Vimco’s forming machines are designed for specialised box and tray production, accommodating unique sizes, shapes, and applications across diverse industries. These versatile machines handle materials using hot-melt glue, cold glue, or hooks, providing flexible and secure assembly options. With single, double, or triple forming heads, Vimco’s forming machines achieve speeds of up to 180 boxes per minute. Built for efficiency, they feature quick format changes, with automatic options available, and can be seamlessly integrated into complete packaging lines with robotic loading systems.
A single forming head runs to 60 strokes a minute. A double head gives 120 boxes a minute and a triple head 180. The scaling is close to linear, which makes this an unusually clean decision: if you need more output, you are usually buying another head rather than another machine, another footprint and another set of spares. Work out the rate you need first, then let the head count follow from it.
Three ways of holding the box together, and they are not interchangeable. Hot melt sets fast, which is what suits the higher speeds, but it means a heated system and the maintenance that comes with it. Cold glue avoids the heat entirely and is generally the cheaper consumable, at the cost of a slower set that the machine has to allow for. Hooks use the board itself with no adhesive at all, which removes the consumable and leaves clean board at end of life.
Four machines cover hot melt forming: the FAC285, FAC250, FAC600 and FAC555. This is the largest family in the range and the usual starting point for standard box and tray work at speed. Which one fits depends on your box geometry rather than on rate alone, since the head count is what buys throughput, so the shortlist is usually decided by the pack before it is decided by the numbers.
The FAC741 and FAC724 are the cold glue machines, available with or without flap folding. Flap folding matters when the tray or box needs the flaps turned in as part of forming rather than as a separate operation downstream. If your current process has someone folding flaps by hand, that is the specification detail worth pulling forward, because it often removes a station rather than just speeding one up.
The FA113 uses hook closure and comes as a single or double head. The FAC650 forms clamshell boxes, and the FA670 makes double wall boxes with an interlocking closure, which is the option when the pack needs the extra rigidity of a double wall without adhesive. These are narrower in application than the glue machines, so they are worth naming early if your pack is one of these types rather than working back to them.
Two models publish dimension ranges. The FA113 covers 50 to 440 mm wide, 45 to 320 mm deep and 20 to 100 mm high across its configurations. The FA670 covers 55 to 310 mm wide, 45 to 210 mm deep and 40 to 100 mm high. Bring your actual box sizes to the first conversation, including the awkward one you only run twice a year, because that is the size that decides the machine.
Forming heads are available fixed or adjustable. A fixed head is simpler and cheaper and is the right call when the format is settled. An adjustable head covers a range of sizes and earns its money the moment you add a SKU. Format change is quick and easy across the range, and automatic changeover is available as an option, which is worth pricing if the line runs several products a day.
Forming machines integrate with robotic and automated product loading systems, so the formed box can be filled in the same cell rather than travelling to a separate station. Downstream the pack goes to closing and lidding machines, then to sleeving machines or cartoning machines for the retail unit and end of line machines for cases and pallets, all specifiable as one complete packaging line. LVP Automation specifies, installs and supports forming machines from Finglas, Dublin 11 as part of our wider automation services.
Meet peak demand with multi-head configurations and short cycle times, stable, square forms ready for auto-loading.
Choose hot-melt for speed, cold glue for specific materials or hook assembly where adhesives aren’t preferred, matched to your substrates and specs.
Interfaces cleanly with robotic loading, case packers, print/label, vision and palletising for a fully automated end-to-end flow.
Quick answers on materials, speeds, gluing methods, changeovers, integration and maintenance.
A wide range, RSC-style trays, display trays, wraparounds and custom die-cut formats. We confirm tooling based on drawings and samples.
Up to 180 boxes per minute, depending on size, head count (single/double/triple) and assembly method.
Hot-melt for speed and strong bonds, cold glue for certain papers/boards or heat sensitivity, hooks where adhesives are undesirable or for recloseable designs.
Tool-less or guided quick-change with recipe recall; optional automatic adjustments minimise downtime between formats.
Corrugated and solid board across common thicknesses. We validate glue windows and compression settings for your substrates.
Yes, robots can pick/place products into freshly formed trays; handshakes with upstream/downstream equipment via PLC/HMI.
Sensors verify presence, glue application and compression time; optional vision checks for squareness and flap closure.
Compact to mid-size, dependent on head count and magazine length. We’ll provide a layout and, if needed, a simulation.
Routine checks on glue systems, compression, magazines and drives; scheduled service for heaters/pumps if hot-melt is used.
Yes, format dimensions, glue profiles and timings are stored for fast, repeatable setups.
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