag Sizes From 112 g to 900 g

One important requirement of this project was the ability to package products in significantly different bag sizes.

The machine was therefore supplied with three forming sets for different package specifications.

Examples specified for the project included:

112 g package

• Bag width: approximately 198 mm

• Bag length: approximately 241.3 mm

448 g package

• Bag width: approximately 218 mm

• Bag length: approximately 450 mm

Large package

• Up to approximately 900 g

• Bag dimensions configured according to the final product volume

• Maximum machine bag length specified at approximately 510 mm

Because dried fruit density varies significantly between products, final bag dimensions should always be determined according to product bulk density, individual piece size and target fill weight, rather than weight alone.

Nitrogen Flushing for Dried Fruit Packaging

The machine includes a nitrogen flushing function, which is useful for many dried-fruit and crispy snack applications.

Nitrogen can help reduce the amount of oxygen inside the finished package and is commonly used when customers need to improve product protection and maintain package quality.

For products such as apple chips and fruit crisps, the customer can combine the packaging machine with an appropriate barrier film according to the required shelf-life conditions.

The actual shelf life should be validated by the food manufacturer based on the product formulation, residual moisture, oxygen level, packaging material and storage conditions.

Date Coding System

A ribbon coding system was included for printing production information on the packaging film.

The customer's configuration required:

• Three-line coding

• English letters

• Numbers

• Production information such as MFG

• Expiry information such as EXP

This allows basic production and shelf-life information to be printed directly during the packaging process.

Safety and Machine Design

The packaging machine was also customized for the customer's production environment.

Specified features included:

• Electrical safety protection for machine doors

• English-language operating interface

• English machine labels

• Adjustable machine support

• Casters for machine movement

• Export-standard wooden-case packaging

These details make installation and daily operation easier for an overseas food-processing facility.

Suitable Products

Although this project was configured around lightweight snack products, the same vertical packaging platform can be adapted to many free-flowing or irregular solid products.

Typical applications include:

Dried fruit
Apple slices, banana chips, mango slices, pineapple pieces, dried strawberries, raisins and mixed dried fruit.

Fruit and vegetable crisps
Apple chips, freeze-dried fruit, vegetable chips, sweet potato chips and mixed fruit crisps.

Snack foods
Potato chips, corn chips, tortilla-style snacks, puffed food and extruded snacks.

Nuts and mixtures
Cashews, almonds, peanuts, trail mix, dried fruit and nut mixtures.

Final machine configuration should be selected according to the actual product, target weight, bag dimensions and required production speed.

Why Use a 14-Head Weigher for Dried Fruit Packaging?

A multihead weigher is commonly selected for these applications because it can automatically combine different weighing buckets to achieve the required target weight.

For dried-fruit manufacturers, the main advantages include:

• Automated weighing and filling

• Suitable for multiple target weights

• Good flexibility for different dried snack products

• Reduced manual weighing requirements

• Integration with automatic VFFS packaging

• Fast product changeover

• Suitable for continuous production

For especially fragile products, Samfull can evaluate the feeding height, discharge structure and contact surfaces according to product samples.

Complete Dried Fruit Packaging Line Options

In addition to the main vertical packaging machine and multihead weigher, a complete dried fruit packaging line can be configured with:

• Z-type bucket elevator

• Inclined conveyor

• Multihead weigher

• Working platform

• Vertical packaging machine

• Nitrogen flushing system

• Date coder

• Finished-product conveyor

• Metal detector

• Checkweigher

• Labeling machine

• Cartoning machine

• Case packing system

For larger automated projects, downstream secondary packaging and case packing can also be integrated according to the customer's factory layout.

FAQ

What machine is suitable for packaging apple chips?

For loose apple chips and dried apple slices, a vertical packaging machine combined with a multihead weigher is a common automated solution. The final weighing system should be selected according to the size, density and fragility of the apple chips.

Can one machine package different dried-fruit weights?

Yes. This project was designed around package weights from approximately 112 g to 900 g. Different bag formers can be used for different bag widths.

Can the machine package 500 g or 1 kg dried fruit?

Yes, depending on product density and required bag dimensions. Low-density dried fruit may require a larger bag and larger weighing bucket than dense products of the same weight.

Can nitrogen be added to apple-chip bags?

Yes. A nitrogen flushing system can be integrated into the vertical packaging machine. The required gas volume and residual oxygen target should be determined according to the customer's packaging process.

Can the machine package other products besides apple slices?

Yes. The same system can be configured for banana chips, mango slices, dried vegetables, fruit crisps, potato chips, corn snacks, nuts and other free-flowing solid products.

What information is required before selecting the machine?

We normally recommend providing:

product photos or samples + target bag weight + bag dimensions + film type + required speed + factory voltage

This allows the weighing and packaging configuration to be selected more accurately.