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In modern manufacturing, packaging is not just  "putting products into a box or bag". It is a layered system designed to protect products, ensure food safety, support logistics, and maintain brand image from the factory to the retail shelf. To describe this system, the industry uses three fundamental levels: primary packaging, secondary packaging, and tertiary packaging. These layers work together as a complete packaging system, each with its own functions, materials, and types of packaging machines.

For anyone new to packaging automation, understanding these three levels is essential. It explains why there are so many different machines—flow wrappers, VFFS machines, cartoning machines, case packers, and palletizing robots—and why they are usually combined into one packaging line instead of being used separately. In simple terms, primary packaging directly protects the product, secondary packaging groups multiple products into convenient units, and tertiary packaging makes the entire load ready for transport and warehousing. But beyond this simple definition, each layer has very different design priorities, quality standards, and equipment.

In modern food production, the Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) machine is an absolute cornerstone. Yet, the single biggest mistake companies make when purchasing one is focusing solely on the sticker price. This oversight often leads to unforeseen, long-term operational costs that ultimately erode profitability.

A Full-Spectrum Demonstration Center for Flow Packing, VFFS, Premade Pouch, and End-of-Line Automation

Packaging machinery has undergone more than a century of transformation, evolving from simple hand-operated devices into the highly automated, servo-driven, and intelligent systems seen in modern factories. Understanding this evolution is essential because it reveals how the needs of society, industry, technology, and global supply chains shaped today's packaging landscape. For beginners, the development timeline helps explain why so many different types of packaging machines exist today—flow wrappers, VFFS systems, carton packers, premade pouch machines, and full packaging lines—and why each generation introduced new functionality, new levels of speed, and new expectations for hygiene, reliability, and material compatibility.

Below is a structured but highly readable timeline of key stages in the evolution of packaging machinery, written in a narrative way so even non-engineers can grasp how the industry transformed over time.

This article is part of the Soontrue Packaging Knowledge Series. For the full in-depth encyclopedia-level guide, see: Packaging Machine Definition & History.

Discover the next generation of case erecting technology — the Soontrue K & T Series Robotic Vertical Case Erecting Machine.
Designed with servo motion control and robotic arms, this system delivers unmatched stability, precision, and intelligence.

Strengthening Global Cooperation in Smart Packaging

During the 138th Canton Fair, a delegation of Argentine buyers led by Mr. Ramiro, representing the cheese and dairy manufacturing sector, visited Soontrue’s Foshan factory for an immersive experience in smart packaging technology.

In the current fast-moving market, packaging machinery is an essential tool in various industries, and particularly so in the food industry.

It is worth noting that flow packaging is the fastest growing market segment in food packaging machinery. Driven by the strong trend of increasing automation and growing demand for sustainable development, this technology is bringing unprecedented business opportunities to the baking, confectionery, snacks and processed food industries.

In modern packaging industry, selecting the right packaging equipment has a decisive impact on enterprise operational efficiency and market competitiveness.  Horizontal Form Fill Seal (HFFS) Machine and Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) Machine represent two mainstream packaging technology routes, each with unique advantages and applicable

scenarios.