How are Flexible Packages Manufactured?

There are four manufacturing steps in a typical stand up pouch found in your pantry. Let's see what they are!
January 23, 2023

How Stand Up Pouches Are Made

There are four manufacturing steps in a typical pouch found in your pantry. Let's see what they are!

Step One – Printing

There are a variety of print methods utilized to produce a pouch. The one thing they all have in common is that they are printed on rolls. The material is supported by a paperboard core and unwound into the printer for ink application. Most any print method can be utilized whether it’s a traditional method with inks and printing plates or a more modern digital printing method that eliminates the need for printing plates.

Step Two – Protecting the Ink

The printed ink must be protected to ensure safety and durability. Two methods exist: lamination or coating.

  • Lamination involves adhering a second layer of clear film over the printed image. This film is adhered with an adhesive that is either heat activated or two part bonded.
  • Coating utilizes a clear liquid that is evenly coated across the printed image. The coating is then quickly dried and bonded to the printed image.

Both methods will provide excellent results. There are many options available to provide gloss, matte of soft touch finishes to your finished pouch.

Step Three – Slitting

The next step is trimming. This slitting step optimizes the pouch material to the exact width required in the pouch converting machine. By trimming the rolls it will eliminate any extra width material and allow pouches to be made at maximum production speeds. This step may seem to be the simplest, but it is critical to the success and optimization of the process.

Step Four – Pouch Making

This final step is where the magic happens. The rolls of flex pack material have been printed, protected and trimmed in preparation for this final manufacturing step. To create the final form of that pouch in your pantry, the material has to be punched, folded, sealed and trimmed multiple times in the pouch converting machine. It is very similar to an automated Origami machine. What was once a boring flat piece of material is now a complicated Flexible Package that can stand on its own in your cupboard.