The quick answer: 2026 bands
| Machine class | 2026 band (ex-China) | What decides the price |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic bag making machine | USD 8,000–40,000+ | Automation (servo vs mechanical), width, sealing type (bottom/side), printing integration |
| Paper bag machine | Comparable class | Bag format (SOS, flat), handles, print units |
| PVC pipe / profile extrusion line | USD 20,000–200,000+ | Single vs twin screw, die and calibration, cooling train, haul-off — and continuous-duty build quality |
| PET preform production | Injection machine USD 30,000–75,000 + mould set | Cavity count rules everything: a high-cavitation preform mould can cost as much as the machine under it |
| PET bottle blowing | See the bottling guide | Semi-auto blowers to in-line blowing — priced with the line in our bottling plant guide |
The film question behind every bag machine
A bag machine converts film — it doesn't make it. If you're buying film, your margin lives on your film supplier's price list; if you're extruding your own, add a film blowing line to the project and the working capital for resin. The honest project question is "bags from bought film" versus "extrusion plus conversion" — different capital classes, different businesses, and we'll price both before you choose.
Pipe: the extrusion line is a system, not a machine
The extruder is a third of a pipe line: die and calibration tooling per diameter range, the vacuum and cooling train, haul-off, cutter and belling. Quotes that look cheap are usually quoting the extruder alone — the same partial-system trap we flag on gypsum "plants". And pressure-pipe markets buy certification: budget the testing regime with the line.
Preforms: cavity count rules everything
Preform economics are mould economics. The machine is the workhorse-band injection machine; the money decision is cavities (16? 32? 48?), hot-runner quality and cycle time — which set your preforms-per-hour and your cost per unit. Most bottlers should also price the alternative honestly: buying preforms from established converters, which keeps capital in the filling hall where the brand lives.
What you're buying from CISH
Working capacity, not crates: configuration for your product, OEM audit, FAT on your material, freight and clearing, installation and commissioning, training, documented handover. Start with how turnkey delivery works.