Fish Box Production Line — Turnkey Solution
Turnkey Solution

Fish Box Production Line — Turnkey Solution

Complete EPS production line for seafood, ice-fish, and frozen food packaging boxes — pre-expander to packaging in one factory.

Get This Solution Quote See Equipment List
5,000-12,000 boxes
Daily Output
USD 80K-150K
Investment
12-15 months
Payback Period
4-7
Workers Required

What This Line Produces

End products this turnkey line is engineered to manufacture.

Insulated fish boxes (10-100L) for seafood transport

Ice-pack containers for fresh fish export

Frozen seafood shipping containers

Aquaculture hatchery trays

Crab / lobster transport boxes with vented lids

Custom OEM fish containers per buyer spec

Production Flow

From raw material to finished product — six stages, fully integrated.

Step 01

Raw Material

Standard or fast-cycling EPS beads (5.0-5.5% pentane).

Step 02

Pre-Expanding

PE-1200 / PE-1400 batch pre-expander; density 18-25 kg/m³.

Step 03

Aging & Drying

Fluidized-bed silos, 8-24 hours; moisture stabilization.

Step 04

Shape Molding

SM-1200 / SM-1400 with fish-box molds; cycle 35-50 s.

Step 05

Demolding & QC

Pneumatic ejection; visual + dimensional QC inspection.

Step 06

Packaging

Stack, shrink-wrap, palletize; export-ready cartons.

Equipment List

Engineered configuration — every machine sized to match line throughput.

Machine Model Qty Capacity
EPS Pre-Expander PE-1200 / PE-1400 1-2 500-900 kg/h
Shape Molding Machine SM-1200 / SM-1400 2-6 600-1,200 pcs/h
Aging Silo AG-30 / AG-50 4-8 30-50 m³ each
Fish Box Molds Custom (per buyer) 2-12 Quick-change, ≤45 min
Stacking Machine ST-1200 1 Auto-stack to pallet

Why ChinaEps for This Solution

Engineering specifically tuned for this application — not a generic line.

Fast-Cycle Technology Match

Our PE-1400 + SM-1200 combination produces 25-40% more boxes/day vs traditional pre-expander matching, critical for seasonal seafood packing peaks.

In-House Mold Engineering

Custom fish box molds engineered, machined, and tested in our 10,000 m² factory — no third-party mold delays or quality risk.

Cold-Climate Operating Spec

Hydraulic system rated -20°C to +50°C; PLC heating circuit; proven in Russia, Norway, Iceland, Chile installations.

60+ Countries Export Experience

CE / ISO 9001 certified; SASO / EAC / FDA documentation pre-prepared for major seafood-export destinations.

Real Customer Case

A factory we equipped — operating today.

Russia Year: 2023
Configuration

3 × SM-1200 + 12 mold sets, 50 t/month

Outcome

Murmansk-based seafood packer replaced legacy Italian shape molders; cycle time dropped from 75 s to 42 s, energy cost down 22%, full ROI in 13 months.

Choose Your Investment Tier

Match the production scale to your business stage — from new-factory starter to lights-out flagship.

Starter (Single-Shift)

USD 80,000-110,000
300-500 fish boxes/hour, 3-5 tons/day output
Best For

New EPS factories, regional seafood ports, low-volume custom OEM operations

Key Machines

PE-1200 + 1× SM-1200 + base molds + manual stacking

Most Popular

Standard (Double-Shift)

USD 120,000-180,000
600-900 fish boxes/hour, 8-12 tons/day output
Best For

Mid-size seafood packaging producers, 24/7 cold-chain operations

Key Machines

PE-1400 + 2× SM-1200 + multi-cavity molds + auto-stacker

Flagship (Lights-Out)

USD 220,000-350,000
1,200-1,800 fish boxes/hour, 16-25 tons/day output
Best For

Premium contract manufacturers, large-scale seafood export operations

Key Machines

PE-1800 + SM-1400 + SM-1200 + robotic arm + SCADA + automated wrapping

Optional Add-ons & Upgrades

Customize the line to match your specific business model — add components when you need them.

Custom Mold Engineering

Aluminum cavity inserts for any specific box geometry — your buyer's OEM brand design implemented in 6-8 weeks.

Impact: Differentiated product offering vs commodity fish boxes; premium contract pricing

Robotic Stacker (ST1200)

Replaces 2 operators per shift; stacks fish boxes onto pallets at 600+ pieces/hour.

Impact: Labor cost down 60-80% per shift; 12-18 month payback

Vacuum Packaging Add-on

In-line vacuum-shrink wrapping of palletized fish boxes for export shipping.

Impact: Reduces packaging damage in ocean freight 90%+

Fast-Cycling EPS Beads (mat-fast-cycling)

Specialty beads reduce SM-1200 cycle time from 45 sec to 30 sec.

Impact: Throughput up 30-40% on existing equipment without CAPEX increase

Closed-Loop Recycling System

Scrap fish-box rejects ground + blended back into virgin bead stream at 10-15% ratio.

Impact: Raw material cost down 5-8% + ISO 14001 environmental compliance

ROI Snapshot

Reference numbers based on typical Standard tier deployment — actual ROI varies with local market, energy cost, and product mix.

Investment
USD 80K-150K typical (Standard tier)
Payback
12-15 months at 8 tons/day output, $1.20-1.80 per finished box revenue
Annual Output
2,000-3,500 tons of finished fish boxes (single-shift Standard tier)
Annual Revenue
USD 800K-1.5M (typical $0.40-0.60 wholesale margin per kg)

Service & Support Commitment

Beyond shipping — our commitment to the success of your production line from day one through year ten.

Pre-Sale Engineering

Free factory layout design + ROI calculation for your specific output target and product mix. 1-2 week turnaround.

Installation & Commissioning

Our engineers travel to your site for 7-14 days commissioning. Includes operator training (2-3 operators per machine).

5-Year Warranty

Core machinery (PE pre-expander barrel, SM mold platen, hydraulic systems) — 5-year manufacturer warranty.

24/7 Remote Support

WhatsApp + email + video-call technical support; 24-hour response guarantee for production-down issues.

Spare Parts Network

Spare parts shipped within 5-7 business days globally; emergency-grade parts (PLC, contactors) air-freight available.

Mold Design Service

Custom mold engineering for new product designs — 6-8 week lead time from CAD to delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the typical investment for a complete fish box production line?
A small-scale fish box line (3-5 t/day) starts at USD 80,000; mid-range (8-15 t/day) is USD 110,000-150,000. Final price depends on output target, automation level, and number of custom mold sets.
How long is the payback period for a fish box line?
Typical payback is 12-15 months at 80-90% capacity utilization, assuming USD 0.30-0.50 average selling price per box. Seasonal seafood markets often hit 18+ month full payback due to demand peaks.
Can your line produce custom fish box sizes for our buyers?
Yes. Quick-change mold platen (≤45 min) supports 2-12 different mold sets per machine. Mold engineering takes 6-10 weeks; we ship molds with the machine for instant production start.
What density / weight specs do your fish boxes meet?
Standard fish box density 18-22 kg/m³ for general use; 22-25 kg/m³ for heavy-duty crab/lobster boxes. Density tolerance ±0.5 kg/m³ — meets EU and Asian seafood-export grading standards.
Do you provide installation in remote fishing-port locations?
Yes. Our technicians have installed lines in Murmansk (Russia), Trondheim (Norway), Reykjavík (Iceland), and 30+ remote ports. Travel + 7-14 days commissioning included in standard contract.
What is an EPS fish box and why is it used for seafood?
An EPS fish box is a molded expanded-polystyrene container that keeps seafood at 0-4°C during transport thanks to EPS's 0.033 W/m·K thermal conductivity. It is lightweight (a 20L box weighs ~400g), insulates better than corrugated or molded pulp, resists water and ice melt, and is fully recyclable. These properties make EPS the global standard for fresh fish, shrimp, and shellfish export. Producing them in-house on an EPS fish box machine costs 60-75% less than buying finished boxes.
What capacity fish box making machine do I need for a seafood export operation?
For a regional seafood exporter, an SM-1200 shape molder produces 200-400 fish boxes/hour (single shift) — enough for most port-side operations. Large-volume processors running 24/7 should pair two SM-1200 units or step up to an automated line at 600-1,000 boxes/hour. Size the line to your peak-season landing volume: a fishery handling 50 tons/day of catch typically needs ~300-500 boxes/hour. We size the equipment to your throughput target and box dimensions.

Tell Us Your Production Goals

Share your capacity targets, product specs, and budget — our engineers design the optimal line for your factory.

Request Detailed Quote View All Solutions

Related Production Lines

Diversify revenue with adjacent production capability — many customers operate multiple ChinaEps lines side-by-side.

Fruit Packaging Production Line

Similar shape-molded production; same SM-1200 equipment with different molds — common diversification path

Industrial Cushioning Packaging Line

Adds higher-margin appliance/electronics packaging on the same shape-molding equipment

EPS Recycling Line

Closes the material loop — scrap fish boxes recycled back into production for 5-8% cost savings