| 1. Production and Technical Fit |
| Material range | Typical thermoplastics | PP, PE, PS, ABS | PP, PE, PS, ABS, PET blends | PP, PE, PS, ABS, PET blends | Confirm screw design, drying requirements, and melt-temperature limits for the exact resin. |
| Maximum sheet width | Usable sheet width | 1,000 mm | 1,500 mm | 2,000 mm | Choose a die width at least 5–10% wider than the required finished sheet width. |
| Output capacity | Nominal output | 250 kg/h | 500 kg/h | 900 kg/h | Use a realistic operating load of approximately 70–85% of the quoted maximum output. |
| Sheet thickness | Typical operating range | 0.5–6.0 mm | 0.5–8.0 mm | 0.8–12.0 mm | Request thickness-tolerance data at the target width, resin, speed, and gauge. |
| Installed electrical load | Extruder and auxiliary equipment | 90 kW | 180 kW | 315 kW | Check transformer, cooling-water, compressed-air, and ventilation capacity before ordering. |
| Expected specific energy use | Electricity per kilogram of sheet | 0.12 kWh/kg | 0.18 kWh/kg | 0.22 kWh/kg | Verify through a production trial because actual energy use depends on resin, thickness, and line speed. |
| 2. Supplier Reliability Checks |
| Factory acceptance test | Recommended requirement | Required | Required | Required | Run the buyer's material and target thickness before shipment; record output, tolerance, and energy data. |
| Performance guarantee | Recommended contract coverage | Output and thickness tolerance | Output, tolerance, and uptime | Output, tolerance, uptime, and energy | Write measurable acceptance criteria into the purchase contract rather than relying on general specifications. |
| Warranty period | Typical commercial benchmark | 12 months | 12–18 months | 18–24 months | Clarify whether warranty starts at shipment, commissioning, or successful acceptance. |
| Spare-parts support | Recommended availability | Critical parts stocked | Critical parts plus wear parts | Critical parts plus wear parts and drive modules | Request a recommended two-year spare-parts list, prices, lead times, and part numbers. |
| Technical service | Recommended response time | 48 hours | 24–48 hours | 24 hours | Confirm remote diagnostics, commissioning support, training, and local service coverage. |
| Documentation | Required deliverables | Manuals, drawings, electrical diagrams | Manuals, drawings, electrical diagrams, software backup | Full documentation, software backup, maintenance schedule | Documentation should be supplied in the operating team's working language. |
| 3. Capital Cost Estimate in USD |
| Extrusion line purchase price | Extruder, die, rollers, haul-off, winder, and controls | $145,000 | $285,000 | $520,000 | Compare equivalent scope; exclude-only quotations can appear cheaper while omitting essential auxiliaries. |
| Installation and commissioning | Mechanical, electrical, testing, and training allowance | $18,000 | $32,000 | $55,000 | Obtain a fixed installation scope and identify travel, accommodation, and civil-work exclusions. |
| Initial tooling and wear parts | Dies, screen packs, knives, filters, and start-up parts | $25,000 | $45,000 | $75,000 | Include the die and calibration tooling needed for the customer's actual product range. |
| Estimated initial investment | $188,000 | $362,000 | $650,000 | Initial investment equals line price plus installation and initial tooling. |
| 4. Five-Year Total Cost of Ownership |
| Operating basis | Planned production time | 4,000 h/year | 4,000 h/year | 4,000 h/year | Production volume is calculated from nominal output multiplied by annual operating hours. |
| Five-year production volume | Nominal output × 4,000 h/year × 5 years | 5,000,000 kg | 10,000,000 kg | 18,000,000 kg | Actual sellable volume will be lower if downtime, changeovers, or scrap are significant. |
| Electricity cost | Specific energy × production volume × $0.10/kWh | $60,000 | $180,000 | $396,000 | Uses an electricity planning rate of $0.10 per kWh; replace it with the local industrial tariff. |
| Direct labor cost | Operators, supervision, and routine line handling | $250,000 | $350,000 | $450,000 | Assumes labor costs over five years and should be adjusted for local wages and shift structure. |
| Preventive maintenance | Estimated annual maintenance at approximately 4% of line price | $29,000 | $57,000 | $104,000 | Includes routine service labor and standard maintenance materials, excluding major rebuilds. |
| Additional spare parts | Wear parts and unplanned replacement allowance | $20,000 | $35,000 | $60,000 | Confirm expected screw, barrel, die-lip, roller, heater, sensor, and drive-component life. |
| Estimated five-year total cost of ownership | $547,000 | $984,000 | $1,660,000 | Includes initial investment, electricity, labor, preventive maintenance, and additional spare parts. |
| Estimated total cost per kilogram | $0.109/kg | $0.098/kg | $0.092/kg | Higher-capacity lines generally reduce unit cost when sufficient demand keeps utilization high. |
| 5. Recommended Decision Rules |
| Best fit for limited demand | Target utilization below approximately 1,000 tonnes per year | Suitable | May be oversized | Usually oversized | Select the compact line if lower capital exposure is more important than minimum unit cost. |
| Best fit for stable medium demand | Approximately 1,500–2,500 tonnes per year | Capacity limited | Suitable | May be oversized | The standard line often provides a balanced combination of capacity, flexibility, and cost. |
| Best fit for continuous high demand | More than approximately 3,000 tonnes per year | Capacity limited | Capacity limited | Suitable | Select the high-throughput line only when demand supports high utilization and adequate staffing. |
| Planning note: Cost figures are industry-style budgeting benchmarks in USD, excluding freight, import duty, taxes, building work, financing, resin, packaging, scrap, and revenue losses during downtime. Obtain at least three technically equivalent quotations and validate all performance and cost assumptions through a material trial and written acceptance test. |
