Packaging Machine Troubleshooting Guide: Common Issues and Fixes

Your packaging line just stopped. Again. The seals are weak, the film’s wrinkling, bags are coming out the wrong length, and your shift supervisor is standing over your shoulder asking when it’ll be fixed. Sound familiar?

I’ve spent years diagnosing packaging machine problems on production floors across every industry: snacks, pharma, coffee, frozen food, you name it. This packaging machine troubleshooting guide covers the six issues I see most often, with the exact steps to diagnose and fix each one. You don’t need to guess. You need a system.

Key takeaways:

• Bad seals account for roughly 40% of all VFFS troubleshooting calls: start by checking seal temperature, seal pressure, and seal jaw alignment
• Film wrinkling almost always traces back to film tension, forming collar alignment, or wrong film specifications for your machine
• Incorrect bag length usually means your registration sensor needs cleaning, your encoder is slipping, or your PLC settings drifted
• Product spillage and filling errors come from worn auger flights, incorrect timing, or a fill system that’s out of calibration
• Machine jams and film breakage are preventable: the root cause is almost always film path tension or a dull cutting blade
• You can fix 70–80% of common packaging machine problems yourself with basic tools and the right diagnostic approach

Why Do Packaging Machines Always Seem to Break at the Worst Time?

Because packaging machines run at high speed with tight tolerances across multiple synchronized systems (film feeding, forming, filling, sealing, cutting, and coding), and when one adjustment drifts, the whole chain breaks down.

Here’s what I’ve noticed after hundreds of service calls. Packaging machine problems don’t happen randomly. They follow patterns. A seal that was perfect yesterday didn’t suddenly fail for no reason. Something changed: ambient temperature, film batch, seal jaw wear, humidity, operator handling. The key to effective packaging machine troubleshooting is learning to think in cause-and-effect chains, not symptoms.

Most production teams react to problems by turning knobs and hoping. They bump up the seal temperature. They tighten the film tension. They speed up the machine or slow it down. Sometimes that works. Most times it masks the real issue and creates a new one three hours later.

This guide takes a different approach. For each problem, I’ll walk you through what to look for, what to measure, and what to adjust: in that order. No guessing. No knob-turning for the sake of it. Just a clear diagnostic path that gets you from “something’s wrong” to “here’s exactly what to fix.”

One more thing before we dive in. If you’re running a vertical form fill seal machine, most of these solutions apply directly. If you’re on a pouch filling machine, the filling and sealing sections will be especially relevant. The diagnostic principles are the same regardless of your machine format.

Let’s get into it.

Problem 1: Bad Seals (Leaking, Weak, or Inconsistent)

Bad seals are the number one packaging machine problem I encounter, and in most cases, the fix comes down to three variables: seal temperature, seal pressure, and seal dwell time.

You run a bag, squeeze it, and air leaks out. Or you drop-test a pouch and the bottom seal splits open. Or the seals look fine on some bags but not others. All three scenarios point to the same subsystem (your sealing unit), but the root causes differ.

Diagnosing the Seal Problem

Start by looking at the seal itself. Pull a bad bag and examine the seal line under good light.

• Frayed or melted edges: Seal temperature is too high. The film is burning rather than fusing.
• Seal looks normal but pulls apart easily: Seal temperature is too low, or seal pressure is insufficient. The layers didn’t fully fuse.
• Seal is inconsistent, strong in some spots, weak in others: Seal jaw alignment is off, or there’s debris on the seal bar. One side is making full contact while the other isn’t.
• Seal width is uneven or has “tracks” in it: Worn Teflon coating on the seal jaw, or the seal bar surface is scored.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Check seal temperature first. This is the most common culprit. Your machine’s PLC or HMI displays the set temperature and the actual temperature. If there’s a gap between them (say you’re set to 160°C but the actual reading is 148°C), your heating element is degrading or your thermocouple needs replacement. Don’t just crank the set point higher. Fix the underlying issue.

For standard laminated films (PET/PE, OPP/PE), seal temperatures typically run between 140°C and 180°C. For thicker structures or foil laminates, you may need 180°C–220°C. Check your film supplier’s datasheet for the recommended seal temperature range.

2. Inspect seal pressure next. Seal pressure is the force the seal jaws apply to the film. Too little pressure and the film layers won’t bond. Too much and you crush the seal area, thinning the material and creating a weak point.

Most VFFS machines use pneumatic seal jaws. Check your air pressure gauge: it should match the machine manual’s specification, typically 4–6 bar (60–90 psi). If the pneumatic cylinder is leaking or the seals inside are worn, pressure drops. You’ll see the gauge reading fluctuate during operation.

3. Verify seal dwell time. Dwell time is how long the seal jaws stay closed. On rotary machines, it’s controlled by the cam profile and machine speed. On intermittent machines, it’s a timer setting. If you’ve recently increased line speed without adjusting dwell time, your seals won’t have enough contact time to fuse properly.

4. Clean and inspect the seal jaws. Film residue builds up on seal bars over time. This residue acts as an insulator: it prevents heat transfer to the film. Clean the seal bars with a soft cloth and isopropyl alcohol. Check the Teflon tape or coating. If it’s worn through, replace it. Running raw metal against film will cause sticking, burning, and contamination.

5. Check seal jaw alignment. Close the jaws gently on a piece of paper (with the machine off and cooled). Pull the paper out. If one side slides out easily while the other grips tight, your jaws are misaligned. Adjust the parallelism per your machine manual.

Quick Reference: Seal Troubleshooting Table

Problem 2: Film Wrinkling and Tracking Issues

Film wrinkling happens when the film web isn’t feeding evenly through the machine, and the cause almost always traces back to film tension, forming collar alignment, or the wrong film specifications for your bag width.

You see it on the finished bags: creases, folds, uneven edges, or a “twisted” appearance where the bag should lie flat. Wrinkling isn’t just cosmetic. It weakens seals, throws off registration, and makes your product look cheap on the shelf.

Diagnosing Film Wrinkling

Look at where the wrinkling appears:

• Wrinkles on the back seal (fin seal): The forming collar is misaligned, or the film overlap isn’t centered on the seal bar.
• Wrinkles across the bag face: Film tension is uneven: one side of the web is tighter than the other.
• Wrinkles near the top or bottom seal: The film is bunching up as it enters or exits the forming collar, usually from too much slack in the film path.
• Twisted bags: The film roll isn’t mounted straight, or the film is tracking off-center through the machine.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Check film roll mounting. The film roll should sit perfectly perpendicular to the machine’s film path. If the roll holder is slightly angled, the film feeds with built-in tension on one side. Use a spirit level if needed. Tighten the roll holder clamps so the roll can’t shift sideways during operation.

2. Adjust film tension. Most machines have tensioning rollers or brake systems on the film unwind stand. The film should feed smoothly with light, even tension, not so tight that it stretches, not so loose that it sags. If your machine uses magnetic particle brakes, check that the brake current matches your film spec. Too much brake = overtight. Too little = slack and wrinkling.

3. Inspect the forming collar. The forming collar (sometimes called the forming tube or plow) is the metal component that folds flat film into a tube shape. It’s precisely machined for a specific film width and bag size. If the collar is slightly misaligned (even by a millimeter), the film won’t fold evenly.

With the machine stopped, run your fingers around the forming collar edge. Feel for any area where the film catches, drags, or lifts off the surface. Adjust the collar position until the film glides smoothly around the entire circumference.

4. Verify film specifications. This one catches people off guard. If you changed film suppliers, switched to a different gauge, or are running a new bag width, your forming collar and film path may not be set up for it. A collar designed for 320mm film won’t handle 380mm film cleanly. Film that’s too wide for the collar will wrinkle at the edges. Film that’s too narrow will leave an uneven back seal.

5. Check dancer rollers and guide rollers. These are the small rollers in the film path that maintain tension and guide the film. If any of them are seized, worn, or at the wrong angle, they create uneven tension. Spin each roller by hand. It should turn freely. Replace any that are stiff or have grooves worn into them.

Film Wrinkling Quick-Check Sequence

1. Is the film roll mounted straight? Fix the mount first.
2. Is the film tension even on both sides? Adjust brake/tension.
3. Does the film glide smoothly around the forming collar? Realign the collar.
4. Are you running the correct film width for this collar/bag size? Verify specs.
5. Are all guide rollers spinning freely? Replace any that stick.

Problem 3: Incorrect Bag Length or Cut Position

When your bags come out the wrong length or the cut position drifts off the seal line, the first components to check are the registration sensor, the pull belt system, and the encoder: in that order.

This problem shows up in a few ways. Bags are too short or too long. The cut line lands in the middle of the printed design instead of at the cutoff point. Registration marks are misaligned. Or the bag length varies: every tenth bag is slightly different from the rest.

Diagnosing Bag Length Errors

The pattern of the error tells you a lot:

• All bags are consistently wrong by the same amount: Your bag length setting in the PLC is incorrect, or the encoder calibration has drifted.
• Bags gradually get longer or shorter over a run: The pull belts are slipping, or the encoder wheel is losing traction on the film.
• Bag length jumps around randomly: Electrical noise on the encoder signal, a damaged encoder cable, or a faulty PLC output.
• Cut position is off but bag length is correct: The registration sensor (photocell) is misaligned, dirty, or reading the wrong mark.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Clean and check the registration sensor. The registration sensor (also called the photocell or print mark sensor) reads the dark registration marks printed on the film. These marks tell the machine where to cut each bag. If the sensor lens is dirty (and it gets dirty fast from film dust and ambient particles), it’ll read late, early, or not at all.

Clean the sensor lens with a soft cloth. Then check the sensor alignment. It should be positioned directly over the registration mark path as the film feeds past. If it’s shifted to one side, it may be reading the edge of the mark inconsistently or picking up background print colors.

Most modern sensors have a “teach” or “calibrate” function. Run it. This tells the sensor to learn the difference between the registration mark color and the background film color. If you’ve changed film suppliers or print designs, you need to recalibrate.

2. Inspect the pull belts and encoder. The pull belts (also called transport belts) grip the film and pull it through the machine to the correct length. The encoder measures exactly how much film has fed through.

If the pull belts are worn, glazed, or contaminated with film residue, they slip. The PLC thinks it fed 150mm of film but only 145mm actually moved. After ten bags, you’ve accumulated a 50mm error. Clean the belts with isopropyl alcohol. If the rubber is cracked or the belt surface is smooth and shiny, replace the belts.

The encoder wheel should press firmly against the film or the pull belt roller. If the encoder wheel is dirty or the mounting bracket is loose, it skips counts. Tighten the bracket and clean the wheel surface.

3. Verify PLC bag length settings. Go into the PLC or HMI and check the bag length parameter. Compare it to the actual measured bag length from a finished sample. If they don’t match, recalibrate the encoder. Most machines have a calibration routine where you feed a known length of film (say 500mm) and tell the PLC what the actual measurement is. The PLC then adjusts its encoder counts accordingly.

4. Check for static electricity. Film builds up static charge as it moves through the machine at high speed. Static causes the film to stick to rollers, the forming collar, or itself, which affects how smoothly it feeds. Install or check your static elimination bars. They should be positioned in the film path before the forming collar and before the registration sensor.

5. Look at film splice quality. If you’re splicing film rolls on the fly (most high-speed lines do), a bad splice creates a thickness bump that throws off the pull belts and encoder for several bags after the splice. Train operators on proper splicing technique and check that the splice tape is thin and applied flat.

Problem 4: Product Spillage and Filling Errors

Spillage and filling errors waste product, create mess, and produce underfilled or overfilled bags, and the root cause is almost always in the filling system calibration, the fill-to-seal timing, or worn filling components.

You see product dust on the seal area (which weakens seals). You find product on the floor under the machine. Bags are consistently over or under weight. Or the filler dumps product at the wrong moment: before the bag is fully formed or after the top seal has started closing.

Diagnosing Filling Errors

The type of error narrows it down fast:

• Product on seal area: Fill timing is off: product is still falling when the seal jaws close, or the funnel/tube is too short for the bag length.
• Consistent overweight bags: The filling system is over-dosing. Check auger fill settings, multihead weigher calibration, or volumetric cup size.
• Consistent underweight bags: Worn auger flights, partially blocked fill tubes, or multihead weigher vibrators running at reduced amplitude.
• Random weight variation: Product bridging in the hopper, inconsistent product flow, or air pressure fluctuations affecting pneumatic fill systems.
• Product spills outside the bag: Funnel alignment is off, or the bag opening isn’t fully formed before the fill cycle starts.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Check fill-to-seal timing. This is the sequence between when the filling system releases product and when the seal jaws close. If the seal jaws close too early, they catch falling product. If the filler releases too late, product hasn’t finished falling into the bag before the top seal starts.

Most PLCs let you adjust this timing in milliseconds. Increase the delay between fill completion and seal jaw close by 20–50ms. Run ten bags. Check for product in the seal area. If it’s clean, you found it. If not, increase another 20ms and retest.

2. Inspect the filling funnel or drop tube. The funnel guides product from the filler into the formed bag. If the funnel is bent, misaligned, or has product buildup inside, product doesn’t drop cleanly into the center of the bag: it sprays out the sides or clings to the tube and falls late.

Remove the funnel and clean it thoroughly. Check that it’s centered in the forming tube. The gap between the funnel outer wall and the forming tube inner wall should be even all the way around. If the funnel is adjustable, center it and lock it down.

3. Calibrate the filling system. For auger fillers, check that the auger rotation count matches the target weight. Run a catch test: fill ten containers into a scale and record each weight. If the average is off by more than 1%, adjust the auger rotation or fill time setting. If the variation between individual fills is high, inspect the auger flights for wear. Worn flights don’t scoop consistently.

For multihead weighers, run the built-in calibration routine. Check each weigh head individually. If one or two heads are consistently off, their load cells need recalibration or replacement.

4. Address product flow issues. If product bridges in the hopper (forms an arch that stops flow), install a hopper agitator or vibrator. Some products (fine powders especially), need continuous agitation to flow consistently. If you’ve recently changed product density or particle size, your hopper design may need modification.

5. Verify funnel length. The funnel should extend deep enough into the forming tube that product can’t escape sideways during the fill. For long bags, you may need a longer funnel. For products that are dusty or aerated (like flour), consider a funnel with a dust shroud or a secondary dust collection tube.

Filling Error Diagnostic Table

Problem 5: Machine Jams and Film Breakage

Jams and film breaks bring your entire line to a dead stop, and they’re almost always caused by incorrect film tension, dull cutting blades, misaligned film paths, or running the machine faster than the film can handle.

The machine seizes up. Film is bunched around the forming collar or the pull belts. Or the film snaps mid-run, and you’re left threading a new roll while the production clock ticks.

Diagnosing Jams and Breakage

Look at where the jam or break happens:

• Film breaks between the unwind stand and the forming collar: Film tension is too high, or there’s a sharp edge in the film path cutting the film.
• Film wraps around the pull belts or rollers: Tension is too low: the film isn’t feeding through fast enough to keep up with the pull belt speed.
• Jam at the seal jaws: Film is bunching because the pull belts aren’t gripping, or the knife blade is dull and tearing rather than cutting cleanly.
• Jam at the forming collar: Film tension imbalance, or the collar surface is rough or damaged.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Adjust film tension to the sweet spot. I know I keep coming back to film tension. That’s because it’s involved in roughly 60% of the packaging line issues I see. Too tight and the film stretches, tears, or breaks. Too loose and it sags, wraps around rollers, and jams.

The correct tension varies by film type and thickness. Thin films (30–50 micron) need lighter tension. Heavy laminates (80–120 micron) can handle more. The film should track straight through the machine without wandering left or right, and it should have a slight, even tension across the full width (no sagging on one side.

2. Replace or sharpen the cutting blade. A dull blade doesn’t cut film), it tears it. Torn edges create ragged film tails that catch on the next bag, the seal jaws, or the forming collar. This cascades into a jam within minutes.

Check the blade edge with your fingernail. If it’s rounded instead of sharp, replace it. Most VFFS machines use rotating knives or straight blades with a hardened steel anvil. Replace the blade and inspect the anvil surface: if it’s grooved or nicked, the new blade won’t cut cleanly either.

Blade life depends on film type. Laminated films with foil layers dull blades faster than plain poly films. Expect to change blades every 2–8 weeks depending on your operation.

3. Check the entire film path for sharp edges and snags. Thread a piece of film through the machine by hand (with the machine off). Feel for any point where the film catches, drags, or resists. Common culprits include:

• Chipped forming collar edges
• Guide rollers with burrs or grooves
• Seal jaw edges that protrude into the film path
• Film splice detection sensors that press too hard against the film

Smooth or replace any damaged components. A small burr on a roller can cut film repeatedly over an entire shift.

4. Match machine speed to film capability. Every film has a maximum running speed. Exceed it and the film can’t feed through the machine fast enough. Tension spikes, the film stretches or breaks, and you’re in a jam-restart-jam cycle.

If you’ve recently increased line speed and started seeing more jams, dial the speed back 10% and test. If the jams stop, you’ve found your film’s limit. You can either run at that speed or switch to a film with higher tensile strength.

5. Inspect the film itself. Sometimes the film is the problem, not the machine. Check for:

• Edge damage: Nicks or tears on the film roll edge from rough handling
• Inconsistent thickness: Gauge variation across the web width causes uneven tension
• Stiffness issues: Film stored in cold conditions is more brittle and breaks easier. Let it acclimate to production floor temperature before running.
• Splice quality: Bulk film rolls are spliced together at the supplier. A bad splice is a weak point that will break under tension.

Jam Prevention Checklist

• Film tension balanced left-to-right and within spec
• Cutting blade sharp, anvil surface smooth
• Film path free of sharp edges, burrs, and snag points
• Machine speed within film capability
• Film stored properly and acclimated to production temperature
• Film roll edges undamaged

Problem 6: Date Coding and Print Registration Failures

When your date codes are blurry, misaligned, or printing on the wrong part of the bag, the problem lives in the print head, the registration sensor, or the PLC timing, and it’s costing you compliance and traceability.

Date coding failures aren’t just annoying. They can make your product unsellable. Retailers reject bags with unreadable batch codes. Regulatory audits flag missing or incorrect dates. And if you can’t trace a product back to its production run, you’ve got a recall management problem.

Diagnosing Print Failures

The symptom tells you where to look:

• Blurry or faint printing: Print head needs cleaning, ink supply is low, or print head is wearing out (for inkjet systems). For thermal transfer systems, the printhead may need cleaning or the ribbon tension is wrong.
• Print position drifts over a run: Registration sensor is losing sync, or the film is stretching slightly as it runs.
• Print is crooked or rotated: The print head mounting is loose, or the film isn’t tracking straight past the print station.
• Missing characters or partial prints: Electrical connection issue between the printer and the PLC, or the print head has failed segments.
• Wrong print position on every bag: PLC offset parameter is set incorrectly.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Clean the print head. For continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers, nozzle blockage is the number one cause of poor print quality. Run the printer’s cleaning cycle. If that doesn’t resolve it, remove the print head and soak the nozzle plate in the recommended cleaning solution.

For thermal transfer overprinters (TTO), clean the printhead with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth. Check the ribbon path: if the ribbon wrinkles or doesn’t track straight, the print will be uneven or incomplete.

2. Realign the registration sensor for the print station. The print station has its own registration sensor that tells the printer when to fire. If this sensor is dirty, misaligned, or reading the wrong mark, the print fires at the wrong time.

Clean the sensor. Verify it’s aligned with the registration marks on your film. Run a test print on a clear area and measure the offset from the target position. Enter that offset into the PLC or printer controller.

3. Check PLC error codes. Modern packaging machines log errors. Your PLC stores error codes for timing faults, sensor failures, and communication errors between subsystems. If the printer is dropping characters or printing at random intervals, check the PLC error log. You’ll often find intermittent communication faults or timing errors that point directly to the problem.

Common PLC error codes related to printing include:

• Communication timeout: Printer isn’t responding to the PLC. Check the cable connection and the printer’s communication settings (baud rate, protocol).
• Registration fault: The PLC expected a registration mark at a certain position but didn’t find one. The sensor missed the mark, or the film is misregistered.
• Print trigger error: The PLC fired the print command at the wrong time, usually from a timing parameter that doesn’t match the current line speed.

4. Adjust print timing for line speed changes. Print timing is speed-dependent. If you run faster, the print window is shorter. If you’ve changed line speed without updating print timing, the printer may be trying to print when the film has already moved past the print head.

Most printers have a speed compensation setting that adjusts automatically based on an encoder signal from the main machine. Verify that the encoder connection is secure and the speed signal is accurate.

5. Replace consumables on schedule. Ink cartridges, ribbons, and print heads have finite lifespans. Track usage and replace them before they fail, not after. Keep spare consumables on the production floor. Running out of ribbon or ink mid-shift and waiting for a delivery from the warehouse is a downtime problem you can easily prevent.

When Should You Call a Technician vs Fix It Yourself?

You should call a technician when the problem involves electrical systems beyond basic sensor cleaning, mechanical components that require specialized alignment tools, or issues that keep coming back after you’ve applied the fixes in this guide.

I’m a big believer in empowering production teams to handle routine troubleshooting. The fixes I’ve described here cover the majority of packaging machine problems you’ll face on a daily basis. But knowing when to stop and call for help is just as important as knowing how to fix things yourself.

Fix It Yourself

• Seal temperature, pressure, and dwell time adjustments
• Film tension and tracking adjustments
• Registration sensor cleaning and recalibration
• Pull belt cleaning and replacement
• Filling system calibration and timing adjustments
• Blade replacement
• Print head cleaning and sensor realignment
• Basic PLC parameter adjustments (bag length, timing offsets)

Call a Technician

• PLC error codes you can’t resolve after checking the manual
• Electrical faults: tripped breakers, blown fuses, burning smell, or any sign of electrical damage
• Mechanical alignment that requires dial indicators, feeler gauges, or specialized tools
• Servo motor or drive faults
• Persistent problems that keep returning after you’ve applied the correct fix
• Any modification to the machine’s safety systems
• Major component replacement (seal jaws, forming collar, servo motors, PLC)

The “Three Strikes” Rule

Here’s a simple rule I teach every team I work with. If you’ve diagnosed a problem, applied the fix, and it comes back three times, stop. You’re treating a symptom, not the root cause. Call a technician who can dig deeper. Continuing to patch the same issue wastes time, wastes materials, and risks causing secondary damage to the machine.

What to Tell the Technician

When you do call, give them useful information. “The machine isn’t working” doesn’t help anyone. Instead, tell them:

• The specific symptom (e.g., “bottom seals on bags 3-4mm from the edge are consistently weak”)
• What you’ve already checked and adjusted
• When the problem started (after a film change, after a speed increase, after maintenance, etc.)
• Any PLC error codes
• The machine model, serial number, and approximate running hours

This information lets the technician arrive prepared with the right parts and tools instead of spending the first hour duplicating the diagnostic work you’ve already done.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I perform preventive maintenance on my packaging machine?

Daily checks should include seal jaw cleaning, film tension verification, and registration sensor inspection. Weekly, clean the pull belts, check blade sharpness, and verify fill system calibration. Monthly, inspect all rollers for wear, check pneumatic system for leaks, and run a full PLC diagnostic. Quarterly, have a technician perform a full mechanical and electrical inspection. Most packaging machine problems I see on emergency calls could have been prevented with consistent weekly maintenance.

What’s the most common cause of bad seals on a VFFS machine?

In my experience, it’s contaminated seal jaws. Film residue builds up on the seal bar surface over hours of running. That residue insulates the film from the heat source. The operator sees weak seals and increases the temperature, which burns the residue onto the seal bar harder, which makes the problem worse. Clean your seal jaws every shift and you’ll eliminate a huge percentage of VFFS troubleshooting calls.

Can I run different film types on the same machine without changing parts?

You can run different films, but you’ll need to adjust settings, and sometimes change components. Different film structures have different seal temperature ranges, different tensile strengths, and different thicknesses. Switching from a 60-micron OPP/PE film to a 90-micron PET/AL/PE laminate means adjusting seal temperature (usually higher), checking that the forming collar can handle the thicker material, and possibly changing the cutting blade if the foil layer dulls it faster. Always test new film with a short trial run before committing to a full production batch.

Why does my packaging machine work perfectly in the morning but has problems in the afternoon?

Ambient temperature and humidity changes throughout the day affect both the machine and the film. As your production floor heats up, the machine’s thermal expansion can shift mechanical alignments by fractions of a millimeter: enough to affect seal quality and registration. Film also becomes more pliable at higher temperatures, which changes its behavior in the forming collar. If your plant isn’t climate-controlled, plan to make small adjustments to seal temperature and film tension as the day progresses. Many experienced operators pre-emptively tweak settings at midday.

How do I know if my PLC error codes indicate a serious problem?

Look for error codes related to servo faults, communication failures, and safety system trips. These typically indicate hardware issues that need professional attention. Error codes related to registration, timing, or sensor faults are usually fixable with the troubleshooting steps in this guide. Your machine manual should have a complete list of PLC error codes with severity ratings. If it doesn’t, contact the manufacturer and request one: it’s essential documentation for any production team.

What spare parts should I keep on hand to minimize downtime?

At minimum, keep these on the production floor: seal bar Teflon tape or coating, one set of spare cutting blades, registration sensor bulbs or units, pull belts, heating elements, thermocouples, fuses, printer ribbons or ink cartridges, and a set of common wear parts specific to your machine model (seal jaw springs, O-rings, guide rollers). The cost of these parts is minimal compared to the cost of a four-hour production stoppage waiting for a spare part delivery.

Ready to Get Your Packaging Line Running Smoothly?

Packaging machine troubleshooting doesn’t have to be a guessing game. Most common packaging machine problems (bad seals, film wrinkling, bag length errors, filling mistakes, jams, and print failures), follow predictable patterns. Once you learn the diagnostic sequence for each one, you’ll fix problems faster and prevent them from coming back.

If you’re dealing with a packaging machine problem you can’t solve, don’t waste hours chasing symptoms. Send us a photo of the issue and your machine model: we’ll diagnose it for free. Our team has seen every packaging line issue across hundreds of installations, and we can usually point you to the fix within hours, not days.

Contact us here with your machine details and a description of the problem. We’ll get back to you with a specific diagnosis and solution.

Need to understand your machine better before troubleshooting? Check out our vertical form fill seal machine guide for a complete overview of VFFS operation, or our pouch filling machine resource if you’re running premade pouch equipment.