How to Pack Ice Cubes in Cup

Packing ice cubes in cups is commonly done for take-away drinks, retail ice, or vending use. Below is a clear, practical guide, from manual to fully automatic production.

How to Pack Ice Cubes in Cups

1️⃣ Ice Making

• Use a cube ice machine or flake ice machine (food-grade).

• Ice is produced and stored in a sanitary ice bin.

• Keep ice at –5 °C to –18 °C before packing to avoid melting.

2️⃣ Cup Feeding

• Cups (plastic or paper) are fed by:

• Manual placement (small scale)

• Automatic cup denester (industrial scale)

Common cup sizes:

• 200 ml

• 300 ml

• 400 ml

• 500 ml

3️⃣ Ice Dosing into Cup

Option A – Volumetric Ice Feeder

• Ice slides into the cup via chute

• Simple & economical

• Suitable for uniform cube size

Option B – Multi-Head Weigher (Best)

• Weighs exact ice quantity (e.g., 200 g / 300 g)

• High accuracy

• Ideal for retail sale

Option C – Manual Filling

• Used for small shops or catering

4️⃣ Lid Sealing / Capping

Option 1 – Film Sealing

• Cup filling & sealing machine

• Heat seals plastic film lid

• Tamper-evident and leak-proof

Option 2 – Dome Lid Capping

• Ice cube cup dome lid capping machine

• Popular for take-away drinks

Option 3 – Aluminum Foil Sealing

• For higher hygiene protection

• Optional dust-proof foil lid

5️⃣ Output & Conveying

• Finished cups move to:

• Conveyor

• Shrink wrapping

• Carton packing

• Cold storage

⚙️ Recommended Machines

Small Scale

• Tabletop cup sealer

• Manual ice dosing

Medium Scale

• Automatic ice cube cup filling sealing machine

• Volumetric ice feeder

• Output: 20–40 cups/min

Industrial Scale

• Multi-lane ice cube cup filling & sealing machine

• Multi-head weigher

• Output: 60–200 cups/min

Hygiene Considerations

• Stainless steel contact parts

• Enclosed ice feeding tunnel

• UV or air-knife optional

• No hand contact

• CIP cleaning supported

Typical Production Line

1. Ice maker

2. Ice storage bin

3. Ice conveyor / feeder

4. Cup denester

5. Ice dosing system

6. Cup sealing or capping machine

7. Conveyor → freezer

If you want a custom solution, tell me:

1. Cup size

2. Required ice weight

3. Sealing type (film / dome lid / foil)

4. Target capacity (cups/hour)

I can recommend the exact machine model and line layout for you.