lidding rollstock Solutions Guide

What is lidding rollstock?

lidding rollstock(sometimes called lidding film rollstock) is a continuous roll of flexible packaging film specifically designed to form the lid or top seal for pre-formed trays, containers, cups, or blisters in automated packaging lines. It’s used where a heat-sealable or peelable cover is applied to a package to protect, preserve, and display the product.

View more

Key points:

Supplied as a wound roll (rollstock) rather than pre-cut lids.Rolls feed directly into automatic or semi-automatic lidding machines (tray sealers, thermoformers, or flow-pack equipment).

Typically a mono- or multi-layer polymer film (e.g., PET, oriented PET (OPET), PP, BOPP, CPP, PE) or laminates that combine barrier layers, sealant layers, and sometimes print layers.May include metallized or barrier layers (e.g., EVOH, aluminum foil) for oxygen/moisture/vapor protection.Can be heat-sealable (requiring heat/pressure to bond), peelable (peelable seal layer for consumer convenience), or peel-and-reseal (with adhesives or closures).

Printed or plain—graphics, branding, product information, and regulatory text can be printed on the film (flexographic, rotogravure, or digital printing).Perforations, laser scoring, zipper features, or die-cutting can be added for easy opening or to create vents.Designed for specific sealing temperatures, dwell times, and machine types.

Food (ready meals, dairy, deli, fresh-cut produce, meat, cheese), medical devices, consumer goods, and electronics where a secure, tamper-evident, or barrier lid is required.Used with rigid or semi-rigid trays (plastic, aluminum, paperboard) as well as flexible pouches or cups.

Efficient for high-speed automated packaging.Lower waste and cost compared with individual lids in some cases.Good seal integrity, shelf-life extension with appropriate barrier films.Customizable printing and functionality (peelability, microwave-safe, re-sealable).

Common problems many novice customers encounter

1. lidding rollstock manufacturers quote prices by the kilogram—how can you know how many kilograms of seal film your production capacity requires?

2. How should you choose a sealing machine?

Why do these two problems occur?

1. lidding rollstock prices are indeed quoted by kilogram; this makes it convenient for manufacturers to provide a price, and it also gives them an opportunity to earn a little more profit (industry secret).

2. When you start getting involved in this area, you can only see sealed product containers in supermarkets or elsewhere and have no idea what sealing machines your competitors use to package those containers.

How to solve these two problems?

1. Ask lidding rollstock manufacturers to quote by square centimeters or ask them to calculate how many containers can be sealed per kilogram.

1.1 Based on the unit price provided by the manufacturer (per square centimeter)

combined with your own design drawings (mainly to obtain the lidding rollstock film width and length per unit), you can directly determine how many containers can be sealed per unit of lidding rollstock.

1.2 If you ask them to provide this data directly

the lidding rollstock manufacturer will need to perform a more detailed calculation to reach a conclusion, which will at the same time make them less likely to manually add extra profit.

2. Choose the type of sealing machine according to your actual production capacity.

2.1 For low production demand

such as shop-brewed milk tea and beverages, you can choose a manual sealer.

2.2 For medium production demand

such as condiment dipping sauces, you can choose a blister/sealing machine.

2.3 For high production demand

such as jelly or yogurt,you can choose a fully automatic filling/sealing machine.