Tray Sealing Machine or Fill-Seal Machine? The Right Sealer for Dips, Spreads and Salads
Dedicated tray sealers suit meat and ready meals. For dips, spreads, salads and desserts, our SDH-R fills and film-seals round, square and rectangular pre-formed tubs in one pass, at up to 30 cups per minute with ±0.5% fill accuracy.
A tray sealing machine heat-seals film onto trays that are already filled; it does not fill them. For dips, spreads, salads and desserts in 2-32 oz containers, our SDH-R rotary machine fills and seals in one pass: it denests round, square or rectangular pre-formed tubs, fills 50-500 g at ±0.5%, roll-film seals, offers optional nitrogen MAP and runs up to 30 CPM. It is not built for large meat or poultry trays.
- Machine type
- Fully automatic rotary cup filling, sealing and lidding (SDH-R)
- Container shapes
- Round, square and rectangular pre-formed cups and tubs
- Container sizes
- 4, 8, 10, 16 oz standard; 2-32 oz custom with matching tooling
- Sealing
- Roll-film membrane heat seal (tamper-evident); pre-die-cut lids optional
- MAP
- Optional nitrogen flush; residual oxygen 0.3-0.4%
- Output
- Up to 30 CPM dry cycle (18-25 CPM real-world)
- Price
- From $45,000 USD (single-filler configuration)
What Is a Tray Sealing Machine?
A tray sealing machine is a packaging machine that heat-seals a lidding film onto the flange of a pre-filled tray or tub, usually cutting the film to shape in the same stroke. A heated tool presses the film against the rim for a set temperature, pressure and dwell time, and many tray sealers can also pull a vacuum or flush the pack with a protective gas. They are common in meat, poultry and ready-meal plants, where product is placed by hand or by a separate depositor.
The key word is pre-filled. A food tray sealing machine closes a container; it does not dose product into it. For a plant packing hummus, salsa, cream cheese spreads, deli salads or puddings, a tray sealer is only half of the line. We build the SDH-R automatic rotary cup filling, sealing and lidding machine in Calgary, Alberta for that situation: it denests round, square or rectangular pre-formed tubs, fills up to three components, seals with roll film and can flush with nitrogen, all on one 44 × 52 in frame.
Below we explain when a dedicated tray sealer is the right purchase and when a fill-seal machine replaces both. To be clear: the SDH-R is not a tray sealer for large meat or poultry trays.
Types of Tray Sealing Machines: Manual, Semi-Automatic and Inline
Tray sealers are generally grouped by how trays get into and out of the sealing tool. These categories describe the general market, not any one manufacturer's equipment.
Manual tray sealers
A tabletop tray sealer has a heated platen and a lever. The operator places a filled tray in a nest, lowers the platen over the film and lifts out the sealed pack. These suit test kitchens and very small batches, but throughput and seal consistency depend entirely on the operator.
Semi-automatic tray sealers
A semi-automatic tray sealing machine uses a sliding drawer or shuttle to carry trays into the sealing chamber. Operators still load filled trays, but the machine controls temperature, pressure, dwell and, on many models, vacuum and gas flush. They are common in butcher shops, commissaries and small ready-meal kitchens.
Inline automatic tray sealers
Inline tray sealers take filled trays from a conveyor and seal them in a multi-cavity tool, often across several lanes. They serve high-volume meat, poultry and ready-meal lines, frequently with vacuum-gas MAP or skin packaging. Filling still happens upstream.
Tray Filling and Sealing Machine vs a Separate Filler and Tray Sealer
If your product is pumpable, such as a dip, spread, puree or chunky salad, you can build the line two ways: a filler followed by a standalone tray sealing machine, or one tray filling and sealing machine that does both. For dips and spreads, combining the steps removes a transfer point, a conveyor, an operator position and a common source of flange contamination.
On a two-machine line, filled containers travel open from filler to sealer, and product can slosh onto the rim. On the SDH-R, the container stays in the same turret pocket from denesting to discharge, only a few indexes separate dosing from sealing, and fill and seal stations share one PLC and one HMI recipe.
Separate filler and tray sealer vs SDH-R fill-seal machine for pumpable products
| Factor | Separate filler + tray sealer | SDH-R fill-seal machine |
|---|---|---|
| Filling | Separate filler, depositor or hand fill | Servo-driven volumetric piston, 50-500 g at ±0.5% |
| Container handling | Trays placed or conveyed between machines | Pneumatic denester loads pre-formed cups and tubs |
| Toppings and layers | Extra depositors or manual garnish | Up to 3 fillers in one pass |
| Closing | Film seal; lids added separately | Roll-film seal; optional pre-die-cut or snap-on plastic lids |
| MAP | Vacuum and gas flush common | Optional nitrogen flush to 0.3-0.4% residual oxygen |
| Footprint | Two machines plus a transfer conveyor | 44 × 52 in, 65.6 in high |
| Best fit | Meat, poultry, ready meals, hand-placed products | Dips, spreads, salads, sauces and desserts in 2-32 oz containers |
Our cup filling and sealing machine overview covers the fill-seal architecture. If you fill by hand and only need to automate closing, compare our automatic cup sealing machine options.
Rectangular Tray Sealing Machine Capability on the SDH-R
Some dip and spread brands choose square or rectangular containers because they stack tighter and pack efficiently in cases. The SDH-R handles round, square and rectangular pre-formed containers, each with matched tooling for the denester, turret pockets and sealing head.
Corners are where rectangular seals most often fail. The sealing head must apply the same pressure at the corner radius as along the straight edges, and the flange must sit flat in its pocket. We specify tooling from your container drawings and samples and confirm the seal on your film and container material before the machine ships.
- Standard cup sizes: 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz; custom sizes from 2 to 32 oz on matching tooling
- Shapes: round, square and rectangular pre-formed cups, tubs and portion containers
- Pre-formed containers only; the SDH-R does not thermoform from roll stock
- SKU changeover in under about 15 minutes, with fill and seal settings stored as HMI recipes
If you run 8 oz round tubs for one retailer and a 10 oz rectangular container for another, each format gets its own tool set and recipe. List every container you plan to run when you request a quote.
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 quoteHow the SDH-R Works as a Tray Sealer for Dips, Spreads and Salads
The SDH-R carries each container around an indexing turret and stops it under fixed stations. In one pass:
- Cup loading: a pneumatic denester drops one pre-formed cup or tub into each turret pocket.
- Base filling: a servo-driven volumetric piston doses 50-500 g at ±0.5% fill-weight accuracy.
- Secondary or third filling (optional): a peristaltic pump, garnish filler or vibration filler adds oil, sauce, nuts, seeds, herbs or spice.
- Membrane sealing: film from a roll is heat-sealed to the flange and cut, giving a tamper-evident seal.
- Nitrogen MAP flushing (optional): nitrogen displaces oxygen in the pack headspace.
- Lidding (optional): a plastic lid is placed and snapped on, or a pre-die-cut lid is applied.
- Discharge: packs leave on a conveyor toward coding, labeling and check-weighing.
Seal parameters that matter
A reliable heat seal depends on sealing temperature, pressure and dwell time working together. Temperature must suit the film's sealant layer and container material, pressure must be even, and dwell must fuse the layers without distorting a thin-walled tub. On the SDH-R these values live in each recipe, so a changeover recalls seal settings along with fill volume.
Keeping the flange clean
Product on the flange is the most common cause of weak seals on dips: thick hummus tails off the nozzle, and oily pesto leaves a film that resists sealing. A suck-back nozzle gives a drip-free cut, while a cut-off nozzle suits products that shear cleanly. For chunky salsa, tzatziki with shredded cucumber or salads with nut pieces, large-bore valving passes particulates without bridging. Products prone to syneresis or oil separation benefit from the short dose-to-seal distance on a rotary turret.
Product-specific setup is on our dip filling and sealing machine page and, for chickpea-based lines, our hummus filling machine page.
MAP Tray Sealer vs Nitrogen-Flushed Fill-Seal for Fresh Dips
Buyers often look for a MAP tray sealer to extend refrigerated shelf life. On meat, tray sealers often combine vacuum with gas blends chosen for color and microbial control. Fresh dips face a different problem: oxidation of oils, avocado, garlic and herbs, plus aerobic spoilage in an oxygen-rich headspace.
The SDH-R offers an optional nitrogen flush. Our container MAP system reduces residual oxygen to 0.3-0.4%, and typical refrigerated shelf life extends from roughly 7-10 days to 30-45+ days, depending on product, recipe, hygiene and cold chain.
See our MAP cup filler page and the guide to nitrogen flushing for dip shelf life for more detail.
When a Dedicated Tray Sealing Machine Is the Right Purchase
We would rather lose a sale than sell the wrong machine. A standalone tray sealing machine or another line fits better for:
- Large meat, poultry and seafood trays. The SDH-R is not a tray sealer for meat or poultry trays. Large trays with absorbent pads, vacuum skin packaging and protein MAP belong on equipment built for them.
- Hand-placed or solid products. Sandwiches, whole cuts, sliced cheese and hand-assembled compartment meals are not pumped, so a filler adds nothing.
- Above 30 cups per minute on one SKU. The SDH-R runs up to 30 CPM dry and 18-25 CPM in production. Higher single-SKU volume points toward an inline cup filling machine or a multi-lane tray line.
- Aseptic, retort or frozen products. The SDH-R targets fresh, refrigerated products filled at a pumpable temperature.
- Fills below 50 g. These sit outside the standard 50-500 g range; 2 oz portion cups are at the low end.
- Thermoformed packs. Forming trays from roll stock needs form-fill-seal equipment; the SDH-R runs pre-formed containers.
If an existing tray sealer works well for hand-assembled packs, keep it and add a fill-seal machine for pumpable SKUs.
Tray Sealing Machine Decision Table
Use this as a first pass; final advice depends on product samples, containers and target output.
Which sealing equipment fits your product and container?
| Your situation | Recommended equipment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, poultry or seafood in large trays | Dedicated tray sealer (semi-automatic or inline) | Built for large trays, pads, vacuum and protein MAP |
| Hummus, salsa or guacamole in 4-16 oz round tubs | SDH-R fill-seal machine | Fills at ±0.5% and seals in one pass |
| Spreads or deli salads in square or rectangular tubs | SDH-R with rectangular tooling | Matched pockets and sealing head for even corner pressure |
| Layered desserts or dips with toppings | SDH-R with 2-3 fillers | Base, liquid and garnish dosed before sealing |
| Dips needing longer refrigerated shelf life | SDH-R with nitrogen MAP | Residual oxygen of 0.3-0.4% |
| Test batches and very small runs | Manual or semi-automatic tray sealer | Lower capital cost; filling stays manual |
| One SKU above 30 cups per minute | Inline or multi-lane line | Beyond the SDH-R rated output |
| Shelf-stable aseptic or retorted cups | Aseptic or retort-capable equipment | The SDH-R is for fresh, refrigerated products |
Layered sweet products are covered on our dessert cup filling machine page.
Hygiene, Allergens and Compliance on Food Tray Sealing Lines
The SDH-R is built from food-grade 304 stainless steel with tool-free strip-down and an optional CIP (clean-in-place) system. It carries CE marking and a UL listing and uses FDA-compliant food-contact materials. It is designed to support plants operating under HACCP, BRCGS or SQF programs and FDA FSMA Preventive Controls (21 CFR Part 117); certification applies to your facility, not the machine.
Dip lines often handle several US major allergens under FALCPA: milk in tzatziki and cheese dips, tree nuts in some pestos, and sesame in tahini-based products, which became the ninth major allergen on January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act. Fewer transfer points between filling and sealing mean fewer product-contact surfaces to validate during allergen cleaning. Plants under Canada's Safe Food for Canadians Regulations or exporting under EU Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 should confirm film documentation with suppliers.
Tray Sealing Machine Price, Lead Time and How to Get a Quote
Tray sealer prices vary widely by type, and a tray sealer alone does not fill. The SDH-R starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration; price scales with additional fillers, MAP, labeling, check-weighing and custom tooling. Our cup filling and sealing machine cost breakdown explains what drives the total.
- Lead time: 8-12 weeks from order confirmation
- Warranty: 12 months
- Service: our Alberta, New Jersey and California service centers
- Options: extended discharge conveyor, top and side labeling, variable data coding, CIP, weight checker with feedback loop
Send us your product, container size and shape, target cups per minute and options. Our engineering team may ask about your application, and we typically reply within about 24 hours. Contact our engineering team or review the full SDH-R specifications.
Tray Sealing Machine — Frequently Asked Questions
A tray sealing machine only heat-seals film onto trays already filled by hand or by a separate filler. A fill-seal machine such as our SDH-R denests pre-formed cups or tubs, fills them at ±0.5% accuracy, seals them with roll film and can add nitrogen MAP and lids in one pass, at up to 30 cups per minute dry and 18-25 in production.
Yes. The SDH-R seals round, square and rectangular pre-formed cups and tubs, with matched tooling so sealing pressure stays even at the corners. Standard sizes are 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz, and custom containers from 2 to 32 oz are available with matching change parts. Send container drawings or samples so we can confirm the seal on your film.
No. The SDH-R is not a tray sealer for large meat, poultry or seafood trays. It is a rotary fill-seal machine for pumpable fresh products such as dips, spreads, salads, sauces and desserts in pre-formed containers of about 2 to 32 oz. Protein packers using large trays, absorbent pads or vacuum skin packaging need a dedicated tray sealer.
Our SDH-R fill-seal machine starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration, rising with additional fillers, nitrogen MAP, labeling, check-weighing and custom tooling. When comparing against a standalone tray sealer, add the cost of a separate filler, a transfer conveyor and tray-loading labor, because a tray sealer does not fill product.
The SDH-R runs up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle and typically 18-25 in production, depending on product, container size, fill weight and options. Manual and semi-automatic tray sealers depend on operator loading speed, while multi-lane inline tray sealers target higher volumes. Above 30 cups per minute on one SKU, an inline line is the better fit.
Yes, as an option. The SDH-R can flush each container with nitrogen, and our container MAP system reduces residual oxygen to 0.3-0.4%. For fresh refrigerated dips and spreads, typical shelf life extends from roughly 7-10 days to 30-45+ days, depending on product, hygiene and cold chain. Shelf life should be confirmed by your own validation testing.
SKU changeover on the SDH-R takes under about 15 minutes, with fill volume and seal settings recalled from HMI recipes. Moving between container formats, such as a round 8 oz tub and a rectangular 10 oz tub, also involves swapping the matching change parts. Our engineering team will walk you through the change-part set for your container range.
The SDH-R is built in Calgary, Alberta, with delivery 8-12 weeks from order confirmation and a 12-month warranty, supported by service centers in Alberta, New Jersey and California. Send your product, container size and shape, target cups per minute and options through our contact page; we typically reply within about 24 hours.
The SDH-R is built from food-grade 304 stainless steel with tool-free strip-down, and an optional CIP (clean-in-place) system is available. With filling and sealing on one machine, there are fewer transfer conveyors and contact surfaces to validate than on a separate filler and tray sealer line. It is designed to support HACCP, BRCGS, SQF and FSMA allergen programs.
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