What Decides the Price of a Blow Molding Machine?
The price of an extrusion blow molding machine is not a catalogue figure. This page explains each factor and what we need from you to quote it. It covers extrusion blow molding machines; for injection blow molding machines, see extrusion blow molding vs injection blow molding.
What decides the price of a blow molding machine? The price of a blow molding machine is mainly decided by what the machine has to make: the number of containers per cycle, the container size, the material and layer structure, the level of automation, the mould it has to carry, and the equipment that comes with the line. Each machine is quoted to your container and target output.
Key takeaways
- Output per hour is the first thing to settle: it is raised with a double-station machine, a multi-cavity mould with a multi-die-head, and a screw and die matched to the material.
- Container size sets the machine: the die head, mould and clamping size change with the container, and a machine must be sized for the largest container you plan to run.
- Material and layers change the extrusion side: HDPE and PP are the usual materials, and multi-layer co-extrusion with a barrier layer is a separate choice.
- Automation is a choice: automatic or semi-automatic versions, and trimming the flash in-line or at a separate station.
- The mould is cut for your container and the machine is sized with it; a turnkey line quotes machine, mould and auxiliaries together.
The six factors
1. Output per hour is the first thing that shapes the machine. Output is raised in three ways: run two stations that alternate (while one mould blows and cools its container, the other takes the next parison), cut several containers per cycle with a multi-cavity mould and multi-die-head, and match the screw and die to the material and container. A multi-cavity high-speed machine, for small HDPE and PP bottles such as 200–500 ml milk bottles, goes up to 12 cavities. Examples: the 10-Cavity HDPE Milk Bottle Blow Molding Machine and the Parison Control HDPE Milk Bottle Blow Molding Machine. Output is measured in bottles or containers per hour, and it depends on the container size and weight, the number of cavities and die heads, single or double station, and the material.
Watch: the process running
What you will see: the two clamping frames changing places left and right, a parison closing in the mould and being blown into a yellow oil bottle, and a robot taking the finished bottle out.
2. Container size sets the size of the machine. The same six steps run on a jerry can machine and on a 50–100 L drum machine; only the die head, mould and clamping size change. That is why our machines are grouped by container size: 100 ml–2 L bottles, 2–10 L bottles and jars, 10–30 L jerry cans, 50–100 L drums, and over 100 L drums and IBC tanks. Large drums and IBC tanks run on single-station machines with an accumulator head, which stores the melt and pushes out a heavy parison in one stroke. One machine can cover a range of sizes — you change the mould, not the machine — but it must be sized for the largest container you plan to run.
3. Material and layer structure change the extrusion side. Extrusion blow molding runs mainly HDPE and PP, and also LDPE, PVC and PC. Multi-layer co-extrusion with an EVOH barrier layer is available for oxygen-sensitive contents, and AMAN confirms the material and layer structure with you for each application. A single-layer bottle and a multi-layer container are different machine configurations: a multi-layer container needs more than one extruder feeding a multi-layer die head.
4. Automation is a choice you make. Machines in the 10–30 L range come in automatic and semi-automatic versions. Trimming the flash can be done in-line by automatic deflashing on a full line, or at a separate station. After the blow molder there is also automatic equipment for neck trimming and cutting, and for labeling, which can be added to the line.
5. The mould is cut for your container, and the machine is sized around it. A blown bottle is shaped by the mould, not by the machine, so the handle, the pinch line and the neck are cut into the tool. AMAN cuts blow moulds in its own workshop in Jiangsu and sizes the machine and the mould together to your container, wall weight and target output. Blow moulds are delivered in 25–35 days from approved drawings.
6. A turnkey line quotes machine, mould and auxiliaries together. The auxiliaries are the equipment that works around the machine: mixers, hopper dryers, vacuum loaders, water chillers, cooling towers, crushers and air compressors. Our turnkey lines, for example for 200 L drums and IBC tanks, are quoted as one package — the machine, the mould and the auxiliaries. The machines are built by our sister factory to CE standards.
What changes with each choice
| Choice | The two options | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Stations | Single station vs double station | A single station has one parison and mould set; a double station has two that alternate, so while one mould blows and cools its container, the other takes the next parison |
| Cavities | One container vs several per cycle | A multi-cavity mould with a multi-die-head cuts several containers per cycle, so the machine and the mould are built for that number |
| Material | Single layer vs multi-layer | Multi-layer co-extrusion with a barrier layer is a different extrusion configuration: more than one extruder feeds a multi-layer die head |
| Trimming | In-line vs separate station | In-line automatic deflashing is part of a full line; a separate station is a separate piece of equipment |
| Version | Automatic vs semi-automatic | Offered in the 10–30 L range; they differ in how many of the steps the machine does and how many are done by an operator |
| Scope | Machine vs turnkey line | A turnkey line is quoted as one package: the machine, the mould and the auxiliaries |
What we need to quote your machine
To quote a machine we need four things: a bottle drawing, 3D file or photos from all sides; the volume, bottle weight and neck size; the material, for example HDPE, PP or PVC; and how many you need per hour or per day. No drawing yet? Photos of a sample bottle work too. With those, we recommend the machine and the mould and send an exact quote within 24–48 hours.
FAQ
What decides the price of a blow molding machine?
The price of a blow molding machine is mainly decided by six things: the output per hour (stations and cavities), the container size, the material and number of layers, the level of automation, the mould it has to carry, and the equipment that comes with the line. Send us your container and target output and we quote the machine to them.
Blow molding machine price: why is there no price list?
There is no price list because each machine is sized to your container, wall weight and target output, and the mould is cut for that container. A jerry can machine, a drum machine and a multi-cavity bottle machine differ in die head, mould and clamping size. Send your container and output and you get an exact quote within 24–48 hours.
Single station vs double station blow molding machine: what changes?
A single-station machine has one parison and mould set; a double-station machine has two stations that alternate, so while one mould blows and cools its container the other takes the next parison, which raises output. Bottles and jerry cans usually run on double-station machines when output matters; large drums and IBC tanks run on single-station machines with an accumulator head.
How does container size change the machine?
Container size changes the die head, the mould and the clamping size, so a bottle machine, a jerry can machine and a drum machine are different ranges: 100 ml–2 L, 2–10 L, 10–30 L, 50–100 L and over 100 L. One machine can run several sizes by changing the mould, but it must be sized for the largest container you plan to make.
Do layers change the machine?
Yes. Multi-layer co-extrusion with an EVOH barrier layer is available for oxygen-sensitive contents, and a multi-layer container is a different extrusion configuration from a single-layer bottle. The usual materials are HDPE and PP, and also LDPE, PVC and PC. Tell us the contents and we confirm the material and layer structure with you for your application.
What is included in a turnkey blow molding line?
A turnkey blow molding line is quoted as one package: the machine, the mould and the auxiliaries around it, such as mixers, hopper dryers, vacuum loaders, water chillers, cooling towers, crushers and air compressors. Our 200 L drum and IBC tank lines, for example, are quoted this way. Tell us the container and the output you need and we put the line together with you.
What do you need to quote a blow molding machine?
We need four things: a bottle drawing, 3D file or photos from all sides; the volume, bottle weight and neck size; the material, for example HDPE, PP or PVC; and how many you need per hour or per day. Send them and you get an exact quote within 24–48 hours.
Related: extrusion blow molding process, step by step · jerry can blow molding machines · multi-cavity high-speed machines · turnkey production lines · blow moulds
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No drawing yet? Photos of a sample bottle work too. This is all we need to match the machine and quote it:
- ✓Bottle drawing, 3D file, or photos from all sides
- ✓Volume, bottle weight and neck size
- ✓Material, e.g. HDPE, PP or PET
- ✓How many you need per hour or per day