Vacuum packaging and vacuum packaging machines

What is a vacuum packaging machine?

A vacuum packaging machine is a general term for a series of machines that can perform vacuum operations on product packaging. Of course, vacuuming is not the only thing a vacuum packaging machine can do. The packaging also needs to be heat-sealed. If it is a fully automatic stretch film vacuum packaging machine that uses roll film, it also needs to complete the cutting task, using the cutter system to cut the connected packages into independent vacuum packages. Depending on the needs, the vacuum packaging machine can also print date information.

Classification of vacuum packaging machines

The vacuum packaging machine uses a vacuum pump to extract the gas in the package, thus creating a vacuum package. There are two main types of vacuuming methods: external and internal. Therefore, vacuum packaging machines are mainly divided into:

External vacuum packaging machine

Internal vacuum packaging machine

The main differences between the two types of vacuum packaging machines are as follows:

Different vacuuming methods: The external vacuum packaging machine extends the vacuum nozzle into the package, and the vacuum pump sucks the air out of the package, and then seals it; the internal vacuum packaging machine places the entire package in a vacuum chamber, and uses a vacuum pump to vacuumize the entire vacuum chamber. The air in the package is also extracted and reaches the same high vacuum as the vacuum chamber.

The ultimate vacuum degree that can be achieved is different: Due to the natural defects of the vacuuming method of the external vacuum packaging machine, when the vacuum nozzle is recovered, air will inevitably be re-injected into the package, and the ultimate vacuum degree cannot be achieved, and can only reach about 3KPa. In the internal vacuum packaging machine, the entire vacuum chamber is fully sealed during the vacuum sealing process. The vacuum chamber will not be opened until the sealing is completed. There is no problem of air re-injection, and the ultimate vacuum degree of the package can reach 100Pa-200Pa.

Different application ranges: Based on the different vacuuming methods and the ultimate vacuum degree that can be achieved, the external vacuum packaging machine is suitable for products with low vacuum requirements, while the internal vacuum packaging machine is particularly suitable for products such as food that require high vacuum.

Different ranges of package sizes that can be processed: In the external vacuum packaging machine, the package is placed outside the machine, and the size requirements for the package are not strict, which is suitable for vacuum packaging of large-sized products; while in the internal vacuum packaging machine, the package must be placed inside the vacuum chamber, so the size of the package is limited by the size of the vacuum chamber. Although the vacuum chamber of the internal vacuum packaging machine can be customized, it cannot make large-sized vacuum packaging like the external vacuum packaging machine.

Different materials: We can see that most of the internal vacuum packaging machines on the market are made of food-grade SUS304 stainless steel, while the external vacuum packaging machines are mostly made of painted carbon steel, etc. The materials are very different. This is also the reason why the internal vacuum packaging machine is particularly suitable for food vacuum packaging. It is durable, corrosion-resistant, and meets food safety requirements.

Single-chamber vacuum packaging machine

A single-chamber vacuum packaging machine is a vacuum packaging machine with only one vacuum chamber. Depending on the length of the heating strip, we often see single-chamber vacuum packaging machines of type 400, 500 or 600. The model matches the length of the heating strip, such as type 400, which means the length of the heating strip is 400mm.

Due to the number of vacuum chambers, the working efficiency of single-chamber vacuum packaging machines is low. Generally, it takes 25-30 seconds to evacuate the vacuum, plus the time for taking and placing the package and opening the box cover, the time required to complete a whole vacuum packaging cycle is about 40 seconds.

Therefore, many people may equate single-chamber vacuum packaging machines with small vacuum packaging machines. In fact, according to the size of the product, we can customize large single-chamber vacuum packaging machines, which can be used for vacuum packaging of particularly large products, such as whole chickens, lamb legs, whole lambs, half-mouthed pigs, etc.

Double chamber vacuum packaging machine

Double chamber vacuum packaging machine , according to the name, is a vacuum packaging machine with two vacuum chambers. Strictly speaking, it should have two work surfaces and one vacuum chamber cover, but the vacuum chamber cover can swing left and right, alternately covering the two work surfaces, forming two vacuum chambers that work in turn.

Based on this feature, the working efficiency of the double chamber vacuum packaging machine can be 1 times higher than that of the single chamber vacuum packaging machine. Therefore, the double chamber vacuum packaging machine is the basic equipment for the large-scale food vacuum packaging industry.

Double chamber vacuum packaging machine is standard equipment in many food factories.

Continues vacuum packaging machine

If there are certain requirements for vacuum packaging output and the product size is not very large, the continues vacuum packaging machine is undoubtedly the best choice. The single-seal and multi-seal options are suitable for different product packaging lengths. The food-grade conveyor belt can quickly transfer the completed packaging to the receiving basket or the main conveyor belt and transport it to the boxing process.

Considering the three aspects of cost, convenience and packaging efficiency, the continues vacuum packaging machine can be said to be the most recommended industrial-grade vacuum packaging equipment.

Automatic thermoforming vacuum packaging machine

Different from the above vacuum packaging machines, the stretch film vacuum packaging machine (thermoforming vacuum packaging machine) is a truly fully automatic vacuum packaging equipment. It does not require the use of pre-made vacuum bags, but uses the lower film roll to realize automatic bag making in the forming chamber, uses the upper film roll to realize automatic vacuuming and sealing in the vacuum chamber, and is automatically cut by the cross-cutting knife and longitudinal cutting knife system.

According to the characteristics of different products and customer requirements, the fully automatic stretch film vacuum packaging machine can be equipped with automatic filling equipment, inkjet printer, etc. to realize unattended fully automatic vacuum packaging production, ensure quality, and save labor.

For more features and advantages of this machine, please refer to the product page.

How to choose a food vacuum packaging machine

As mentioned above, there are many types of food vacuum packaging machines, and the prices are also different. When choosing a vacuum packaging machine, you can mainly consider the following aspects:

First, you can choose according to your own product characteristics and production capacity requirements: mainly look at the nature of the product, whether it contains soup; how many packs per hour.

Look at the packaging requirements: edge width, packaging shape, easy tearing, whether to print date information, whether to require labeling, etc.

Look at the budget: the price difference of different food vacuum packaging machines is still relatively large, and you should buy it according to your budget.

Look at product quality and manufacturer service: the same vacuum packaging machine may use different materials and configurations, and the price will be quite different. The after-sales service of different manufacturers will also be different. Professional packaging machine manufacturers can provide professional products, services and consulting services.

In short, when buying a food vacuum packaging machine, you still need to look at more and consult more to buy a suitable and easy-to-use product.