Tag Archives: vacuum sealer

Product of the Month: HVC-260T Vacuum Sealer

Product of the Month

We are highlighting our value chamber vacuum sealer, HVC-260T in this month’s Product of the Month series.  The HVC-260T is an inexpensive workhorse vacuum chamber that can be used to vacuum seal almost anything including liquids.  Remember the unique feature for vacuum chamber sealers is no external compressor is required so this unit is basically a plug and go unit.

As a special we are offering a 10% discount with the code FALLBACK when purchased on our website.  Don’t wait as this code expires at the end of the year!

SealerLogo_HVC-260T

FEATURES

  • Impulse seal – sealing length: 10″
  • Heavy duty 1/4 hp oil pump
  • 10” removable seal bar
  • Compact unit
  • Stainless steel construction
  • Easy to use digital control panel and easy to read pressure indicator
  • No external compressor required

Easy Maintenance with Removable Seal Bars

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Strong Enough Vacuum to Crush Soda Cans

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We also carry a wide range of a vacuum bags and offer custom sizes should you need.

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: VV1600 VACUUM SEALER

VV1600 Value Vac is an economical commercial retractable nozzle vacuum sealer.  Lightweight, all-metal construction with a stainless steel nozzle ensures many years of quality performance.  The Value Vac provides a sustained vacuum flow which increases production speed.  If you are looking for a no frills, entry level commercial vacuum sealer, the VV1600 Value Vac is what you are looking for!

  • Super easy to use and you can use the unit to vacuum seal or seal only
  • External compressor required (as with all nozzle vacuum sealers)
  • Max. width of bag – 16″ / Max. length of bag – n/a

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Not all Bags are Created Equal (Quick Lesson on OTR)

Vacuum packaging is a method of packaging that removes air from the package prior to sealing the package.  Many food industries (meat, cheese, seafood) use vacuum packaging in order to extend the shelf life of these products.

Once air has been eliminated from the package, there must be an adequate oxygen barrier and seal integrity to keep a low oxygen concentration inside the bag. Otherwise, the driving force created by the oxygen partial pressure differences (21% outside the bag and 0-2% inside the bag) will cause oxygen to re-enter the bag.

OTR (Oxygen Transfer Rates) is the amount of oxygen that passes through a defined area of film over 24 hours.  This is where the importance of your bag comes in.  See our chart below of various OTR rates for films.  The lower the OTR, the better the barrier.

OTR Chart_Logo

If you are vacuum sealing a bag with a high OTR, this defeats the purpose of vacuum sealing since the bag will easily allow oxygen right back in the bag.  In order to properly vacuum seal your bag, you must choose a bag with a low OTR.

Vacuum Bags Demystified!

Do you have a vacuum sealer and looking to purchase vacuum bags?  If you are, remember that there are TWO kinds of vacuum bags available on the market:  standard or embossed/channeled.  Make sure you purchase the correct bags.  See our post to differentiate.

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Standard Vacuum Bags – two smooth layers

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Channeled Bags – One smooth layer and one coated layer

Bags Defined:
Standard Vacuum Bags – are clear poly/nylon pouches that can be used with a vacuum chamber or nozzle vacuum machine.   Standard vacuum bags are much LESS expensive than channeled bags.  There is also much more variety of the standard vacuum bags such as sous vide (boilable), thicker bags (4mil or 5mil), zipper and hang hole, and much more!  To purchase our standard vacuum bags, visit our website or speak to a distributor near you.

SousVide

Standard Bags – for sous vide

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Standard Bags – zipper and hang hole

Channeled Bags – are characterized by the embossed or special surface which creates a pathway or “channel” which allows the air to be pulled out of the bags.   These bags will work on ANY and ALL vacuum sealers.  Your home machines (Foodshell, FoodSaver, Seal-A-Meal models) MUST use the channel bags because they are external clamp machines.  To purchase our channel bags, visit our website or speak to a distributor near you.  We also now carry channel bags with a ziplock as well as one with a gold back.

Gold Channeled

Gold Foil Backed Channel Bags

Zipper Channeled

Zipper and Hang Hole Channel Bags

Most home users have a vacuum sealer that must use the channeled bags although there is the SINBO vacuum sealer series which is the only home use vacuum sealer that utilizes STANDARD vacuum pouches saving you money right away.

SINBO – Three’s a Charm

sinbo-logo-finalOur famous SINBO vacuum sealers now come in three model types to fit all types of applications.  SINBO is the only light vacuum sealer on the market today that utilizes standard poly/nylon pouches not the expensive channel/embossed type of vacuum bags.

Our SINBO models:

  • DZ-280/A – our classic dual line seal
  • DZ-280/2SD – one line seal but a wider 4mm seal width for sealing thicker pouches; best vacuum sealer for the mylar bags
  • DZ-280/2SE – filter canister allows this unit to seal liquids and powders – Video here!

DZ-280_2SE

 

Our SINBOs are easy to use that require no warm-up time.  No outside compressor needed as with the larger nozzle type vacuum sealers and best of all, purchase standard vacuum bags, not the expensive channel vacuum bags.

Contact your local distributor today for more information.

The Best Little Vacuum Chamber That Could

If your small home vacuum sealer is just not meeting your needs, this chamber vacuum sealer is the perfect upgrade.  The TC-Series vacuum sealer is an easy to use table top unit that can vacuum seal your product:  cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and much more!  Just place your item in the chamber, close the lid and 30 seconds later..voila!  A perfectly vacuum sealed product with a beautiful two line seal.  We also carry options such as gas flush and 220V.

TC280F

FEATURES

  • Compact, easily fits most spaces
  • Stainless steel construction
  • Durable aluminum steel bar
  • Acrylic plastic lid
  • Pump manufactured and designed in Italy (TC-420 series – Busch pump)
  • Custom features available – gas flush, sensor control, 220V
  • ETL, UL, NSF, CE, and CSA Certified

Glossary of Packaging Terms

We have created a couple of glossary reference guides for our distributors.  There are so many terms to remember that we sometimes we forget too!

Click here for our A to Zs of Packaging

Click here for our Glossary of Flexible Packaging Materials

Nozzle (Snorkel) Vacuum Sealers

Nozzle vacuum sealers are the most versatile among the three types of vacuum sealers we carry.  Nozzle-style vacuum sealers suit nearly every application: for your home, manufacturing, food, pharmaceutical, etc.  Nozzle style vacuum sealers are easy to use and easy to clean.  Because there is no chamber, nozzle vacuum sealers can seal virtually any type of product, especially large or bulky items.

Bag Type:  Standard
Process:  Air is extracted by means of a retractable nozzle which is placed in between the vacuum pouch.  Bag conforms around product as air is extracted
Pros
Fast and light vacuum
Best for fresh vegetables and other “crushable items”
Best for liquids and/or grains
Gas flush option allowing perishable items to be sealed
Cons
External compressor may be required (our SINBO household vacuum sealer does not require an external compressor)
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ONLY portable vacuum sealer on the market utilizing STANDARD poly/nylon vacuum bags. 
NEW! DZ-280/2SE – filter canister allows this unit to seal liquids and powders – Video here!
DZ-280_2SE

VV-305T – 12″ Vacuum Sealer – for medium duty applications
VV-305T is a medium duty vacuum packaging machine that is easy to operate and practically maintenance free.  Sealer is also equipped with two sealing bars (top and bottom) for greater heat penetration when sealing thicker materials.  A work table is also included.

STANDARD FEATURES

  • Impulse seal
  • High flow stainless steel retractable nozzle
  • Easy set up using only compressed air and standard electrical outlet
  • Controller with 20 programs
  • Non-oil filling Italian pump
  • Metal construction
  • Fitted with emergency stop
  • External compressor required
Value Vac is an economical high performance nozzle vacuum sealer.  If you are looking for a no frills, entry level, commercial vacuum sealer, the VV1600 Value Vac is what you are looking for!
  • 16″ Wide Impulse Sealing – No warm-up time needed with a 1/4″ flat band seal
  • Stainless Steel Nozzle – Easy to clean and more durable
  • Venturi Vacuum – No moving or electrical parts make the venturi pump very quiet
  • Lightweight Metal Construction – Provides portability and durability.
  • External compressor required

Mighty Mutt – tackles the toughest packaging as well as the tightest budgets!
We are pleased to carry the  Mighty Mutt.  Mighty-Mutt comes standard with a retractable nozzle system made of stainless steel.

  • 18″ Impulse Sealing – No warm-up time needed with a 1/4″ flat band seal
  • Stainless Steel Nozzle – Easy to clean and more durable
  • Venturi Vacuum – No moving or electrical parts make the venturi pump very quiet
  • Lightweight Metal Construction – Provides portability and durability.
  • External compressor required

Additional options available:

  • Self-Contained – Internal Compressor
  • Single Stage Gas Flush
  • Bi-Active Seal System
  • Work Shelf

GVS Vacuum Sealer – The Workhorse
The GVS Workhorse is a must for all heavy duty applications.

STANDARD FEATURES

  • High grade stainless steel and heavy duty anodized aluminum
  • Single stage gas flush
  • Impulse Sealing – upper and lower heating elements
  • Touch PLC screen control
  • Built-in safety bar
  • Seal Lengths – 21″, 26″, 31″, and 36″
  • Twin Retractable High Volume Rate Nozzles
  • Venturi Vacuum Pump
  • Pneumatic Safety System
  • External compressor required

Vacuum Sealers Explained

Vacuum Sealers remove oxygen from a package prior to sealing the bag.  By removing oxygen from the package, vacuum sealing can extend the life of a food package or prevent rust of industrial items.  Some vacuum sealers also provide gas purge/gas flush which can flush your pouch with nitrogen to ensure the complete removal of any oxygen in your pouch.   Barrier type of bags must be used to ensure a proper vacuum…some sealers such as the external vacuum sealer require special channel or embossed bags in order to vacuum and seal.  There are three major categories of vacuum sealers:  external vacuum sealer, nozzle vacuum sealer, and the chamber vacuum sealer.  We carry vacuum sealers in all three categories.  Click here for our vacuum sealer product line.

External Vacuum Sealers
In an external vacuum sealer, your product remains outside of the vacuum sealer and a vacuum pump extracts air from a small vacuum cavity.  See our WVT-455T video for an example of how this sealer works.

Bag Type:  Only embossed/channeled bags can be used

Process:  Air is extracted through the ridges on the pouch after the machine’s lid is closed over the bags’ end

Pros

  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • Embossed pouches more expensive than standard vacuum pouches
  • Not practical for higher volume user
  • Slower than commercial vacuum sealers

Nozzle or Snorkel Vacuum Sealers
In an external vacuum sealer, your product remains outside of the vacuum sealer; a nozzle draws air out of the bag and retracts so the bag can be sealed. See our Value Vac video for an example of how this sealer works.

Bag Type:  Standard
Process:  Air is extracted by means of a retractable nozzle which is placed in between the vacuum pouch.  Bag conforms around product as air is extracted
Pros
Fast and light vacuum
Best for fresh vegetables and other “crushable items”
Gas flush option allowing perishable items to be sealed
Cons
External compressor may be required (our SINBO household vacuum sealer does not require an external compressor)
Chamber Vacuum Sealers
In a chamber vacuum sealer, the product is placed completely in a machine before sealing.  See our picture of the TC-280F.
Bag Type:  Standard
Process:  Product is placed in the chamber and the lid is closed.  A vacuum pump extracts air from the chamber; when the air has been extracted, the sealer will then seal the bag.  Air allowed back into the chamber and the vacuum sealed product can be removed
Pros
Highest possible vacuum pressure
Identical vacuum extracted each time
Best for liquids and/or grains
Gas flush option allowing perishable items to be sealed
Cons
Usually larger machine so occupies more space

How to Seal a Gusseted Bag?

Many of our customers call us asking what sealer works best for their gusseted bag.  Our blog, today, will address that question.

What is a gusseted bag?
Gusseted bags are commonly used in the coffee and tea industry.  The sides of the bags fold in to form a gusset.  Gusset bags have sides that expand, allowing you to package bulkier, larger items.

What type of sealer should you use to seal a foil gusseted bag?  Because of the gussets, a single element sealer such as your typical hand impulse sealer  cannot properly seal through all four layers of the gusseted bag.  Do not use a hand or foot or automatic sealer, not even a 5mm sealer.

We recommend using the following sealers:

6" Semi-Automatic Double Impulse Sealer

…this small unit is the perfect size for sealing coffee bags

Double Impulse Sealers
Double impulse sealers utilize two heating wires (upper and lower) to seal through your gusset bag.  We carry both hand and foot operated as well as a few automatic units to suit your produtction level needs.   Seal width – usually 5mm or 10mm (.20″  or .40″)

For more options, please see our website here.

Our most popular unit for sealing coffee bags

Direct Heat Sealers
Direct heat sealers (also known as constant heat sealers).  Whereas impulse sealers only create heat when sealer jaw and body meat, direct heat sealers maintain heat in the jaws as long as the sealer is turned on.    As a result, direct heat sealers possess better heat penetration to seal thicker materials.  Seal width – usually 15mm (0.6″)

Portable direct heat sealers  or clamp style sealers are affordable and easy to use.   We carry 6″, 8″, and 12″ models.

  • A temperature controller accurately controls the temperature from 30°-550° F (0°-300° C)

Foot or Table Top Direct Heat Sealers utilize a temperature controller.  Both units use a foot switch to control the movement of the upper jaw.

  • Band Sealers allow you to seal nearly any thermoplastic material considerably faster than any other sealer.

Seal quickly and efficiently with a band sealer

Vacuum Sealer
Sometimes, in addition to sealing a bag, you will require a vacuum.   We also carry a vacuum sealer made specifically for foil gusset bags (coffee bags).  The vacuum sealer is a double impulse sealer with a 5mm seal.

Seals and vacuums in one step!

We hope this provides you with some smart choices for sealing your gusseted bags.  Please be sure to check out our website – Sealer Sales.  Please contact us for more questions.