Every flowpack application has its own requirements. Product shape, packaging material, machine setup and pack dimensions all influence the design of the forming shoulder. Whether you are working with plastic film or paper, a standard product or an unusual shape, the right forming solution is essential for smooth material tracking and reliable packaging.

Below, FormerFab answers seven common questions from customer projects.

1. What information is needed to design the right forming shoulder? 📐

The forming shoulder has to match the complete application. To design the right solution, we need:

• 📦 Product details: length, width, height and shape
• 🎞️ Packaging material: plastic film or paper, including thickness and width
• ⚙️ Machine information: manufacturer, model and existing former dimensions if available
• 📏 Required pack dimensions: especially bag width, height and clearance requirements
• 🧪 Samples: physical product and packaging material for validation

Complete and accurate information at the beginning helps reduce later adjustments and improves the fit in the machine.

2. What causes wrinkles or unstable material tracking? 🔍

Wrinkles and unstable tracking are often caused by:

• incorrect forming geometry
• incorrect material tension
• poor machine alignment
• incorrect positioning of the forming shoulder

These factors are connected. For example, increasing material tension will not solve a forming geometry that does not match the product, material or pack dimensions.

FormerFab can review the application, check the shoulder geometry and mounting position, and adapt the forming solution where necessary. The completed shoulder can then be tested with the supplied product and packaging material.

3. When should you choose a standard or custom forming shoulder? 🛠️

A standard forming shoulder can be suitable when:

• the machine matches an existing standard application
• the product has regular dimensions and a conventional shape
• the plastic film is within the normal thickness range
• the required pack dimensions are close to an existing standard geometry

A custom solution is usually recommended when:

• the product is unusual or asymmetric
• the application uses paper packaging
• the packaging material is sensitive to scratching
• the pack width or height is non-standard
• the standard former does not provide enough adjustment range

In simple terms: standard shoulders work well within a proven operating range, while custom geometry provides greater reliability for more demanding applications.

4. How quickly can a forming shoulder be delivered? ⏱️

Typical lead times are:

• ✅ Standard projects: approximately 7–8 weeks
• 🔧 Special or custom projects: approximately 9–10 weeks

The lead time starts once all required product information, machine data, packaging material and samples have been received.

The final schedule can vary depending on the technical complexity of the project.

5. Do I need a new flowpack machine when switching to paper? 📄

Not necessarily.

In many cases, the existing machine can continue to be used, but the forming shoulder may need to be adapted or replaced.

Paper behaves differently from plastic film. It is often stiffer, folds differently and has a lower tolerance for sharp forming transitions. A shoulder designed for plastic film may therefore create excessive stress, poor folding or unstable material tracking when used with paper.

The correct solution depends on the specific paper material, product and machine combination.

6. How is the correct pusher immersion point determined? ➡️

The pusher needs to carry the product far enough into the forming shoulder so that the product remains supported and continues moving in a stable position.

At the same time, the pusher must not come into contact with the forming shoulder.

For this reason, the pusher path, product position and forming geometry need to be considered together to create a smooth and reliable transition.

7. Does testing at a lower speed affect the packaging result? 🧪

No, not when validating the forming shoulder itself.

Testing at a lower speed allows us to check:

• material guidance
• folding behaviour
• product support
• overall pack formation

The basic forming geometry and material path remain the same.

On the production machine, material tension, shoulder alignment and other machine settings still need to be adjusted correctly for the required operating speed.

A reliable flowpack starts with the right geometry ✅

The forming shoulder is the point where product shape, packaging material and machine movement come together.

Choosing the correct geometry and supplying complete application data helps reduce wrinkles, unstable tracking, material damage and unnecessary machine adjustments.

Planning a new flowpack format, a special product or a switch from plastic film to paper? 📩 Contact FormerFab to discuss your application and the information or samples needed for an initial assessment.