The group must be controlled before the wrapper seals it

A standard wrapper does not automatically create a reliable multipack from randomly arriving products. The line needs a defined collation—such as a row, stack, bundle or counted group—plus a transfer method that preserves count and orientation through the former and sealing jaws. The required infeed may be manual, lane-based, flighted, servo-metered, collating or robotic.

“Multipack” can also describe different duties. It may mean several loose items in one primary flow pack, several individually wrapped packs inside a secondary flow pack, or a promotional group that could alternatively be shrink wrapped, cartoned or banded. Define the finished pack and reason for grouping before selecting the process.

Common collation duties

Side-by-side group: products are aligned into a row or matrix and transferred without changing count.
Stacked group: items are counted and stacked, with support added if the group can collapse or telescope.
Primary packs into a secondary flow pack: already wrapped items are accumulated and collated for a larger retail or promotional pack.
Mixed kit: different components are assembled in a fixed sequence, often requiring presence checks and recipe control.
Long product train: several items are placed nose-to-tail inside one longer pack, with end-seal clearance maintained.

The infeed is part of the multipack specification

The correct infeed depends on how products arrive. A manual loading station may suit small batches or frequent changes. Metering belts and flighted conveyors can control regular items. Lane mergers, stackers and collators can form repeatable groups. Robotics may be considered when product orientation, mixed formats or line balancing require flexible pick-and-place.

The scope should state what happens when a product is missing, doubled, rotated, late or damaged. The control strategy may stop the wrapper, reject the group, create an empty pitch or recover automatically. Those behaviours affect film waste, count assurance and restart performance.

Pack geometry must include the complete group

Measure the minimum, nominal and maximum group after it has been collated—not only the dimensions of one item. Allow for movement inside the group, compression, trays or boards, seal clearance, film tracking and the finished presentation. Long or unstable groups may need extra support through the former and discharge.

Collation and loading choices

Match the infeed to the real arrival condition

Multipack infeed and collation options
Method	Suitable starting point	Points to prove
Manual collation	Short runs, low output or frequent format changes where an operator can build and place each group.	Ergonomics, loading time, count accuracy, safe access and consistent pitch.
Flighted or metered infeed	Regular products or primary packs that can be accumulated and released into repeatable groups.	Gap control, group stability, starvation recovery and changeover.
Lane merger or stacker	Products arriving in lanes or requiring counted rows or stacks.	Count, orientation, transfer shock, jam recovery and clearance at the former.
Robotic collation	Flexible patterns, mixed products, variable arrivals or line balancing that benefits from pick-and-place.	Vision or detection, recipe control, missed picks, buffer capacity and safe integration.
Secondary flow wrapping	Individually packed items grouped into a larger flexible multipack.	Primary-pack friction, trapped air, printed-film registration, discharge and retail presentation.

Count, inspection and recovery

Define what the line must do when the group is not correct

Confirm presence and count

Sensors, vision, checkweighing or another inspection method may be required, depending on the product and the consequence of a wrong group. Confirm what is included on the proposed line.

Keep the result linked to the pack

The controls must maintain pack identity from the collation check to any downstream reject, including during gaps, stops and restarts.

Test abnormal conditions

FAT and site testing should include missing products, double feeds, blocked discharge, film change, upstream starvation and controlled recovery.

Flow wrapping and shrink wrapping solve different multipack duties

A secondary flow pack forms longitudinal and end seals around the group. Shrink wrapping uses heat to contract film around a product or bundle. Use the flow wrapping versus shrink wrapping comparison before the pack format is fixed.

Questions buyers ask

Multipack flow-wrapping questions

Can a standard horizontal flow wrapper make multipacks?

It may be able to wrap a controlled group that fits the machine envelope, but the wrapper alone does not normally count, stack or collate random products. The infeed, former, film width, pack length, jaw clearance and control sequence must be specified for the complete group.

How is the product count controlled in a flow-wrapped multipack?

Count can be controlled by the collator, sensors, vision, checkweighing or a combination of methods. The selected method depends on product consistency and the consequence of an incorrect pack. The quotation should identify the count check, reject method and recovery sequence explicitly.

When is a secondary flow pack useful?

A secondary flow pack can group individually wrapped products into a larger flexible retail or promotional pack while preserving the primary packs. Suitability depends on primary-pack friction, trapped air, group stability, artwork, seal position and how the multipack will be handled downstream.

What samples are needed for a multipack trial?

Send the normal and difficult primary products, the exact count and orientation, an approved multipack or drawing, production film, line-speed target and enough material to test collation, wrapping, stops, restarts and sustained accepted output.

Specify the group and the recovery logic

Ask for a multipack trial using the real products and film

Lancing can review the group dimensions, product arrival pattern, collation method, finished pack and line controls before confirming whether a horizontal flow wrapper and the proposed infeed are suitable.

Arrange a multipack review Compare feeding systems

How should products be collated and flow wrapped as a multipack?