Puffed or Flat Bags? One Sponge's Position Decides Inflation vs Exhaust

Puffed or Flat? The Sponge Decides

One Sponge's Position = Inflation or Exhaust

Cover: one sponge, two bag styles

Same machine: chips come out puffed and springy; detergent comes out flat and tight. The difference? One tiny pressure sponge on the end-seal jaw.

1. Top or Bottom? One Sentence

“The pressure sponge position decides inflate vs exhaust: for inflated bags, mount both sponges on the upper surface of the jaw connecting base; for exhausted bags, mount them on the lower surface.”
— VFFS manual — end-seal notes

• Upper surface → inflated (puffed) — air stays inside, cushioned

• Lower surface → exhausted (flat) — air squeezed out, compact

Fig.1: Sponge top vs bottom (from manual, end-seal notes)

2. Which Products Need Which?

Table 1: Product-to-sponge selection

Fig.2: Product selection table (from manual & troubleshooting)

⚠ Both front and rear sponges must be on the same surface. Mixed positions cause seal skew and uneven film stress.

3. Don't Forget Jaw Cleaning

The manual warns: end-seal jaw surfaces run hot, so film sticks easily. Without timely cleaning, bags won't seal properly.

✔ After each run, use a wire brush with silicone oil to remove film residue from jaws, then apply a thin silicone oil coat to prevent sticking.

Final Thoughts

Switching products? Decide puffed or flat first —upper = inflate, lower = exhaust. That's it.

Next: how to adjust the former guide (edge folder) to fix twisted seals and film burns.

Call to Action

Not sure if your product needs inflate or exhaust? Send us your product type and bag requirement — our engineers will recommend the sponge setup. Or reply "manual" for the VFFS PDF.