Thermoformers and tray sealers both produce tray packs with vacuum or MAP, but work in completely different ways. Choosing the wrong one can cost hundreds of thousands in over-investment or block production growth.
The fundamental differences
The tray sealer works with pre-formed trays purchased separately: the operator loads them, the machine applies the top film. The thermoformer forms the tray directly in-line from the bottom film, fills and seals in a continuous process.
- Tray sealer: pre-formed tray (cost €0.05–0.15/pc)
- Thermoformer: tray formed in-line from film (cost €0.02–0.05/pc)
- Tray sealer: investment €15,000–80,000 (semi-auto → auto)
- Thermoformer: investment €80,000–300,000
- Tray sealer: format change in 10-20 min
- Thermoformer: format change in 30-60 min (dies)
When to choose the tray sealer
The tray sealer is the right choice when production is below 50,000 trays/day, when working with many SKUs and different formats, or when the budget doesn't allow thermoformer investment. It is also preferable for start-up productions where initial risk needs to be limited.
- Production < 50,000 pcs/day
- Many SKUs with different formats (flexibility)
- Limited budget (start-up, market testing)
- Products requiring special or custom trays
- Need for fast format changes (< 20 min)
When to choose the thermoformer
The thermoformer becomes economically convenient when volumes exceed 50,000-80,000 trays/day across a limited number of SKUs. Savings on pre-formed tray costs amortise the higher investment in 12-24 months.
- Production > 50,000 pcs/day
- Few SKUs with large volumes (< 5 main formats)
- Products with liquids or broths (in-line forming more hygienic)
- Integration with portioning robots and automatic weighing
- Goal of reducing packaging cost over the long term
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