Image source: http://www.kleerpak.com/images/stand-up-pouches-06.png
Pouches use much less material than other traditional packaging methods like corrugated cartons or laminated boxes. Pouches can be customized to fit any of your needs but you need to understand why stand up pouches can be so beneficial to your business. Understanding how stand-up pouches are made can be cheaper and run more efficiently than you may think.
The first thing to remember stand up pouches is that they are made up of co-extruded material from 3- layer, 5-layer, 7-layer, 9-layer or the material can be a single mono layer and laminated with a number of other film structures from p.e.t., nylon, metalized p.e.t., foil etc. Pouches can be printed up to 10 color line or process printed with you logo or design, so potential to really make an impact on retail shelfs.
Pouches are made from a continuous web of material where the first step in manufacturing process of a stand up pouch happens when it goes through a set of plows that folds the material into a w-shape guesset into the bottom so the pouch will be able to stand up. Now if you want a re-closable zipper as part of your pouch it is sealed on the inside of the face of the web near the top edge of the material. Re-closable zippers are the most common method, but spouts, perforations, and other re-closable openings are also available.
Once the gusset is formed vertical seals are then made along the pouches side and the re-closable zipper is pressed into the same area to seal the ends and flattens out. The laminated pouch is then cut apart vertically through the center of the of the side seals to create the finished stand up pouch.
After the product is dispensed into the pouch it travels thru the filling station where the re-closable zipper is closed and the pouch is sealed above the zipper.
Stand up pouches are becoming more and more popular options for liquids, dry chemicals, pet foods, personal care products, granular products like cereal, sugar, salt.
The stand up pouch is very user friendly both for consumers and to help reduce packaging cost.
Copyright (c) 2007 David Banig
