Automatic Nougat, Sesame Candy & Rice Cake Pillow Packing Machine

Candy bars that stick and crumble are notoriously tricky to wrap by hand. An automatic pillow packing machine solves that by feeding, forming, sealing, and cutting each unit into protective flow-packs—fast, clean, and consistent. This guide explains how a pillow wrapper tailored for nougat, sesame candy, and rice cakes works, what specs to expect, and how to choose the right configuration for your line. For support and pricing, visit HMD Packaging Machine.

What It Does (In One Line)

Continuously wraps sticky, brittle, or soft confections—nougat, sesame candy, and rice cakes—into airtight pillow packs with photo-eye registration and hygienic heat seals.

Who It’s For

• Confectionery plants producing slab-cut nougat or sesame brittle

• Rice cake and puffed-grain snack factories

• Co-packers needing quick changeovers between SKUs

• Brands upgrading from manual/semi-auto flow-wrap to reduce labor and waste

How a Pillow Pack Wrapper Works

1. Infeed & Product Spacing – Belt or push-rod infeed lanes separate pieces and maintain pitch for stable sealing.

2. Film Unwind & Registration – Roll stock (BOPP/OPP/CPP/PE laminates) is guided with photo-eye to align print marks.

3. Forming Collar – Wraps film around the product to create a tube.

4. Longitudinal (Fin) Seal – Heaters seal the film’s back seam.

5. End-Seal Jaws & Cutoff – Rotating jaws create hermetic end seals and cut each pack to length.

6. Date/Batch Coding (Optional) – Thermal transfer or ink-roller coder marks packs inline.

7. Gas Flush (Optional) – Nitrogen injection lowers residual O₂ to extend crispness and prevent stickiness.

Sticky products like nougat benefit from PTFE-coated contact parts, low-tension film paths, and precise temperature control to avoid smearing.

Key Features for Nougat, Sesame Candy & Rice Cakes

• Non-stick, food-grade contact surfaces to handle tacky textures

• Stable product control with adjustable pushers or lug chains for brittle squares

• Tight, crisp seals with PID temperature control to safeguard crunch and aroma

• Quick changeover: tool-less forming sets, stored recipes, auto film splice options

• HACCP-friendly design: stainless housings, easy-wash guards, crumb collection trays

• Smart sensing: photo-eye for printed film, no-product/no-bag logic to reduce waste

Typical Technical Specifications (Configurable)

• Speed: ~60–300 packs/min (depends on product size, film, and sealing time)

• Product size range: L 40–180 mm, W 20–90 mm, H 5–40 mm (custom jaws available)

• Film width: up to ~420 mm (wider options available)

• Materials: OPP/CPP, BOPP/PE, metallized laminates, paper-poly where suitable

• Seal temperature: ~90–230 °C with closed-loop PID control

• Power: ~3–5 kW, 220 V, 50/60 Hz (regional options)

• Air: ~0.6 MPa, 6–10 L/min for jaws/actuators (if pneumatic assist)

• Frame: Stainless steel with safety interlocks and clear guards

(Values are typical ranges; final specs are tailored to your product and film.)

Packaging Quality & Food Safety

• Hermetic seals protect against moisture pickup (keeps brittle candy crisp).

• MAP/N₂ flush extends shelf life for oil-rich sesame candy by limiting oxidation.

• Consistent portion presentation improves retail shelf appearance and case packing.

Options That Matter for Confectionery

• 3–5 lane infeed for higher throughput of small squares

• Zig-zag or straight-cut knives, easy-tear notch, euro-hole punch

• Automatic film splicer to avoid stops during roll change

• Metal detector integration upstream of infeed

• Printer: TTO coder for date/lot/QR codes

• Remote diagnostics & recipe management

Throughput & ROI Snapshot

• Manual: ~18–30 packs/min with 2 operators → variable seal quality, higher waste

• Automatic: ~120 packs/min with 1 operator → up to 4–6× productivity, 1–3% film waste reduction, and consistent seals that cut returns.

• Payback often comes from saved labor, lower waste, and fewer reworks on sticky items like nougat.

Installation, Footprint & Utilities

• Footprint: ~3.5–4.5 m (L) × 1–1.2 m (W) × 1.5 m (H) depending on options

• Line integration: conveyors from cooling/cutting, checkweigher, metal detection, and case packer

• Commissioning: film/recipe tuning for each SKU; staff training on sanitation and changeovers

Buying Checklist

• Sample sizes (L×W×H) and piece variability

• Film specs & print mark position

• Target speed and desired shelf life (consider MAP)

• Hygiene requirements (washdown level)

• Coding, hole-punch, notch, and retail display needs

• Upstream/downstream equipment interface

Next Steps

Discuss your product sizes, film, and speed targets with a specialist. Start with samples and a quick run feasibility check via HMD Packaging Machine — pillow packing solutions, or reach out through HMD’s contact page to get a tailored quotation and lead time.