3 Best Food Tray Sealer Machines: Optimal Packaging Solution For Businesses

Tired of the inefficiency of packing and sealing hundreds of food trays? We hear you. The food industry can be ruthless when it comes to that.

But that doesn’t have to be a problem. You just need to enhance the business with a food tray sealer machine that will save you money and time, and contribute to higher efficiency. No more slowing down!

The Rundown

What Does Food Tray Sealer Do?

This is a specially designed sealing machine for sealing different types of food trays. It is often referred to as a tray lidding machine, heat sealer, or top sealer. The machine applies plastic film lids to trays of varying materials, sizes, and depths.

Is It Worth It?

Yes for commercial purposes. A sealer machine for food trays is an optimal packaging solution for a variety of applications, fresh produce, meat, frozen meals, and ready-made meals. That can be fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and other food trays you encounter on a daily basis when grocery shopping.

Food Tray Sealer: Details

There are some specific components of this sealing model. Here are the details which will help you define the appliance.

• Industrial design. This is a heavy-duty model designed for commercial purposes so you can’t really expect an aesthetic unit.
• Big in size. These sealing models come with pretty big working units. They can be big anywhere between 30 and 100 inches.
• Metal construction. In order to meet the highest business standards, the sealing machine needs to have a high-quality and strong construction. These models are usually made from strong metal materials such as aluminum, iron, and stainless steel.
• Strong motor power. To withstand the continuous use for hours, the sealing machine for food trays needs to have strong motor power of at least 500 Watts.
• Sealing capacity. For business, it is important to have a sealing machine that can provide you with impeccable work and sealing capacity. Depending on the model, a sealing machine can seal and pack hundreds of food trays per hour.

Can I Use It At Home?

You can, but there is really no need for you to do that. This is a too big industrial unit that requires space, power, and electricity. Plus, it is expensive, so there is no reason you should spend so much money on something for home use. If you want to pack meals, portions, and some specific food items, you can just use a classic heat sealer or a vacuum sealer. These models will do the same job and they are more suitable for home use. You don’t need a sealing machine that is capable of sealing 250 food trays per hour.

Types Of Tray Seal Films

There are 3 types of sealing films. Here are the details on each of them.

• Resealable is referred to as a film that can be opened and then resealed by the consumer multiple times.
• Peelable is referred to as a film that can be removed only once and with minimal effort.
• MAP or modified atmosphere packaging is a film that has micro-perforations to control the oxygen flow in and out of the package. Such a film extends the shelf life of perishable items.

Reliable Brands

Today, there are many brands that produce reliable sealing machines. In the terms of business, some of the most reliable brands of sealing models for food trays are UltraSource, ILPRA, and CiMa-Pak.

Price Range

Yes, these models are pretty expensive. They are usually priced from $2,000 to more than $10,000. So all in all, they do require a big investment, however, they are definitely worth it in the terms of business.

Why Should You Consider Getting A Food Tray Machine?

There are many benefits of getting an automatic machine for sealing and packaging different types of food trays.

Designed For Commercial Use

You really can’t go wrong by choosing a specially designed appliance made just for professional and industrial use. That means that it will withstand the hectic situations and chaos of long working hours.

Reduce Plastic Material

Top seal packaging uses up to 25% less plastic packaging material than other traditional packaging options.

Extend Shelf Life

Top seal film protects the products from temperature changes and other factors that can cause food spoilage.

High Product Safety

When sealed, the food tray is under strong airtight packaging. That minimizes the risk of contamination, dirt, and moisture.

Save Time & Labor Costs

The automatic sealing operation lasts for a couple of seconds and it interchanges the food trays automatically. Imagine how much time is saved, as well as the labor costs.

Production Insight

With this sealing machine, you have a live view of the machine and its current operational state. You see the live production statistics, details, and changes in machine parameters. The insight let you be in control!

Increased Flexibility

Tray sealing machines can fit multiple tray sizes and the capability can be integrated with other factors in the production line.

Different Model Options

There are three main sealing machine models you can choose from. They mostly differ by design and sealing capacity per hour, as well as by the type of operation and power source. But here is the info.

Semi-Automatic Tray Seal Machine

This model is also known as the linear array machine.

• It is great for small and medium-sized operations.
• It features a rotating sealing station that needs to be pushed manually by the operator.
• It can seal up to 40 packs per minute. That can be up to 2,400 packs per hour.

Automatic Tray Sealing Machine

This machine is often called a conveyor model.

• It is suitable for medium and large-scale operations.
• It is fully automatic as it pushes the trays through the machine.
• No need for any manual intervention.
• It can seal up to 200 packs per minute or up to 12,000 packs per hour.

Manual Tray Sealing Machine

These are smaller machines that require your input for sealing the food trays.

• Ideal for food service organizations, retailers, and small industries.
• Requires to lower the lid in order to seal the tray or pull the film over the tray, depending on the model.
• The capacity per minute and hour depends on the speed of your input.
• It comes in a compact size so it can fit any countertop.

Know This Before Purchasing

When you’re looking for a sealing machine for packaging the food trays, there are a couple of additional specifications and features you need to know.

Do They Come With Different Sealing Modes?

Not really. They usually feature one general sealing mode that is suitable for the entire sealing operation.

Adjustable Control Parameters

Most machines come with specific parameters that can be changed by the operator. Those are temperature, sealing pressure, and speed.

Quietness? Not With This Model

These are really loud machines so don’t expect ultra-quiet sealing operation. They usually produce about 80 decibels of noise.

Stable Bottom

Make sure to check the design of the bottom. It needs to feature little legs or rubber in order to ensure safe and stable operation.

3 Best Food Tray Sealer Machines

Hanchen FR160E Container Sealer

User-Friendly Design
This sealing machine is designed for simple and easy operation. It uses electricity to seal, however, it does require a bit of your input in that operation. You just need to press down the handle to start and finish the sealing process.

Strong Model For Versatile Use
With a 500 W motor, the sealer ensures high efficiency and impeccable sealing performance. It is used for sealing tray-packed cooked food, cold and fresh meat, seafood, fast food, and more.

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KANGXIN Food Tray Sealer

Manual & Comfortable Unit
This sealing machine is a manual model. It features a well-designed and comfortable handle that you need to pull down in order to start and finish the sealing process. The machine needs seconds to seal the package.

Suitable For Various Materials
The sealer can work with PP, PE, PET, and other packaging materials. It is suitable for food trays, plastic cups, plastic bowls, and others. The sealer’s high-powered motor ensures fast and efficient sealing performance.

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Menupack Food Packaging Machine

Good Fit For A Countertop
This manual food tray sealer is relatively light and compact. It can fit any kitchen countertop without taking too much space. The machine is designed with a stable bottom and it requires minimal input to work.

Seals Almost 200 Meals Per Hour
The tray sealing machine has an automatic film cutting system and manual temperature control. It is designed to pack and seal up to 160 meals per hour. That makes it ideal for small food shops and sandwich bars.

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How Do You Seal Food Tray Packaging?

The sealing operation depends on the model you choose. Since automatic and semi-automatic models require minimal input, you need to read the official manual and instructions in order to use such models and to know what is expected from you. Here are the instructions on how to use a manual sealing machine for food trays.

1. Place the sealing film according to the instructions in the official manual.
2. Put the food tray in its place.
3. Pull the film over the tray.
4. Lower the lid that will automatically seal the tray.
5. Once you lift up the lid, the food tray will be sealed.