Which Blow Molding Machine Do You Need for a 5 L to 60 L Container?
By Anna Xiang · Published:
Size the machine to your largest container: AMB-5L up to 5 L, AMB-10L for 10 L, AMB-25L for 20–25 L, AMB-D-F-25L for 30 L, and the accumulator-head AMB-100L-A for 50–60 L drums.
Then decide two things: a double station if one mould cannot give you enough cans per hour, and a multi-layer wall if what goes in the can needs a barrier.
Machines by largest container
| Largest container | Model | Type | Screw diameter | Extrusion output | Typical output per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 L | AMB-5L | Single station | 60 mm | 55 kg/h | 150–250 cans |
| 5 L | AMB-D-5L | Double station | 70 mm | 80 kg/h | 250–400 cans |
| 10 L | AMB-10L | Single station | 70 mm | 80 kg/h | 60–100 cans |
| 10 L | AMB-D-10L | Double station | 80 mm | 115 kg/h | 140–180 cans |
| 25 L | AMB-25L | Single station | 90 mm | 145 kg/h | 50–75 cans |
| 25 L | AMB-25L, double-station version | Double station | 90 mm | 200 kg/h | 90–140 cans |
| 30 L | AMB-D-F-25L | Double station, high speed | 100 mm | 320 kg/h | 100–150 cans |
| 50–100 L | AMB-100L-A | Accumulator head | 100 mm | 220 kg/h | 40–60 drums of 50–60 L |
Typical figures from our machine pages. The can weight, wall thickness and mould layout set the real figure, and we confirm it in the quotation.
What size machine do I need for a 20 L jerry can?
A 20 L jerry can runs on a 25 L machine. The single-station AMB-25L lists 25 L as its largest container, with a 90 mm screw and 145 kg/h of extrusion output.
What changes between machines is how many cans come off in an hour. As a typical range, the AMB-25L makes 50–75 cans of 20–25 L an hour, and its double-station version 90–140. A heavier can or a thicker wall brings the figure down, so send the can weight and we work out the real number.
If your range goes up to 30 L, look at the AMB-D-F-25L, a high-speed double-station machine with a 100 mm screw and 320 kg/h of extrusion output, which runs 100–150 cans of 10–30 L an hour. Models for 10–30 L cans are on the 10–30 L blow molding machines page, and the size-by-size overview is on the jerry can blow molding machine page. If you are comparing quotes, what decides the price of a blow molding machine explains which choices move the figure.
Single station or double station?
A double-station machine has two moulds. While the can in one mould cools, the other mould takes the next parison, so more cans come off in an hour. On our machine pages the gap is clear: for 10 L cans, 60–100 an hour on a single station against 140–180 on a double station; for 20–25 L cans, 50–75 against 90–140.
A double station needs more floor space: the AMB-25L lists 4800 × 2200 × 3000 mm, its double-station version 5200 × 3400 × 3000 mm. A single station suits lower hourly volumes and a first line; a double station suits higher hourly volumes.
Work it backwards from your order book: cans per day divided by the hours you run gives cans per hour, and that tells you which row of the table you need.
Send your can drawing and daily output Ask on WhatsApp
Can one machine make 5 L and 20 L cans?
Yes, within its range. You change the mould to change the can, and the machine is chosen for the largest can you plan to make. A 5 L can fits on a 25 L machine, but running a small product on a large machine loses some efficiency and material.
A 25 L machine melts 145 kg/h; a 5 L can needs far less, as the 55 kg/h of the AMB-5L shows, so on the big machine you pay for capacity you do not use. Send your smallest and largest can and we confirm whether one machine covers both.
On every model, the handle is formed in the same mould closing as the body, from the same parison, so no machine needs a separate handle step. How that works is shown in how plastic jerry cans are made.
For the 5 L end of the range, see the AMB-5L and the 2–10 L blow molding machines; for every size band on one page, see choose an extrusion blow molding machine by bottle size.
Do chemical cans need multi-layer?
It depends on what the can holds. Lubricant oil, detergent and most water-based chemicals run in single-layer HDPE, and every machine in the table above runs HDPE. Solvent-based agrochemicals and other solvent-based chemicals that pass through plain PE are where a barrier layer such as EVOH is specified.
For those, we supply a multi-layer machine that blows EVOH + PE containers up to 25 L. Its extruders and output are set per order, because they follow the layer structure, so ask us for it with your can drawing. Tell us what the can holds and we confirm whether it needs the barrier layer, or whether a single-layer HDPE machine will do.
We cut the jerry can blow mould in our own workshop, to your drawing.
Watch: a 20 L double-station machine running
Footage: 20 L brown HDPE jerry cans coming off a double-station extrusion blow molding machine.
How we compared
We compared the machines on three things, in this order: the largest container each one takes, the typical cans per hour on our machine pages, and the material it runs. The specifications come from our own model data. The can weight, wall thickness and mould layout set the real figure, and we confirm it in the quotation.
FAQ
What screw size do I need for a 10 L container?
On our list, the single-station AMB-10L uses a 70 mm screw and the double-station AMB-D-10L an 80 mm screw; both take containers up to 10 L. The double station runs two moulds, so it takes the larger screw. Send the can weight and output and we confirm the screw.
Can one machine make cans from 15 L up to 60 L?
Not one machine across the whole span. Cans from 15 to 25 L run on the AMB-25L by changing the mould, and 30 L cans run on the double-station AMB-D-F-25L. For 50–60 L drums, the AMB-100L-A has a 100 mm screw and 350 kN of clamping force and takes containers up to 100 L, with a different mould for each drum size. Tell us which sizes carry most of your volume and we set out the options in the quotation.
Do you have a machine for 200 L drums?
Yes. Drums over 100 L, such as 200 L drums, and IBC tanks also run on accumulator-head machines. See our 200 L HDPE drum extrusion blow molding machine and the machines for containers over 100 L.
Related: What decides the price of a blow molding machine · How plastic jerry cans are made · 10–30 L blow molding machines · 50–100 L drum machines · Blow moulds
Send your drawing
We have been in business since 2007 and have exported to 100+ countries. Our moulds are cut in our own workshop, and our machines are built by our sister factory. Send your can drawing or a photo, with the volume, can weight, neck and the cans you need per day, and get an exact quote for the machine and the mould within 24–48 hours.
Send your can drawing and daily output → Ask on WhatsAppGet a machine quote for your container
No drawing yet? Photos of a sample container work too. This is all we need to match the machine and quote it:
- ✓Container drawing, 3D file, or photos from all sides
- ✓Volume, container weight and neck size
- ✓Material, e.g. HDPE
- ✓How many you need per hour or per day