Two extrusion blow molding machine cost quotations for the same 5 L jerrycan can differ by a factor of two — and both can be honestly priced. The difference is almost never the brand on the control panel. It is the clamp force, the die head count, the accumulator volume, whether the drive is servo-hydraulic, and above all what is and is not included in the scope: moulds, parison controller, auto-loader, chiller, installation.
Buyers who compare headline prices without normalising scope end up discovering the gap after the purchase order is signed, when the “cheaper” offer needs a mould, a parison controller and an air compressor that the other quote already included.
Sailwin builds EBM machines from 0.5 L up to 1000 L — tie-bar locking, accumulator head, multilayer co-extrusion and all-electric series — with 500+ installations in 60+ countries. This guide explains what each cost driver does for you, so you can justify a price difference on capability rather than on reputation.
Key Takeaways
- Clamp force and accumulator volume scale with part size, not with output. A 200 L drum machine is not a faster 5 L machine — it is a structurally different machine, and its price reflects tonnage rather than throughput.
- Die head count is the cheapest way to multiply output. A double-head configuration roughly doubles output for far less than the price of a second machine — but only if your part and cycle time allow it.
- Scope is the largest hidden variable. Normalise every quote to include moulds, parison control, servo drive, utilities and installation before comparing numbers.
Get an EBM Quote With the Scope Itemised
Send your container volume, material and target output. We return a costed configuration with every included and excluded item listed.
1. The Six Cost Drivers That Actually Move an EBM Quote
| Driver | Why it changes the price | What it buys you |
|---|---|---|
| Clamping force | Larger platens, stronger tie bars, bigger hydraulic package | Less flash, cleaner parting line, less mould wear on large parts |
| Accumulator head size | Larger shot capacity and heavier head construction | Ability to form 30 L to 1000 L parts without parison sag |
| Number of die heads | Additional head, manifold and parison control channels | Multiple parts per cycle — the lowest-cost route to more output |
| Drive type | Servo-hydraulic or full servo adds hardware and control complexity | Documented energy savings and better repeatability on high-duty cycles |
| Parison control | Controller hardware plus wall-thickness programming at commissioning | Controlled wall distribution — direct resin saving on every part |
| Mould scope | Cavity steel, cooling design, pinch-off, handles and view strips | Part quality and cycle time — usually the largest single line after the machine |
A useful discipline when reading EBM quotations: ask the supplier to mark, line by line, whether each item is included, optional or excluded. Most price gaps between suppliers disappear at that stage — and the ones that remain are real capability differences worth paying for.
2. Machine Class by Container Size
The single most useful way to locate yourself in the price landscape is by the container you intend to make. Sailwin’s EBM range maps onto four working bands, each with its own model families.
| Container band | Typical Sailwin models | Application |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 L – 5 L | SW-2S1L (≤0.5 L, 950×2/h), SW-S2L, SW-2S2L, SW-2S3L, SW-S5L / SW-2S5L | Motor oil, detergent, agrochemical and household chemical bottles |
| 5 L – 30 L | SW-S12L / SW-2S12L, SW-S30L (600/h), SW-60 / SW-70 / SW-80 / SW-90 all-electric | Jerrycans, chemical containers, high-speed 5 L production |
| 30 L – 160 L | SW-S30L PC (PC-specific), SW-S60L (450/h), SW-S80L (360/h), SW-S120L, SW-S160L (300/h) | Drums, double-ring drums, storage tanks, pallets and industrial parts |
| 160 L – 1000 L | SW-S260L (≤250 L, 300/h), SW-S1000L (≤1000 L, 250/h) | 200 L drums, IBC inner tanks, pallets and large industrial containers |
| Barrier / multilayer | SW-2S2L-TH / DT, SW-2S5L-TH / DT, SW-2S12L-TH / DT (PE + PA + EVOH) | Agrochemical, automotive fluid and food packaging needing an oxygen or solvent barrier |
Within each band, the price step is driven by drive type, die head count and the level of parison control. A multilayer co-extrusion machine with a six-layer head sits at a fundamentally different price point from a monolayer machine of the same clamp force, because the head, die, extruders and control system are all more complex.
Ask for a Costed Configuration
Give us container volume, material and target output per hour and we will return a model-by-model comparison.
3. Where the Money Comes Back: Not in the Purchase Price
On an EBM line, the purchase price is a fraction of lifetime cost. Three items dominate the rest:
- Wall thickness distribution. Parison control is the difference between a part that is uniformly thick because the operator is being careful and a part that is uniformly thick because the machine is programmed to be. Material is the largest recurring cost in blow moulding, so a controller that removes unnecessary grams pays for itself across a year of production.
- Cycle time and scrap. Cooling design, mould change speed and clamping repeatability determine how many saleable parts leave the machine per shift. A machine that needs 25 minutes less changeover per format change recovers capacity you would otherwise buy with a second machine.
- Energy, on high-duty cycles. Servo-hydraulic drive reduces consumption against a standard hydraulic system; the size of that saving depends on your duty cycle and how much of the cycle is idle. Ask for the calculation, not the claim.
4. Sailwin Case Study: Double-Head Instead of a Second Machine
A chemical packaging producer needed to double output of a 5 L jerrycan without doubling floor space or buying a second production cell.
- Packaging producer running 5 L jerrycans for agricultural chemicals
- Output ceiling reached on a single-head machine; floor space constrained
- Wall thickness variation between shifts affecting resin consumption
- Double-head configuration on the same SW-2S5L platform instead of a second machine
- Parison wall thickness programming set per shift so distribution no longer depended on operator judgement
- Quick mould change with blow pin bracket to shorten format changeovers
- Output doubled within the existing footprint — two parts per cycle from one machine
- Wall thickness consistency moved from operator-dependent to programme-controlled
- Changeover reduced by the quick-release mould design, increasing usable capacity
Scenario based on a Sailwin customer project; output and cost figures are confirmed against your part drawing during quotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Request a Costed EBM Configuration
Send your bottle drawing, container sample or target output. Our engineering team replies with a machine recommendation, mould assessment and factory-direct quotation within 24 hours.
Related Reading:
• Extrusion Blow Molding Machine — 0.5 L to 1000 L
• Continuous vs Accumulator Head Blow Molding
• Single vs Double Station: Cycle Time and Output
• 100-Point Parison Control for Uniform Wall Thickness
• HDPE Blow Molding Machine: Choosing the Right Size
