Automatic Cup Sealing Machine for Tamper-Evident Film Seals and Lids
The SDH-R heat-seals roll-film or pre-die-cut lids onto cups the moment they are filled, with optional nitrogen flush and snap-on overcaps. Up to 30 cups per minute, 4 to 16 oz standard cups, built in Calgary.
An automatic cup sealing machine heat-seals a lidding film onto filled, pre-formed cups without operator handling, holding seal temperature, pressure and dwell constant on every cycle. Hummus Pack's SDH-R seals in-line-of-fill on a rotary turret that also denests, fills, nitrogen-flushes and lids cups: up to 30 cups per minute (18-25 real-world), 50-500 g fills at ±0.5%, roll-film or pre-die-cut lids, from $45,000 USD.
- Closing options
- Roll-film membrane seal, pre-die-cut lids, plastic lid pick-and-place / snap-on
- Output
- Up to 30 CPM dry cycle (18-25 CPM real-world)
- Nitrogen MAP
- Optional; residual oxygen reduced to 0.3-0.4%
- Cup sizes & shapes
- 4, 8, 10, 16 oz standard; 2-32 oz custom; round, square, rectangular
- Fill range & accuracy
- 50-500 g at ±0.5% (servo-driven volumetric piston)
- Changeover
- Under ~15 minutes between SKUs
- Price
- From $45,000 USD (single-filler configuration)
What Is an Automatic Cup Sealing Machine?
An automatic cup sealing machine closes filled, pre-formed cups with a heat-sealed lidding film, without an operator placing or pressing each container. It repeats the three variables that decide whether a seal holds, temperature, pressure and dwell time, identically on every cycle. On our SDH-R rotary filling, sealing and lidding machine, sealing is one station of a single pass: the cup is denested, filled, sealed with a membrane cut from roll film, optionally nitrogen-flushed and fitted with a snap-on lid, then discharged to a conveyor.
That in-line-of-fill design is the point. A cup that travels from the filler straight into the seal station on the same turret spends seconds, not minutes, open to the room, and nobody touches the flange. For a broader explanation of seal types and terminology, read our in-depth cup sealing machine guide; if you are evaluating the full line, see the cup filling and sealing machine overview.
How the SDH-R Cup Heat Sealing Machine Works
The SDH-R is a fully automatic rotary cup filling machine. An indexing turret moves each cup one position, pauses while every station works, then indexes again. The pause is where the seal head does its job, so seal dwell is tied directly to the turret's cycle.
- Cup loading: a pneumatic denester drops a pre-formed round, square or rectangular cup into the turret nest.
- Base fill: a servo-driven volumetric piston doses 50-500 g at ±0.5%, with a cut-off or drip-free suck-back nozzle.
- Secondary fill (optional): up to two more fillers add oil, spices, nuts or a liquid garnish.
- Membrane sealing: lidding film cut from a roll is heat-sealed to the cup flange, giving a tamper-evident closure.
- Nitrogen MAP (optional): the headspace is flushed with nitrogen so the membrane traps a low-oxygen atmosphere.
- Lidding (optional): a plastic lid is picked, placed and snapped over the top for reclosure.
- Discharge: the finished cup leaves on a conveyor, ready for optional top and side labeling and date coding.
Because everything happens on one 44 × 52 in frame, this automatic cup sealing machine needs no separate sealer conveyor or operator. Our technology page covers the PLC, HMI recipes and diagnostic alerts.
Heat Sealing Fundamentals: Temperature, Pressure and Dwell
Every heat seal is a weld between the sealant layer on the lidding film and the cup flange. Three parameters create it, and they trade off against each other. Get the balance right and the seal is continuous, peels cleanly and survives distribution. Get it wrong and you see leakers, channels or lids that will not open.
Seal temperature
The seal head must bring the film's sealant layer into its sealing window without scorching the outer layer or distorting a thin-walled cup. The right setpoint depends on the film structure and the cup material, so we start from the film supplier's published window and confirm it on your actual cups. Too cold gives weak, partial bonds; too hot can shrink the film, wrinkle it or thin the flange.
Seal pressure
Pressure pushes the softened sealant into the texture of the flange. It must be even around the whole rim, which is why seal tooling is matched to each cup size and shape. Uneven pressure is a common cause of a seal that is strong on three sides and leaks on the fourth, especially on square and rectangular cups.
Dwell time
Dwell is how long the head stays in contact. On a rotary machine, dwell lives inside the turret pause, so a very short cycle and a thick film can compete. This is one reason real-world output sits at 18-25 cups per minute rather than the 30 CPM dry-cycle figure: we set speed so the seal gets the dwell it needs.
Roll-Film Seals, Pre-Die-Cut Lids and Snap-On Overcaps
The SDH-R supports several closing systems, alone or combined. The choice is driven by shelf life, how the consumer uses the product, film cost and how often you change SKUs.
Automatic cup sealer closing options and where each fits
| Closing option | How it works on the SDH-R | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| Roll-film membrane seal | Film is drawn from a roll, heat-sealed to the flange and cut to the cup | High-volume dips, spreads and sauces where film cost per cup matters |
| Pre-die-cut lids | Ready-cut lids (film or other material) are placed and heat-sealed | Printed or shaped lids, premium SKUs, lid formats that suit pre-cut stock |
| Plastic lid pick-and-place / snap-on | A rigid lid is picked, placed and snapped over the cup | Multi-use tubs such as cream cheese or sour cream that consumers reclose |
| Membrane seal plus snap-on overcap | Heat-sealed membrane first, plastic overcap on top | Retail cups needing a tamper-evident seal and reclosure |
| Membrane seal with nitrogen MAP | Headspace flushed with nitrogen before the membrane closes | Oxygen-sensitive products such as guacamole, pesto and fresh salsa |
A snap-on overcap alone is not a hermetic seal, so for fresh refrigerated products we usually pair it with a heat-sealed membrane underneath.
Get a configured SDH-R quote for your productSend your product, cup size and target cups per minute — we reply within 24 hours.
Request a quoteLidding Film Types and Cup Material Compatibility
A cup sealing machine can only be as good as the match between film and cup. The film's sealant layer has to be compatible with the polymer of the flange, or no amount of heat will produce a reliable bond. Common combinations buyers ask us about include:
- Peelable PET/PE laminates: a printable PET outer layer for stiffness and clarity with a polyethylene-based sealant, often specified as easy-peel for dips and spreads.
- Lidding foil: aluminum with a heat-seal lacquer, chosen for barrier and a premium look; the lacquer must suit the cup polymer.
- Barrier films: multilayer structures for oxygen-sensitive products, usually paired with nitrogen MAP so the barrier has a low-oxygen headspace to protect.
- Peel versus weld: peelable films give a clean open; weld-seal films are stronger but may need a pull tab or tool to open.
Cups are commonly polypropylene, PET or polystyrene, each needing its own sealant. Get the film specification against your exact cup, and we confirm the combination before quoting. Your packaging suppliers should also document food-contact compliance with FDA requirements and, for EU exports, Regulation (EC) 1935/2004.
Flange Contamination and Other Cup Sealing Failures
Most seal failures we troubleshoot on fresh-food lines start at the filler, not the sealer. Product on the flange stops the sealant from reaching the cup, leaving a channel that leaks or lets oxygen in. The SDH-R reduces this risk at the source.
- Drips and tails: viscous dips such as hummus string off the nozzle. A suck-back nozzle pulls product back after each dose so the flange stays clean.
- Oil and liquid films: tahini, pesto oil or salsa liquid can creep onto the rim. A cut-off nozzle and a consistent, servo-controlled dose limit splash.
- Particulates: herbs, cucumber shreds and nut pieces can lodge on the flange. Wide-bore valving lets particulates pass without smearing.
- Overfill: too little headspace pushes product up under the film. Fill accuracy of ±0.5% and an optional weight checker with feedback loop keep fill height in control.
- Wrinkles and misalignment: film tension or a worn tool causes creases that become leak paths, so tooling is matched to each cup.
- Distorted flanges: cups damaged in denesting or storage seal poorly; keep cup stock clean and stored flat.
Products with syneresis, such as tzatziki that weeps whey, and aerated or oily products need nozzle and fill-height choices made for them; our hummus filling machine and dip filling and sealing machine pages cover those setups.
Seal Integrity and Leak Checks for Tamper-Evident Cup Sealing
A tamper-evident cup sealing process needs a verification routine in your quality plan. These are the checks plants typically build into a HACCP or preventive-controls program for sealed cups:
- Visual inspection at start-up, after every changeover and at set intervals: a continuous seal path with no wrinkles, channels or product inclusions.
- Peel test: open sample cups by hand to confirm a clean, even peel with sealant transfer around the whole rim.
- Squeeze or compression test: gentle pressure on a sealed cup to reveal gross leakers.
- Vacuum or bubble leak test: submerge sample cups under vacuum and watch for bubbles indicating a leak path.
- Residual oxygen check for MAP SKUs: a headspace gas analyzer confirms the flush is reaching target.
- Record keeping: log results against the HMI recipe and lot code so any deviation is traceable.
Integrate optional variable data coding and the discharge conveyor's labeling equipment and every cup carries a lot code that links back to these records, which supports traceability under FSMA and Canada's Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.
Nitrogen MAP Flush Before Sealing
For oxygen-sensitive products, the seal is only half the job; what is trapped under it matters too. The SDH-R's optional container MAP system flushes the headspace with nitrogen before the membrane closes, reducing residual oxygen to 0.3-0.4%. For many fresh dips, typical refrigerated shelf life extends from roughly 7-10 days to 30-45+ days, depending on the product, its microbiology and your cold chain.
MAP only works with a good seal: a single leak path lets oxygen back in within days. It also does not replace sanitation or your HACCP plan, and every date you print should come from your own shelf-life studies. See our MAP cup filler page and the article on nitrogen flushing and dip shelf life for the detail.
Manual and Semi-Automatic Cup Sealers vs an Automatic Cup Sealing Machine
Many producers start with a countertop or semi-automatic cup sealer and an operator hand-filling cups. That works at low volume. The table shows where the economics and the risk change.
Manual or semi-automatic cup sealers compared with in-line-of-fill automatic sealing
| Factor | Manual / semi-automatic sealer | Automatic in-line-of-fill (SDH-R) |
|---|---|---|
| Cup handling | Operator loads, positions and removes every cup | Denested, filled, sealed and discharged automatically |
| Seal consistency | Depends on placement and operator timing | Same temperature, pressure and dwell every index |
| Throughput | Limited by operator pace | Up to 30 CPM dry cycle, 18-25 CPM real-world |
| Flange contamination | Higher risk from hand filling and handling | Lower; suck-back nozzles and no handling between fill and seal |
| Nitrogen MAP | Rarely practical | Optional integrated flush, 0.3-0.4% residual oxygen |
| Best fit | Pilot batches, farmers markets, very low volume | Growing wholesale and retail programs, multiple SKUs |
When labor, giveaway and rejected cups are added up, the step to automatic sealing often comes sooner than expected. Our cup filling and sealing machine cost guide walks through that calculation.
When an Automatic Cup Sealer Is Not the Right Fit
Candor saves both of us time. The SDH-R is built for fresh and refrigerated products in pre-formed cups, filled at a pumpable temperature. It is not the right machine if you need:
- More than 30 cups per minute on a single SKU; a multi-lane inline cup filling machine is the better path.
- Aseptic or retort processing for shelf-stable products, or frozen products such as ice cream.
- Thermoformed cups made on the machine; the SDH-R uses pre-formed cups and tubs.
- Sealing meat or poultry trays; see our tray sealing machine page for how tray sealers differ.
- Fills below 50 g, such as 1 oz cups; 2 oz portion cups sit at the low end of the range.
If your product is unusually hot, very thick or very thin, or carries large particulates, tell us early; our engineering team confirms those conditions before we quote.
Hygienic Design, Compliance and Requesting a Quote
The SDH-R is built from food-grade 304 stainless steel with tool-free strip-down and an optional CIP system. It carries CE, uses FDA-compliant food-contact materials and is UL listed. It is designed to support plants operating under HACCP, BRCGS, SQF, FDA FSMA Preventive Controls (21 CFR Part 117) and the SFCR. Changeover between SKUs takes under about 15 minutes, which matters when allergen SKUs such as sesame-based tahini products run on the same line.
Pricing starts at $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration and scales with extra fillers, MAP, lidding, labeling and custom cup tooling. Lead time is 8-12 weeks from order confirmation, with a 12-month warranty and support from our Alberta, New Jersey and California service centres. To get a quote, send us your product, cup size and target speed; we reply within about 24 hours and may ask a few questions about your application first.
Ready to compare configurations? Talk to our engineering team about your cup sealing line.
Automatic Cup Sealing Machine — Frequently Asked Questions
The Hummus Pack SDH-R automatic cup filling, sealing and lidding machine starts at $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration. The price rises with additional fillers (up to three), nitrogen MAP flushing, plastic lid placement, labeling and coding integration, CIP and custom cup tooling. Our cost guide explains what drives the total.
The SDH-R runs up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle and typically 18-25 cups per minute in production. Real-world speed depends on product viscosity, cup size, fill weight and options such as a second filler, nitrogen MAP or lid placement, and on giving the heat seal enough dwell time for a reliable bond.
The SDH-R seals pre-formed cups and tubs in 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz standard sizes, and custom sizes from 2 to 32 oz with matching tooling. Round, square and rectangular cups are supported. Fill weights run from 50 to 500 g at ±0.5% accuracy. The machine does not thermoform cups.
The SDH-R seals membranes cut from roll film and also places and seals pre-die-cut lids in film or other materials. Peelable PET/PE laminates and lacquered lidding foils are common choices. The film's sealant layer must match the cup polymer, so our engineering team confirms the film and cup combination before quoting. Send us your specification.
Yes. A heat-sealed membrane bonded to the cup flange must be peeled or broken to reach the product, so opening is visible. On the SDH-R the membrane can be combined with a snap-on plastic overcap: the membrane provides tamper evidence and a hermetic closure, and the overcap lets consumers reclose the cup after opening.
Yes. The optional container MAP system on the SDH-R flushes the cup headspace with nitrogen before the membrane is sealed, reducing residual oxygen to 0.3-0.4%. For many fresh dips, typical refrigerated shelf life extends from about 7-10 days to 30-45+ days, depending on the product. Your own shelf-life studies should set printed dates.
Most cup seal failures come from product on the flange, overfilling, wrinkled film or the wrong film for the cup material. The SDH-R limits contamination with drip-free suck-back or cut-off nozzles, wide-bore valving for particulates, servo-driven ±0.5% fills and tooling matched to each cup, while HMI recipe storage keeps validated settings consistent between runs.
No. The SDH-R automatic cup sealing machine is built for fresh and refrigerated products filled at a pumpable temperature. It is not an aseptic or retort system and is not designed for frozen products such as ice cream. Unusual fill temperatures, extreme viscosities or large particulates are confirmed with our engineering team before quoting.
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