How to Select the Right Manufacturing Platform for Your Unit Dose Products
The growth of laundry pods and dishwasher capsules has created a new opportunity for manufacturers around the world. More and more companies are exploring unit dose products because they offer advantages that traditional detergents cannot easily achieve.

However, when starting a unit dose production project, one important question always comes first:

Which manufacturing technology is the right choice for my business?

Today, two major technology platforms are commonly considered: rotary drum forming technology and flat bed forming technology.

Both have their own advantages. The right choice depends on your product strategy, investment plan and future development goals.

Rotary Drum Technology: Proven and Reliable

Rotary drum forming technology is one of the most mature technologies used in unit dose manufacturing.

The basic principle is simple: the water-soluble film is formed on a rotating drum mold, where filling and sealing processes are completed continuously.

After many years of development, rotary drum technology has become highly reliable and efficient. It provides manufacturers with stable production, reasonable investment costs and proven performance.

For many standard unit dose products, especially liquid pods and simple powder-liquid combinations, rotary drum technology remains an excellent choice.

Sunmings Flexformer™ series is based on this proven technology platform.

Flexformer™: A Practical Platform for Efficient Production

The biggest advantage of the Flexformer™ platform is the balance between investment and production capability.

For companies entering the unit dose market, a mature and reliable platform can reduce the risks during the early stage of development.

Flexformer™ machines support:

• Liquid pod production
• Simple powder-liquid products
• Multiple liquid filling solutions
• Fast mold replacement for different product shapes

This makes Flexformer™ suitable for companies that want to build production capability with a controlled investment.

However, every technology has its natural limitations.

Because rotary drum systems use a curved forming surface, the available space inside the mold is limited. As products become more complex, combining different materials and creating advanced structures becomes more challenging.

This is where flat bed technology creates new possibilities.

Flat Bed Technology: Creating More Possibilities

As unit dose products continue to evolve, manufacturers are looking beyond traditional liquid pods.

Future products may include:

• Powder-liquid hybrid products
• Multi-component capsules
• Functional additives separated by chambers
• Controlled-release structures

These products require more flexibility from the manufacturing system.

Duplexformer™ introduces a different approach based on a rotary chain flat bed mold driven system.

Instead of forming products on a curved drum surface, flat bed technology provides a larger and more open manufacturing space.

This removes many of the limitations caused by drum curvature and creates more freedom for product design.

Duplexformer™: A Platform for Product Innovation

The key advantage of Duplexformer™ is flexibility.

The platform is designed to handle different material forms, including:

• Powder
• Granule
• Liquid

These materials can be combined into more advanced unit dose structures.

For example:

• Powder + liquid products
• Granule + liquid products
• Multi-component capsules

Another important advantage is modular design.

Instead of buying a completely new machine when market requirements change, manufacturers can upgrade and expand the platform through additional functional modules.

This gives companies a longer equipment lifecycle and more freedom to develop future products.

Flexformer™ vs Duplexformer™: Which One Should You Choose?

There is no universal answer. The right platform depends on where your business is today and where you want to go tomorrow.

Choosing Based on Your Business Stage

If your goal is to quickly enter the unit dose market with proven products, Flexformer™ provides an efficient and reliable solution.

It is especially suitable for companies producing:

• Laundry pods
• Dishwasher capsules
• Liquid cleaning products

If your goal is to develop differentiated products and build long-term competitiveness, Duplexformer™ provides a more flexible foundation.

It is designed for companies that want to explore:

• New product structures
• Premium formulations
• Future cleaning technologies

Building the Future of Unit Dose Manufacturing

At Sunmings, we believe manufacturing equipment should not only solve today's production needs. It should also support tomorrow's opportunities.

The unit dose industry is moving from simple packaging innovation toward a new generation of intelligent product delivery systems.

The future may include:

• More advanced multi-component products
• Smarter dosing systems
• Automated cleaning solutions
• Connected manufacturing platforms

Different companies are at different stages of this journey. Some need reliable production today. Others are preparing for future innovation.

Sunmings provides both Flexformer™ and Duplexformer™ technology platforms to help manufacturers choose the right path and build sustainable production capabilities.

Conclusion

Choosing a laundry pod machine is not simply choosing a piece of equipment. It is choosing a manufacturing strategy.

Rotary drum technology provides proven efficiency and reliability.

Flat bed technology opens new possibilities for product innovation.

The best solution is the one that matches your current needs while supporting your future growth.