You've bought a Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) machine and now you need film in rolls, not ready-made pouches. But a roll isn't just “film” — it has to match your machine exactly. Order the wrong size and the whole roll can be useless.
⬇ Download this guide as a PDF (with diagram)
The most important number: reel width
Your machine folds a flat sheet of film into a tube and seals it. So the reel width (also called web width or film width) decides your finished pouch width. As a rule of thumb, your reel width is roughly twice your pouch width, plus a little for the seal.
The safest way to get this number: send your supplier a sample of the film you currently run — it carries the exact width, thickness, material and unwind all at once. No sample? Give the width of your forming tube (the metal collar the film wraps around) and the pouch size you want, and a good supplier will work out the reel width for you. It is the one spec you must never guess.
The details your supplier needs
- Reel width — the width of the flat film in millimetres. The single most important number (e.g. 240 mm).
- Core size (inner diameter) — the cardboard tube the film is wound on must fit your machine's shaft. Usually 3 inch (76 mm).
- Maximum roll diameter — how big the full roll can be before it won't fit your machine (e.g. up to 300–400 mm).
- Printed or plain — plain film for unbranded packs; printed film carries your design and needs the two specs below.
- Eye mark (for printed film) — a small dark rectangle printed on the edge that your machine reads to cut each pack in the same place. Without it, print drifts and cuts land wrong.
- Unwind direction — which way the film comes off the roll and which side the print faces. Tell your supplier, or send a sample so they match it.
- Thickness & material — the micron and film structure for your product (e.g. metallized for namkeen). Heavier packs need stronger film.
- Quantity — how much you need, in kilograms or metres. Larger runs lower your cost per pack.
Why the wrong spec wastes money
Reel too wide: film overhangs on every pack, so you pay for material that gets wasted and seals can look untidy. Reel too narrow: the pouch comes out too small, seals are weak, and it may not hold your fill weight — the whole roll can be unusable. Wrong core size: the roll won't fit your machine's shaft at all. Roll diameter too big: the full roll won't fit, so it has to be re-wound — extra cost and delay. Printed film with no eye mark: your design drifts out of position and cuts fall in the wrong place.
Copy-and-send checklist
Fill in whatever you know and send it to your supplier. Anything you're unsure of, write “please advise” or send a sample:
- Reel width: ____ mm (or “I'll send a sample”)
- Core size: ____ inch (usually 3 inch)
- Max roll diameter: ____ mm
- Printed or plain: ____
- Product & pack weight: ____ (e.g. namkeen, 100 g)
- Thickness / material: ____ (or ask us to suggest)
- Quantity: ____ kg
- Forming tube (collar) width: ____ mm (or send a film sample)
The one habit that saves the most money
Before ordering a new design or trying a new supplier, keep a small piece — about 10 cm — of your current running film and share it. A physical sample answers reel width, thickness, unwind direction and material all at once, far more reliably than numbers written from memory.
Next steps
Not sure of your reel width or which film to run? DM the word “ROLL” to @manjushreeplastics, or call/WhatsApp +91 70022 56544. Send a sample of your current film or your forming-tube width and pouch size, and we'll confirm the exact roll you need.
Not sure whether you even need rolls yet? Read Pouch or Roll? first.