You have identified a production need, contacted several equipment suppliers and received a quotation for a new filler, capper, conveyor or packaging machine.
The next question is not simply:
“Is this a good price?”
A more important question is:
“Does this quotation actually describe the machine and project I need?”
Two packaging equipment proposals can have similar prices while covering very different scopes.
One supplier may include automatic product handling, change parts, controls, factory testing and startup support.
Another may quote only the basic machine.
If those differences are not identified before the purchase order is issued, they often become additional cost, delays or production problems later.
At Filltronic, we help manufacturers, packers and co-packers evaluate packaging equipment applications and proposals before they commit to a machine.
Start With the Application — Not the Price
Before comparing quotations, confirm that every supplier is quoting the same application.
For a filling or capping project, the basic information may include:
- Product
- Bottle dimensions
- Bottle material
- Fill volume
- Cap dimensions
- Closure type
- Required torque
- Production rate
- Number of formats
- Available floor space
- Existing conveyor
- Electrical supply
- Compressed air
- Upstream equipment
- Downstream equipment
If one supplier received complete production information and another received only a general description, the two quotations may not be directly comparable.
A quotation can only be as good as the application information used to create it.
Make Sure the Machine Is Specified for Your Actual Containers
A proposal may state that a machine can handle a certain bottle range.
That is useful, but it does not necessarily confirm that it will handle every container in your application correctly.
Ask whether the supplier has reviewed:
- Actual bottle drawings
- Bottle dimensions
- Bottle weight
- Container rigidity
- Bottle stability
- Neck opening
- Cap geometry
- Actual production samples
If several bottle sizes will be used, every important format should be included in the evaluation.
A machine that handles a rigid round bottle easily may require additional bottle control for a tall, narrow or flexible container.
Confirm the Production Rate for Your Actual Product and Format
One of the most important numbers in any packaging equipment quote is production speed.
But the quoted speed needs context.
For example:
“Machine rated up to 80 bottles per minute”
is not the same as:
“Machine designed to fill your 16 oz product at a minimum sustained production rate of 60 bottles per minute.”
Actual performance can depend on:
- Product viscosity
- Fill volume
- Bottle size
- Cap type
- Torque requirement
- Number of filling heads
- Nozzle diameter
- Bottle handling
- Cap feeding
- Conveyor speed
- Changeover configuration
Ask the supplier to define the expected production rate for the actual formats you plan to run.
Understand the Difference Between Machine Speed and Line Speed
A machine can be capable of operating faster than the complete packaging line.
A filler may produce 60 bottles per minute while the capper, labeler or downstream conveyor can only support 45.
Likewise, a capper capable of 80 bottles per minute may not achieve that rate if the cap feeder cannot supply closures consistently.
When reviewing a proposal, ask:
Can the complete line support the quoted machine speed?
Consider:
- Infeed
- Accumulation
- Conveyor
- Filler
- Cap feeder
- Capper
- Labeler
- Coding equipment
- Inspection
- Pack-off
The objective is not to purchase the fastest individual machine.
The objective is to create a production system that works at the required rate.
Check Exactly What Is Included
Every packaging equipment quotation should clearly identify the equipment being supplied.
For a typical project, review whether the quote includes:
- Main machine
- Conveyor
- Product tank
- Pumps
- Filling nozzles
- Cap feeder
- Cap elevator
- Cap chute
- Bottle grippers
- Guide rails
- Sensors
- Controls
- Guarding
- Change parts
- Electrical enclosure
- Documentation
If an item is required for the machine to operate but is not listed, ask whether it is included.
Do not assume.
Cap Feeding Can Be a Separate Scope
For automatic capping systems, the cap feeding equipment deserves particular attention.
A quotation for an automatic capper may or may not include:
- Cap elevator
- Cap sorter
- Cascade feeder
- Vibratory feeder
- Cap chute
- Escapement
- Cap placement system
The capper cannot operate automatically unless closures arrive correctly oriented and at the required rate.
Confirm which equipment is included and whether it has been evaluated with your actual caps.
Review the Conveyor Scope Carefully
Conveyors are frequently treated as secondary equipment, but they can significantly affect the project.
Ask whether the proposal includes:
- New conveyor
- Modification of existing conveyor
- Conveyor supports
- Guide rails
- Drives
- Variable-speed controls
- Transfers
- Machine mounting
- Integration with existing equipment
Also verify:
- Conveyor width
- Chain width
- Working height
- Direction of travel
- Speed range
If the new machine will be installed over an existing conveyor, confirm that the conveyor is actually suitable for the application.
Understand What Changeovers Require
If you run multiple bottles, caps or fill volumes, the quotation should explain how the equipment changes between formats.
Ask whether changeover requires:
- Mechanical adjustment
- Machine recipes
- Tooling
- Change parts
- Different cap chutes
- Different bottle guides
- Different nozzles
- Different starwheels
- Height adjustment
Then determine whether those components are included in the quoted price.
A machine may technically handle six bottle formats while the quotation includes change parts for only one.
Verify Utilities Before Ordering
A machine cannot be evaluated independently from the plant where it will be installed.
Confirm:
Electrical
- Voltage
- Phase
- Frequency
- Current requirements
- Disconnect requirements
Compressed Air
- Required pressure
- Air consumption
- Connection size
- Air quality requirements
Product Supply
For fillers, verify requirements for:
- Supply pressure
- Tank
- Pump
- Product temperature
- Agitation
- Recirculation
Missing utility requirements can create unexpected installation work after the machine arrives.
Ask About Factory Acceptance Testing
Factory Acceptance Testing, commonly called FAT, can be one of the most important stages of an equipment project.
Whenever practical, the supplier should test the machine using representative production samples.
For a filling machine, testing may verify:
- Fill accuracy
- Product behavior
- Nozzle performance
- Dripping
- Production speed
- Bottle handling
For a capping machine, testing may verify:
- Cap feeding
- Cap placement
- Torque
- Bottle stability
- Production speed
The quotation should explain whether FAT is included and what samples must be supplied.
Define the Acceptance Criteria
Testing is more useful when success is defined before the machine is built.
Depending on the application, acceptance criteria may include:
- Production rate
- Fill accuracy
- Torque range
- Bottle handling
- Cap placement
- Reject rate
- Changeover capability
- Run duration
Without defined criteria, a machine can be described as “working” even when it does not meet the original production objective.
Review Installation and Startup Responsibilities
Ask who is responsible for:
- Unloading the machine
- Positioning
- Mechanical installation
- Electrical connection
- Pneumatic connection
- Conveyor integration
- Startup
- Operator training
- Production support
Some quotations include installation and startup.
Others provide only the equipment.
Neither approach is necessarily wrong, but the responsibility should be clear before purchase.
Check Documentation
Good documentation becomes increasingly important after the equipment has been in production for several years.
Ask whether the project includes:
- Operator manual
- Maintenance manual
- Electrical drawings
- Pneumatic diagrams
- Parts list
- Recommended spare parts
- Changeover instructions
- Machine settings
- Component documentation
A machine without documentation becomes harder and more expensive to support over time.
Understand Spare Parts and Obsolescence
Before buying equipment, identify critical components such as:
- Motors
- Drives
- PLC
- HMI
- Sensors
- Pneumatic valves
- Regulators
- Bearings
- Pumps
- Seals
Ask whether these components are commercially available and whether the supplier provides recommended spare parts.
The long-term cost of a machine depends partly on how easily it can be maintained.
Compare Total Project Cost — Not Only Machine Price
A quotation of $45,000 can ultimately cost more than a $55,000 quotation if important items are excluded.
Consider the complete project:
Machine + auxiliary equipment + change parts + conveyor modifications + freight + installation + startup + training + spare parts
This is the number that should be compared.
The lowest machine price is not always the lowest project cost.
Ask What Is Specifically Excluded
One of the best sections of a quotation is often the exclusions section.
It tells you what the supplier is not providing.
Typical exclusions may include:
- Freight
- Installation
- Electrical wiring
- Plant utilities
- Product piping
- Conveyor
- Change parts
- Production samples
- Training
- Travel expenses
Read exclusions carefully.
What is excluded can be just as important as what is included.
Look for Assumptions
Equipment quotations frequently contain assumptions.
For example:
- Product viscosity assumed below a certain value
- Bottles assumed stable on conveyor
- Caps assumed to feed automatically
- Existing conveyor assumed suitable
- Utilities assumed available
- Customer responsible for product supply
If an assumption is wrong, the machine configuration or price may change.
Review every assumption against your actual production environment.
Compare Proposals Using the Same Checklist
When evaluating multiple OEM quotations, create a comparison table.
Use categories such as:
| Requirement | Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required speed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| All bottle formats | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Cap feeder | Included | Optional | Included |
| Conveyor | Included | Not included | Included |
| Change parts | Included | Partial | Included |
| FAT | Included | Optional | Included |
| Installation | Optional | Included | Not included |
| Documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
This makes missing scope much easier to identify.
A Good Quote Should Reduce Uncertainty
The purpose of an equipment quotation is not simply to provide a price.
A good proposal should make it clear:
What machine is being supplied?
What application is it designed to run?
What performance is expected?
What equipment is included?
What is excluded?
What does the customer need to provide?
How will the equipment be tested?
Who is responsible for installation and startup?
The fewer unanswered questions that remain before purchase, the lower the project risk.
Need Help Reviewing a Packaging Equipment Quote?
If you are considering a new filler, capper, conveyor or other primary packaging equipment, Filltronic can help review the application before you commit to the purchase.
We can evaluate:
- Your product
- Bottles and caps
- Required production rate
- Equipment configuration
- Conveyor requirements
- Changeovers
- Line integration
- Quotation scope
- Technical assumptions
- Missing requirements
You can start by sending:
- Equipment quotation
- Bottle and cap photos
- Product information
- Required production speed
- Existing line photos
- Available floor space
The goal is simple:
Understand exactly what you are buying before the purchase order is issued.
Contact Filltronic to request a packaging equipment review.