FS PACK SOLUTIONS · FILLING OF POUCHES

We fill your pouches   We sleeve your bottles

NEOFILL TECHNICAL GUIDE

Spout pouches and Doypack®: successfully filling with NeoFill

Updated version on October 10, 2026 · Laurent Corbet — FS Pack Solutions

The choice of a spout pouch is not limited to its volume or design. The film structure, spout geometry, and cap must be studied with the product and the filling process.

With NeoFill Pilot and NeoFill Expert, FS Pack Solutions offers two levels of automation for spout pouch fillers: trials, launches, and regular production of flexible pouches.

The advantages of filling through the spout (or through the cap)

Le produit est introduit par le bec d'une poche préformée, dont les soudures sont déjà réalisées. Après dosage, la fermeture s'effectue par vissage du bouchon.

Optimize the fill level with less headspace

Filling through the spout allows for optimizing the usable volume of the pouch and reducing headspace. The fill level is defined according to the product, packaging geometry, and any thermal treatments. A nitrogen injection can be integrated depending on the product.

Significantly reduce the risk of leakage related to the final seal

During filling through a top opening, splashes of product or foam can contaminate the area intended to be sealed and compromise its closure.

Le remplissage par le bec supprime ce risque spécifique : aucune soudure finale n'est réalisée après introduction du produit. La poche est soudée en amont par le fabricant, dans des conditions de production maîtrisées. C’est un atout pour les films mono-matériau, dont la fenêtre de soudure exige une maîtrise fine du procédé.

The closure then relies on the base-cap assembly. The cleanliness of the thread, the tightening torque, and the sealing are then easier to control.

Fill without foam, even foaming products

The FS Pack filling technology allows for dosing foaming products without foam formation. It thus optimizes the filling level of the pouch.

INA MAZIVA (Croatia) verified this on its most foaming windshield washer formulation:

« The filler demonstrates solid build quality, user‑friendly ergonomics and consistent dosing accuracy, which supports the quality requirements even of our strongly foaming products. »

(The filler shows robust build quality, is easy to operate, and has consistent dosing accuracy, supporting the requirements of even our most foaming products.)

La NeoFill Expert est utilisée en production chez INA MAZIVA. Le témoignage publié sur notre site souligne notamment la fiabilité de la machine, la répétabilité du dosage et l’accompagnement lors de l’installation. [10]

Read INA MAZIVA's testimony on reliability and dosing

Filling through the spout or from the top with an open mouth: when to choose NeoFill

Two families of processes coexist: filling through the spout of a preformed pouch, and filling from the top followed by sealing the pouch or inserting the spout. Each has its domain.

Filling through the spout imposes some limits to be aware of:

• the effective diameter of the spout and the nozzle passage can limit the flow rate and extend the dosing time on large volumes;
• particle-laden or very viscous products can be difficult to dose with a small spout;
• the economic comparison must include the price of the preformed pouch with a welded spout, but also the equipment and operations necessary to form, fill, and seal a pouch from a roll of film.

The NeoFill range is suitable for liquids, small and medium series, and frequent format changes, where mastering sealing and foam makes the difference.

Choose the spout and the cap according to the product and the machine

A self-supporting flexible pouch can accommodate a spout in the center or at an angle. These two placements can be studied for the NeoFill range, depending on the pouch and the machine configuration.

The spout serves as the interface between the packaging and the filler. Its selection must include:

• the passage of the filling nozzle;
• the flow characteristics of the product;
• the support and transfer of the pouch;
• the geometry of the thread and the cap;
• the screwing and closing conditions.

The announced diameter is therefore not sufficient to define compatibility. The design of the spout, its collar, and the cap allows for the preparation of the tooling study.

Specific caps

Certain applications require a specific cap, which influences the screwing tooling: tamper-proof ring, child safety cap for certain detergents, anti-choking cap for products intended for young children.

Screw caps and taps

The NeoFill Pilot can be adapted for filling pouches equipped with a dispensing tap, of the Vitop® type. When combined with a barrier film, this type of tap limits air entry during dispensing and can extend shelf life after opening, depending on the product and application. [13]

Pouches delivered on rails

The geometry of the neck and base of the spout must be compatible with the rails. The quality of the pouch manufacturing is also crucial: an overflow of material above the base boat can disrupt the transfer and filling.

Define the film according to the product and the process

Spouted pouches can be made with different film structures, such as PET/NY/PE and PET/VMPET/PE complexes. The choice takes into account the product, filling temperature, desired barrier properties, shelf life, and transport constraints. [1, 6]

Hot applications

The validation covers the entire packaging: film, seals, spout, and cap. Temperature resistance depends on the formulation of the materials and the conditions of the cycle. For sterilization, structures with a sealing layer in CPP and a spout in PP can be studied. Some PE structures are also developed for hot filling and pasteurization: PE should therefore not be systematically excluded. [7] The welding compatibility between the spout and the sealing layer must be validated with the pouch manufacturer.

Food contact

For food use, the packaging is subject to Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 and, for plastics, to Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011. The supplier must provide a declaration of conformity corresponding to the packaging and intended use. This is based on supporting documentation, including the assessment of migrations under representative conditions of the intended food contact: nature of the food, temperature, and duration of contact. [8] On the machine side, NeoFill offers a design suitable for food contact, with cleaning in place (CIP) as per customer needs.

Recyclability

The regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, or PPWR, has been applicable since August 12, 2026, under its Article 71, with specific deadlines according to the provisions. Its Article 6 provides for the application of harmonized design criteria for recycling starting January 1, 2030, or twenty-four months after the entry into force of the relevant delegated acts if that date is later. For large-scale recycling, the deadline is January 1, 2035, or five years after the entry into force of the relevant implementing acts if that date is later, with the conditions and exemptions provided by the regulation. [9]

Mono-material structures (PE/PE, PP/PP) are designed to facilitate recycling. Their recyclability must be demonstrated for the complete packaging: film, spout, cap, and decoration.

Flexible pouch or rigid packaging: where are the gains?

The main gain of the pouch concerns primary packaging and empty supplies; for a full delivery, it remains to be quantified project by project.

Documented examples and calculations — no universal gain is deduced from these values

Criterion	Reference and scope	Source
Packaging mass in 3 L	Pouch 60 g versus canister 125 g: calculated reduction of 52 %	Bag’Innov comparison [3]
Empty supply in 500 ml	Cumulative volume of cartons about 7.7 times lower for pouches	Calculation on the references [1, 2]
Empty supply in 3 L	6 palettes de poches contre 30 palettes de bidons, de dimensions différentes	Bag’Innov comparison [3]
Primary packaging mass	65 g of difference per unit, or 650 kg for 10,000 units	Calculation on the weights of [3]
Recharge for five uses	365 g versus 625 g: mass reduction of 41.6 %	Scenario: 125 + 4 × 60 g versus 5 × 125 g

What needs to be quantified for each project

The protection of full bags and the stability during stacking must be defined with the supplier. In the cited Bag’Innov example, the boxes must bear the load of the stacked levels. [4] The right indicator remains the cost for 1,000 liters actually delivered and usable, including primary and secondary packaging, storage, transport, losses, and end of life.

A gain in mass or storage volume does not, by itself, constitute an equivalent reduction in CO₂ emissions. The environmental balance must be studied over the complete life cycle.

For a line that blows the bottles on-site, it is necessary to compare the bags to the delivered preforms, and integrate the energy of blowing: the calculated gains against already formed bottles do not apply as such.

In short, as always, one should not stop at a claim but analyze each project in its overall environment and its different life cycles.

Some reference points for spout bag formats

These values provide a rough idea for preparing a project and must be validated with the bag manufacturer.

Orders of magnitude to be validated with the bag manufacturer

Volume	Indicated dimensions (mm)	Thickness (µm)	Announced spout (mm)	Announced mass (g)
50 ml	80 × 110 × 50	130	8.6	4.5
250 ml	100 × 170 × 60	130	8.6	7.8
500 ml	140 × 210 × 80	160	16	15.4
1 L	180 × 250 × 90	160	16	To be confirmed
2.5 L	270 × 300 × 130	200	22	To be confirmed
5 L	345 × 310 × 160	200	33	To be confirmed

The dimensions, the measurement convention of the bellows, the thickness, the spout, and the mass depend on the chosen design. The data for the 50, 250, and 500 ml formats come from Toppack. [1] The dimensions of the 1 L and 5 L formats are examples published by Spring Packaging. [11] The dimensions and spout of the 2.5 L format come from Vivo Packaging. [12] The 16 mm spout in 1 L and the thickness of 200 µm in 2.5 L are our study benchmarks, to be validated with the pouch manufacturer. The cited diameters do not automatically guarantee compatibility with NeoFill.

NeoFill Pilot or Expert depending on your production level

The NeoFill range covers, depending on configuration, spouted pouches from 50 ml to 5 liters.

Two levels of automation — performance depending on the product and configuration

Feature	NeoFill Pilot	NeoFill Expert
Usage	Tests, format validation, launches, and small series	Regular industrial production
Loading	Manual for pouches and caps	Automatic feeding of pouches and caps
Filling	One head	One or two heads depending on configuration
Indicative speed at 200 ml	Up to about 10 pouches/minute	Up to about 35 pouches/minute

The speed depends on the product, the volume, the pouch, the cap, and the headspace.

Prepare your filling project

To study a NeoFill application, gather:

• the product to be packaged and the target volume;
• the filling temperature and the desired speed;
• the plans for the spout and the cap;
• representative samples of pouches and caps;
• the delivery method of the pouches, on rails or in bulk.

The analysis of the pouch and the rheology of the product allows for defining the configuration. For an unusual or risky product, a bench test allows for verifying the dosage, the filling level, the behavior of the product, the cleanliness of the spout, and the quality of closure.

Quality control after closure

The quality of the packaging is verified through appropriate tests: unscrewing torque, drop test, burst test, and leak test.

Decoration

The decoration complements these technical choices: four-color printing or direct tones, matte or glossy finish, color of the spout and cap. The possibilities and minimum quantities are to be defined with the packaging manufacturer.

Evaluate your NeoFill project

Are you preparing a launch in Doypack®, a refill, or a regular production of spouted pouches? Send us your product, its volume, the targeted cadence, the plans for the spout and cap, and your pouch samples: we will study the feasibility and propose the suitable configuration.

Evaluate my project

Laurent Corbet — FS Pack Solutions

+33 6 23 42 45 34 · www.fspacksolutions.com

Doypack® is a registered trademark of THIMONNIER. [14] Vitop® is a registered trademark of SMURFIT WESTROCK BAG IN BOX, holder indicated in the Canadian registry. [15]

Sources and data scope

Sources consulted on October 8 and 10, 2026. The characteristics and performance of NeoFill are provided by FS Pack Solutions. The pouch dimensions are examples and design benchmarks; the 16 mm spout in 1 L and the thickness of 200 µm in 2.5 L are our study benchmarks.

1. [1] Dingli / Toppack — pouch and carton formats
2. [2] Instagrume — PET bottle 500 ml, carton of 180, separate caps
3. [3] Bag’Innov — pouch / can comparison, page 2
4. [4] Apple Press — boxes and palletization of Bag’Innov 3 L pouches
5. [5] Elburg Global — packaging of PET bottles 3 L
6. [6] Gualapack — materials and processes of preformed pouches
7. [7] Gualapack — PE structures for hot filling and pasteurization, sustainability report
8. [8] European Commission — food contact regulation
9. [9] Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — articles 6 and 71
10. [10] FS Pack Solutions — NeoFill Expert and testimony from INA MAZIVA
11. [11] Spring Packaging — examples of 1 L and 5 L pouches
12. [12] Vivo Packaging — example of 2.5 L pouch, dimensions and spout
13. [13] Smurfit Westrock — Vitop taps
14. [14] THIMONNIER — Doypack brand
15. [15] Canadian Intellectual Property Office — holder of the Vitop brand

Start writing here ...