New or Used Injection Moulding Machines: What’s Best for Your Business? – PlastikCity Blog

Over the years, I’ve provided hundreds of new and used injection moulding machines to various businesses. The key to making the right choice is understanding your specific needs, particularly in specifications and operational uptime.

Let’s delve into the pros and cons of each choice and realise how to secure a good deal.

Why do businesses opt for used or refurbished machines?

While new equipment may seem like the obvious choice, there are compelling reasons why businesses choose to explore the used or refurbished market.

They include:

• Budget considerations
• Perception of a good deal
• Immediate availability
• Limited usage requirements
• Non-critical production cycles
• Maintaining consistency with existing equipment

What are the potential drawbacks of buying used or refurbished?

Despite the used market’s allure, potential pitfalls must be carefully evaluated. These might include:

• Possibly inferior specifications
• Unclear maintenance, material processing, and fault history
• Absence of a warranty unless refurbished, and even then, it’s limited

What are the benefits of choosing used or refurbished?

Some of the benefits of purchasing used or refurbished machines are:

• Reduced cost due to the highest depreciation in the first three years
• Immediate or short-term availability
• Tried-and-tested models
• Maintenance and process engineers may already be familiar with the model.

What advantages does purchasing new machines offer?

When considering new machinery, there are several key benefits to bear in mind:

• The opportunity to work directly with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to tailor the machine to your specific production requirement
• Availability of spare parts
• Generally higher uptime, though new models can sometimes have issues
• Lower maintenance costs
• Good warranty terms from the OEM

What are the potential downsides of buying new machines?

Despite the advantages, there are also potential pitfalls when opting for new machinery:

• Higher monthly finance costs
• Potentially higher annual depreciation
• Possible issues with brand-new models; check the availability of spare parts
• Engineers and technicians may require additional training

What should you consider if you decide to go for used or refurbished machines?

If you’re leaning towards the used or refurbished market, there are several critical factors to consider:

• Ensure the OEM is a well-known, reputable brand with solid UK support.
• Check that the machine model is still supported with spare parts, which is especially important for electronic components that can become obsolete or cost more than the machine itself.
• Estimate the market value using our online valuation calculator, or contact us for advice.
• Inspect the machine while it’s moulding components.
• Ensure the platens are closing squarely to avoid toggle wear.
• Verify that the screw maintains a consistent melt cushion and the plasticising time remains steady; this helps determine screw and tip wear.
• Check for noisy pumps, as a replacement could be costly.
• Get a survey done. Many UK OEMs offer this service.
• Ask the UK OEM for a history report – avoiding machines with a history of problems is best.
• Perform an Asset HPI Check – Our partner GB Asset offers this as a free service to PlastikCity users. Contact Richard Briggs on 01564 771591 or email at richard@gbfinance.net and quote our name.

Good used machines are often available and there are excellent UK machinery dealers such as D&M Machinery and STV who can supply refurbished, tested machines with warranty. PlastikCity is a broker that can sell your machine or find you one for your needs. We are also happy to advise if you aren’t sure of your requirements.

You can view our listings here, where we have over 60 used or refurbished injection moulding machines.

If you wish to sell your machine, you can place the advert here.

You can also sell or buy used ancillaries, mould tools, extruders, robots, spare parts and surplus polymer. Visit here to see the categories.

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