Top 5 Automated Durian Sealing Machines in Singapore

1. Multivac R 245 Thermoformer

The Multivac R 245 is the workhorse vacuum skin packager for frozen durian pulp and paste blocks. Singapore’s fruit processors use it because the forming die width of 245 mm accepts deep-draw trays that hold a 500 g seeded pulp half-portion without crushing the fibrous flesh. The top film is pulled down by vacuum into direct skin contact, then sealed against a PA/EVOH/PE forming web at a heated sealing plate that typically runs at 150–160 °C across a 40 kN clamping force.

Packagers in Jurong Food Hub run these lines at 4–5 cycles per minute for pulp blocks, relying on the EVOH barrier layer’s oxygen transmission rate of under 10 cm³/m²·day to freeze pulp for 12–18 months without freezer burn. The machine’s integrated vacuum pump network pulls down to 2–4 mbar in the skinning chamber, which also prevents the odour from migrating through the film joint. The R 245’s swing-frame die makes film roll changes a ten-minute job — crucial in a durian facility switching between D24, MSW, and Kampung pulp grades. Multivac’s Singapore service desk stocks the forming platen seals and cutter blades locally, so a blown seal gasket is a same-day replacement, not a week-long European shipment.

2. Proseal GT6 Tray Sealer

For durian pulp sold as chilled ready-to-eat cups, the Proseal GT6 is the specific unit that dominates Singapore’s small-format tray line. The GT6 is a servo-driven tray sealer that can run a double stack of 6-up tooling, pushing through 45 packs per minute for a 8-oz PP tray. The critical function is modified atmosphere gas flushing: oxygen is purged down to below 1% with nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Durian pulp at 6–8 °C will otherwise oxidise and turn grey within two days. The anti-fog lidding film, usually a PET/EVOH/PE laminate with a peelable sealant layer, is heat-sealed by the GT6’s top tool at pressures around 600 kPa.

What makes the GT6 practical for Singapore durian brands is its Quick-Release sealing head, which lets an operator swap a 4-oz cup die set for a 6-oz dessert tray set in under fifteen minutes without ladders and alignment pins. The tooling is supported through JBT’s Singapore APAC office; local depots carry the silicone seal rubbers and knife cassettes. The GT6’s valve-less gas dosing system gives each cavity a consistent gas mixture — an invisible detail, but a stale batch of durian cream costs a brand its entire shelf-life retail contract at NTUC FairPrice or Cold Storage.

3. Sealvac / Sealpac A7 SE

The Sealpac A7 SE is a semi-automatic standalone tray sealer that fits the small-batch durian confectionery kitchens of Kaki Bukit and Tampines, where companies produce durian mochi, durian puff pastry, and frozen durian cream pots. It is a single-station tray sealer with a chamber area of 400×400 mm, sealing up to 12 trays per minute. The A7 SE uses interchangeable sealing frames, from single-tray to 8-tray formats, and has integrated gas flushing that can be set to any ratio of N₂, CO₂, and O₂. For durian cream, the standard mix is 30% CO₂ / 70% N₂ at a flow rate of 8 litres per minute per tray, injected after vacuumating the chamber to 5 mbar.

Because the operator positions trays manually and the machine does the vacuum, flush, and seal automatically, the A7 SE is not the highest-output machine on this list, but it is the one that runs flawlessly on 1-phase 230 V supply — an actual consideration in a semi-industrial shophouse kitchen, where three-phase infrastructure costs more than the sealer itself. The sealing frame heats up and cools down in 8 minutes, so a producer can start the line at 6 am, stop for a washed-rind cheese run at noon, and return to durian by 1 pm without a changeover headache.

4. TEPRO V-3000SH Counter-Pressure VSP Chamber

TEPRO, made under Sumitomo Heavy Industries, is the Japanese-built vacuum skin packaging chamber that Singapore’s high-end durian importers use for whole seeded pulp worth S$25 per kg. The V-3000SH is a double-chamber model with counter-pressurised gas flushing: the chamber is evacuated, the top film pre-heated by infra-red radiators, then the film is lowered onto the pulp while the chamber pressure is raised slowly. This gradual pressurisation means the hot film does not violently collapse onto the durian flesh; it drapes smoothly, retaining the pulp shape and preventing the translucent film from tearing on fibrous edges.

Operators at Defu Industrial Estate run the V-3000SH with a 300 mm forming depth and a cycle time of 18 seconds per chamber. The unit’s key advantage is the precision gas control: after sealing, the residual oxygen in the pack can be held under 0.5%, which is why a sealed 1 kg block of Musang King pulp can sit in a standard -18 °C freezer for 18 months with no discolouration at the cut face. The TEPRO’s electrically driven, full-servo clamp system also eliminates pneumatic air pressure spikes, reducing film perforations — a real yield issue when the lidding film costs S$8 per square metre.

5. PFE Zen 900 Tray Sealer (Pacific Food Engineering)

Pacific Food Engineering, a Singapore-based builder, produces the Zen 900 — a washdown-ready, semi-to-fully automatic tray sealer engineered for tropical food conditions. The Zen 900’s stainless steel mast is IP66-rated, meaning the machine can survive the daily high-pressure hose-down that all durian processing sites insist on, because the fruit’s sticky latex resin coats every exposed surface. The sealing head uses a fully counterbalanced, low-maintenance servo lift, avoiding the hydraulic oil drip common in lower-tier sealers — oil contamination inside a durian film seal is a customer-return event.

The Zen 900 can seal PP, CPET, and rigid PE trays up to 200 mm deep, with tool change via a lift-and-slide frame that takes 18 minutes for a full die swap. It is fitted with a BTB gas mixer that adjusts CO₂, N₂, and O₂ ratios on the fly, so a line capable of producing sealed durian pulp cups at 20 packs per minute can instantly switch to durian puff pastry trays that need a higher residual oxygen level to keep pastry flaky. Because the factory is local, the Zen 900’s PLC program, safety interlocks, and spare pneumatic valve manifolds are serviced within 24 hours in Singapore, not shipped from a regional distributor in Johor.

Sealing Machine Comparison Table