From lightweight packs to complex gusseted designs, discover how Secomak’s pouch dryer tackles the toughest drying challenges with precision, hygiene, and efficiency.
From ready meals to personal care and pharmaceuticals, flexible pouches are the packaging of choice across multiple sectors. But drying these pouches after filling and sealing is far more complex than it looks. Excess moisture can cause labelling errors, contamination risks, and costly downstream issues, especially on fast, automated lines.
That’s where Secomak comes in. Building on insights shared in Episode 1: Introduction to Pouch Drying, this article explores the biggest challenges facing manufacturers and how our industrial pouch dryer solves them. From drying solutions for packaging pouches to solutions for drying gussets and DOY packs, we engineer with precision, hygiene, and performance in mind.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes pouch drying challenging and how Secomak delivers the solution.
1. Introduction: Why Pouch Drying is More Complex Than It Seems
In Episode 1, we explored the unique challenges of drying flexible packaging. Unlike rigid containers, stand-up and DOY pouches often retain moisture in folds, gussets, or under spouts, areas that are hard to reach with traditional drying systems.
This isn’t just a cosmetic issue for food, beverage, pet food, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Wet packs can attract bacteria, compromise hygiene, delay labelling, and trigger rework or rejection at the next stage of the line. Add to that the need for mass flow pouch drying at high speeds, and you begin to see the true scale of the challenge.
This article breaks down the most common pain points in pouch drying and explains exactly how the Secomak Pouch Dryer is designed to overcome them, delivering consistent performance, food-grade hygiene, and scalable integration across automated and manual production environments.
2. Challenge 1: Lightweight Packs That Get Dislodged
Lightweight flexible packaging, such as DOY pouches and sachets, presents a unique challenge when exposed to high-velocity air during drying. These packs are designed to be economical and easy to handle but their lightweight nature makes them prone to movement, tipping, or misalignment on the production line.
This issue is particularly acute when using conventional air drying methods or systems not specifically tailored for flexible packaging. The force needed to dry the surface, especially around gussets or spouts at higher line speeds, can easily dislodge a poorly secured pouch. Not only does this reduce drying efficiency, but it also leads to inconsistent results, production downtime, or even product damage.
Secomak’s Solution: The Hold-Down Conveyor
The Secomak pouch dryer has a robust Hold-Down Conveyor designed specifically to address this challenge. This feature gently but firmly secures each pouch in position as it passes through the drying chamber. Regardless of pouch shape or fill level, every pack remains in the correct orientation as it enters the machine, centred and stable throughout the drying process.
- Maintains precise orientation: Essential for achieving consistent, all-surface drying. This is especially critical for downstream operations like labelling, sleeving, and packing.
- Prevents line disruptions: By eliminating unwanted movement, manufacturers benefit from smoother mass flow pouch drying, less intervention, and increased throughput.
- Ideal for automation: Engineered to integrate seamlessly into high-speed, fully automated lines, ensuring system reliability and continuity without manual correction.
This design not only improves drying performance but also supports smoother downstream integration, reducing rework, preventing line stoppages, and enabling continuous high-volume operation.
3. Challenge 2: Drying Complex Shapes and Gussets
Not all pouches are created equal. While standard flat packs offer minimal drying resistance, modern formats like gusseted pouches, DOY pouches, and stand-up packs with spouts or contours introduce significant complexity. These designs are ideal for shelf presence and consumer convenience, but they are notoriously difficult to dry effectively from a production standpoint.
Moisture becomes trapped in creases, folds, and gussets, especially in areas where the pouch flares outward or where layers of material overlap. Even high-speed lines that appear dry on the surface can leave hidden pockets of moisture that compromise labelling, create hygiene risks, or affect the product’s visual finish. This can’t be left to chance for industries that must meet strict hygiene regulations, such as food, pet food, and pharmaceuticals.
Secomak’s Solution: All-Surface Drying Technology
To meet this challenge, Secomak developed All-Surface Drying Technology, a modular system of high-performance air knives for packaging pouches. Unlike traditional drying systems that apply air in broad, untargeted strokes, this technology delivers precise, high-velocity air directly where it’s needed most.
- Customisable air knife positioning: Each industrial pouch dryer is configured to match the pack shape, whether a gusseted DOY pouch or a spouted stand-up pack.
- Targeted airflow: Penetrates into gussets, folds, and under caps or seals, removing trapped moisture that other systems miss.
- Reduced rework and downtime: By making sure each pouch exits the dryer fully dry, manufacturers can avoid costly relabelling, rejections, or packaging jams.
This technology is particularly valuable when drying flexible packaging at high volumes and speeds. With a drying solution that adapts to your pack, rather than forcing your pack to adapt to the machine, Secomak ensures reliable results without compromising hygiene, speed, or quality.
Whether drying DOY pouches or complex multi-layer designs, All-Surface Drying ensures that every face, gusset, and edge is accounted for.
4. Challenge 3: High Operational Costs of Compressed Air
Compressed air has long been the go-to method for drying packaging on high-speed lines, but it comes at a price. These systems are notoriously expensive to run, consuming large amounts of energy while generating excessive heat and noise. For manufacturers under pressure to reduce operational costs and meet sustainability targets, this is a growing concern.
The inefficiency of compressed air also raises questions about long-term reliability. Leaks are common, maintenance is high, and energy bills continue to climb, especially in operations requiring 24/7 uptime. For many, the cost of running compressed air dryers outweighs the benefits, particularly when drying flexible packaging like lightweight pouches that require delicate yet effective handling.
Secomak’s Solution: Centrifugal Blower Technology
Secomak eliminates the need for compressed air by using powerful, precision-engineered centrifugal blowers to drive its pouch drying systems. These blowers deliver high-velocity air in a controlled, energy-efficient stream, providing all the drying power you need without the associated costs.
- Energy-efficient performance: A Secomak blower can reduce energy usage by up to 90% compared to a compressed air equivalent.
- Quiet operation: Unlike compressed air systems that generate excessive noise, centrifugal blowers are significantly quieter, improving the factory environment.
- Reliable and low maintenance: With fewer moving parts and no air leaks to contend with, these blowers reduce downtime and ongoing servicing.
These benefits are made possible by the same fans and blowers technology trusted across Secomak’s industrial drying range. It’s a future-proof approach for manufacturers who want the best of both worlds: high-speed performance and lower operational impact.
By removing compressed air from the equation, Secomak’s pouch drying solutions offer not just better performance but real financial and environmental returns over the long term.
This significantly reduces electricity consumption, cuts maintenance costs, and eliminates the inefficiencies of compressed air. The consequence is a rapid ROI in a relatively short timeframe for most customers. Beyond that, the long-term operational savings continue to compound, making Secomak’s solution not just a technical upgrade, but a smart financial decision for forward-thinking manufacturers.
5. Challenge 4: Hygiene & Moisture Control
In regulated industries like food, beverage, pet food, and pharmaceuticals, hygiene isn’t just a preference. It’s a non-negotiable requirement. Any residual moisture on packaging can introduce risks, from microbial growth and contamination to label failure and slippage on automated lines.
These risks aren’t theoretical. According to the UK Food & Drink Federation and FDA guidelines for packaging hygiene, moisture can compromise packaging integrity, endanger shelf life, and potentially lead to costly recalls or rework.
When dealing with pouch formats, particularly gusseted, stand-up, or DOY pouches, moisture accumulates in creases, around spouts, and under the pack. If not addressed effectively, this creates an ongoing hygiene concern that undermines quality control and operational efficiency.
Secomak’s Solution: Hygienic Design Features
Secomak’s pouch dryer has been designed from the ground up with hygiene in mind. Every component, from the conveyor to the air knives, has been engineered to facilitate easy cleaning and prevent water retention.
- Integrated drip tray: Captures excess water during drying to prevent pooling and cross-contamination on the production floor.
- Easy-clean construction: Smooth surfaces and open access points make maintaining hygiene protocols between production runs easy.
- Food-grade materials: Built with stainless steel and hygienic plastics that align with industry standards for safety and cleanliness.
Crucially, the Secomak pouch dryer supports drying DOY pouches and other complex pack types without compromising hygiene outcomes. Whether used in pharma-grade cleanrooms or high-throughput food production facilities, it meets the stringent expectations of global hygiene regulations.
With contamination prevention built into the system’s core, Secomak helps manufacturers reduce cleaning time, improve safety, and stay audit-ready without slowing down production.
6. Challenge 5: Adapting to High-Speed Lines & Automation
Today’s production environments demand more than just drying efficiency. They require systems that can keep pace with high-speed automation, multi-lane packaging, and integrated controls. With flexible pouches increasingly used in mass production, pouch drying systems must match the throughput of filling, sealing, and labelling machines without becoming a bottleneck.
But that’s easier said than done. Many traditional drying systems struggle to maintain consistent results across multiple lanes, particularly when line speeds fluctuate or pouch formats vary. Incompatibility with automated feeding, or the inability to scale with growing production demands, only adds to the challenge.
Secomak’s industrial pouch dryer is purpose-built to support modern, automated environments. Whether running a single-lane, semi-automated line or a fully robotic, multi-lane operation, the system is designed for seamless integration and performance continuity.
- Single & multi-lane formats: Available in configurations that support various line widths, allowing for consistent drying performance across multiple pouch streams.
- Modular construction: Each unit can be adapted or extended to accommodate layout changes, future capacity upgrades, or the addition of new pack formats.
- Extendable conveyors: Supports both upstream and downstream line components. Ideal for synchronising with labellers, checkweighers, or robotic packers.
This flexibility means Secomak’s pouch drying solutions don’t just work with your line today; they’re ready for what comes next. When upgrading existing infrastructure or investing in a new automation project, manufacturers can be confident that the system will scale with their needs.
The introduction of reliable mass flow pouch drying in fast-moving, automated settings allows Secomak to help customers reduce downtime, improve output, and stay competitive in the challenging production sector.
7. Versatility in Feeding Options
Not every production facility runs a fully automated packaging line, at least not yet. Many manufacturers, especially in smaller or highly specialised operations, still rely on semi-automated or even hand-fed systems. Others are transitioning, gradually upgrading towards automation while keeping existing processes running.
In these scenarios, drying technology must be flexible. A system that only functions efficiently with robotic feed lines may alienate a large segment of the industry or introduce unnecessary complexity during upgrades.
Secomak Advantage: Hand-Fed or Fully Automated Compatibility
Secomak understands that one size doesn’t fit all. That’s why the pouch dryer is designed to work equally well in both manual and fully automated environments.
- Hand-fed compatibility: Ideal for artisan brands, R&D labs, or short-run production lines where automation may not yet exist.
- Automation-ready design: Easily integrates with robotic arms, automated conveyors, and control systems, allowing for future upgrades with minimal disruption.
- Low implementation cost: No need to overhaul your line to implement Secomak’s drying solution. It adapts to your current setup, helping you modernise at your own pace.
From drying pouches on a small batch line to handling large-scale stand-up pouch drying in a high-volume plant, Secomak offers a system that fits. That’s not just about convenience; it’s about making a smart investment. You get immediate benefits in drying efficiency and hygiene while staying ready for future expansion.
It’s another reason why Secomak is trusted for dependable, scalable pouch drying solutions across the UK and beyond.
8. Real-World Application: From Wet Packs to Ready-to-Label in Seconds
To see the Secomak pouch dryer in action, look no further than our work with Full Green, a food manufacturer specialising in healthy, ready-to-eat meals in flexible DOY pouches. Like many in the sector, they faced challenges with moisture retention after pouch filling, particularly around gussets and spouts. This excess moisture caused labelling issues, frequent rework, and occasional rejection during quality checks.
After installing Secomak’s drying solution, equipped with air knives for packaging pouches and a gusset dryer configuration, the results were immediate:
- Drying time reduced to under 5 seconds per pouch
- 100% label adhesion rate
- No unplanned downtime related to drying or labelling
- Energy savings of over 75% compared to their previous system
Importantly, the system integrated seamlessly into their existing semi-automated line. The case study provides a full breakdown of the implementation and outcomes.
This real-world scenario shows how Secomak delivers technical excellence and tangible improvements in uptime, quality, and overall efficiency. The benefits of drying flexible packaging in food, pet food, pharma, or other industries are clear and measurable.
9. Why Choose Secomak’s Pouch Dryer Over Alternatives
With so many drying systems on the market, it’s fair to ask: what makes Secomak different?
The answer lies in our approach. The Secomak pouch dryer isn’t a generic machine. It’s a purpose-built solution designed and engineered in the UK to solve the real, day-to-day challenges faced by manufacturers who work with flexible packaging. Every unit is developed with hands-on expertise, rigorously tested, and built to meet the demands of high-speed production, hygiene compliance, and long-term reliability. We provide bespoke solutions according to our customers’ requirements. Our engineers can adapt the design to match these various manufacturing needs.
Here’s what sets us apart:
- Built by engineers, for engineers: Designed with practical production needs in mind, from ease of integration to long-term maintainability.
- Trusted across industries: Deployed by leading food and pharmaceutical brands that require consistency, hygiene, and precision.
- UK-manufactured, in-house tested: All systems are built and quality-checked at our UK facility, ensuring each unit performs as promised before it leaves our hands.
- End-to-end support: From initial scoping and installation to after-sales service, you’re backed by a team that understands drying inside out.
From DOY pouches to spouted formats and the shift toward mass flow pouch drying, Secomak delivers reliable pouch drying solutions today, tomorrow, and well into the future.
10. Conclusion: The Right Technology for a Critical Step
Drying may be one of the last stages in your packaging line, but it’s also one of the most important. Done right, it prevents labelling issues, improves hygiene, and ensures your products move smoothly from production to shelf. Done poorly, it can cause costly rework, downtime, and compliance headaches.
Secomak’s pouch drying solutions are engineered to solve these challenges head-on. From stabilising lightweight packs and drying complex gussets to eliminating compressed air costs and meeting strict hygiene standards, the Secomak Pouch Dryer is built for real-world production environments.
Whether you’re drying DOY pouches, spouted formats, or running a stand-up pouch drying line, Secomak delivers consistent results—every time.
Want to learn more? Speak to one of our engineers or explore our case studies to see how others make pouch drying easier, faster, and more efficient with Secomak.
For a personalised quotation tailored specifically to your manufacturing requirements, contact us and we will get in touch with you.
Stay tuned for the next blog post, Episode 3: Hygiene in Pouch Drying, which covers the hygiene challenges and solutions for pouch drying in your packaging system.
