Cost, accuracy at speed, changeover time, transparent labels, payment safety, warranty, answered straight by the factory.
Most projects land in three bands: semi-automatic $600–4,500, fully automatic $6,000–15,000, and rotary hot melt from $25,000, with double-side automatic around $9,000. The spread inside each band comes from platform, sensor class and jigs. Every figure here is a placeholder pending confirmation. See the full price table in the price center.
A semi-automatic machine needs an operator to place each container (15–30 pcs/min, ±0.5mm); an automatic feeds from your conveyor and runs 40–300 pcs/min at ±1mm without per-piece labor. Semi-automatic is the low-risk first step; automatic removes the labor bottleneck. Compare the semi-automatic range before deciding.
Start from three facts (bottle geometry, label dimensions, target speed) because every platform is specified around them. Round bottles point to wrap platforms, flat and square to double-side, tapers and odd shapes to custom jigs, tiny diameters to horizontal. Walk the full selection guide to map your inputs to a platform.
When labeling labor starts dictating your shipping calendar, typically a few hundred units a day, or whenever batch time outruns batch demand. The honest test is arithmetic, not instinct: wages versus machine cost versus growth. Run your numbers through the upgrade & payback calculator.
Published tiers are ±0.5mm on benchtop semi-automatics (±0.2mm on the T807 flat platform) and ±1mm on automatic lines. And we record what they read at your target speed with your container during the FAT. A spec without the working condition is marketing; ours comes with the run on video. See the automatic platform specs.
Yes, double-side platforms (MT-860 semi-auto, T962 automatic) apply front and back in a single pass, and multi-head machines cover top-and-bottom and seal applications. Label count is a head-count question, decided by geometry and speed. See how one-pass double-side works.
Yes, the T95x labeling heads are built to mount over the conveyor you already run, with height, angle and trigger tuned to your line. Retrofit needs three inputs: conveyor height, travel direction and available footprint. Read the retrofit & integration guide for the full checklist.
Round, square, flat, oval and tapered bottles; jars; vials and tubes; pouches and bags; boxes and cartons; wires and cables; and non-standard shapes via engineered jigs. The honest caveat: adhesive and surface energy matter as much as geometry, which is why we test with your actual product first. See what custom engineering covers.
Long enough that we film it: complete changeover videos with the clock running, per platform, start to first good bottle. Scale-based adjustments and archived per-SKU recipes are what keep the number honest; ask for the timed video of your platform. Watch the timed changeover section.
Most bubbles and wrinkles come from three causes: wrong application pressure, label taller than the container’s straight-wall zone, or contaminated/irregular surfaces, and each has a mechanical fix. Pressure is calibrated to container stiffness; label height is checked against geometry before printing; surfaces are handled clean and dry. Work through the troubleshooting guide for the systematic diagnosis.
Because circumference changes under the label: a long label on a tight curve or a taper must stretch (it cannot) or wrinkle (it will). The fixes are shorter labels inside the straight zone, horizontal handling for slim diameters, or engineered jigs that present the bottle at a constant angle. Read the tapered bottle guide for the full decision tree.
Alignment on round bottles is won by mechanical repeatability: consistent bottle presentation, matched roller pressure, and a sensor that fires at the same point every cycle. If the seam wanders, check presentation and sensor timing before touching the label stock. See the round-bottle platform engineering notes.
Yes, with ultrasonic sensing. Photoelectric sensors read light interruption, which a transparent label never creates, while ultrasonic sensors read the label’s physical thickness against the liner. Special SICK sensors are fitted at build time where the label spec calls for them. See the T803, specified for transparent-label detection.
For a first order, the practical safety ladder is Trade Assurance or verified third-party inspection on top of standard T/T; our standard terms are 30% TT deposit and 70% TT balance before delivery. What actually protects you is evidence at each gate: the FAT video releases nothing until it passes. Read the buy-from-China safety guide.
Verify three things: that the factory builds what it shows (live video factory tour or third-party audit), that it tests what it sells (FAT on your product), and that it supports what it ships (named support channel, spare parts path). Claims are cheap; recorded evidence is not. Start with the manufacturer portal, then ask us anything it does not answer.
Labeling machines classify under HS 8422.30; duty rate and any Section 301 additional tariff depend on the current trade-measure schedule at your import date, so confirm with your customs broker before quoting landed cost. We supply the commercial invoice and HS information your broker needs. See the import planning guide.
Standard semi-automatic machines ship 7–10 days after payment confirmation; automatic platforms and custom builds are quoted with their schedule per project. Shipping runs express, air or sea against your deadline, with the export packing specified at order. Ask for current lead times on your configuration.
CE marking is the baseline for our export machines, and for Canada a CSA-grade electrical configuration can be scoped per project. Certification paperwork status should be confirmed at inquiry and documents requested in writing. Market-specific electrical variants are a build-time decision. Read the CE / UL / CSA compliance guide.
One year machine warranty plus lifetime technical support, with spare parts available worldwide through the documented parts list. Support runs on a named channel (email and remote assistance) backed by the FAT archive of your machine. See the parts diagram & spares guide.
Yes, every machine ships with an English operation manual and operation videos, so line staff can be trained without a translator in the room. The FAT video doubles as a setup reference because it shows your product running on your machine. See the full delivery package in the FAT section.
Five items: the machine (run in and adjusted before packing), the factory test-run video, the English manual and operation videos, the random spare parts kit, and the lifetime technical support entry. Everything arrives itemized. Nothing “usually included”. Request the delivery checklist for your model.
Yes, send your bottles and labels and you receive a test-run video within 48 hours of our engineering evaluation, free and without obligation. It is our standard process, not a favor: every quotation is built on a recorded run. Browse the test video library to see what yours will look like.
Because the FAT measures it: placement accuracy recorded at multiple speeds including your target rate, with your bottle and label, before the 70% balance is due. If the reading is wrong, the machine does not ship. The evidence chain does the trusting. Read the 10-point FAT process.
