Turnkey Solution

Fruit Packaging Production Line — Turnkey Solution

Complete EPS production line for fruit / produce shipping packaging — apple trays, mango boxes, grape inserts, custom OEM containers.

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8,000-18,000 trays

Daily Output

USD 70K-130K

Investment

14-18 months

Payback Period

3-5

Workers Required

What This Line Produces

End products this turnkey line is engineered to manufacture.

Apple / pear shipping trays (24-48 cell)

Mango / avocado export boxes

Grape / strawberry display inserts

Citrus shipping containers (5-25 kg)

Tomato / kiwi protective foam trays

Custom OEM fruit-export packaging

Production Flow

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

Step 01

Raw Material

Standard or fast-cycling EPS; food-contact grade certified.

Step 02

Pre-Expanding

PE-1200 / PE-1400; density 14-22 kg/m³ for cushioning.

Step 03

Aging

Fluidized-bed silos, 12-24 hours.

Step 04

Shape Molding

SM-1200 with multi-cavity fruit tray molds; cycle 30-45 s.

Step 05

Stacking

Auto-stacking to pallet; fast SKU rotation.

Step 06

Wrapping

Stretch / shrink wrap; export documentation.

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	2-4	800-1,500 pcs/h
Aging Silo	AG-30	3-6	30 m³ each
Multi-Cavity Fruit Molds	Custom	4-16	24-48 cells/mold
Stacking + Wrapping	ST-1200 + WR-1200	1+1	Inline auto-stack/wrap

Why ChinaEps for This Solution

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

Multi-SKU Quick Rotation

Quick-change mold platen designed for fruit packers running 6-12 different SKUs per shift — essential for seasonal fruit cycles.

Food-Contact Material Compliance

Our EPS raw material is FDA / EU 10/2011 food-contact certified; documentation pre-prepared for fresh-produce regulations.

Low-Density Cushioning Optimization

Process tuned for 14-18 kg/m³ density (vs 20-30 for fish boxes) — optimal cushioning at minimum material cost for delicate fruit.

Tropical-Climate Hardware

Anti-corrosion stainless steel option for high-humidity climates; proven in Mexico, Vietnam, Philippines fruit-export installations.

Real Customer Case

A factory we equipped — operating today.

Spain Year: 2024

Configuration

1 × SM-1200 + 6 mold sets for grape / citrus export

Outcome

Valencia-based fruit-export OEM rotates 8 SKUs per shift via quick-change molds; cycle time 38 s; full ROI in 16 months at 75% utilization.

Choose Your Investment Tier

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

Starter (Single-Shift)

USD 70,000-95,000

200-400 fruit trays/hour

Best For

Regional fruit packers serving local export markets

Key Machines

PE-1200 + SM-1000 + base molds

Standard

USD 110,000-160,000

600-1,200 fruit trays/hour

Best For

Mid-scale fruit packers with seasonal volume swings

Key Machines

PE-1400 + SM-1200 + multi-cavity molds + stacker

Flagship

USD 200,000-300,000

1,500-2,500 fruit trays/hour

Best For

Large export-grade packing facilities for citrus, grape, berry programs

Key Machines

PE-1800 + 2× SM-1200 + multi-cavity molds + auto-line

Optional Add-ons & Upgrades

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

Custom Tray Molds per Fruit Variety

Aluminum cavity inserts for apple/orange/grape/berry/citrus tray dimensions per buyer spec.

Impact: Differentiated packaging vs commodity trays; premium contract pricing

Multi-Cavity Molds (4-up / 6-up)

Increase pieces-per-cycle on small fruit trays.

Impact: Throughput up 2-3× per machine; faster capacity scaling

Fast-Cycling EPS Beads

Reduces SM-1200 cycle 30-40% on light fruit trays.

Impact: Higher daily output without CAPEX increase

ROI Snapshot

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

Investment

USD 70K-160K typical (Starter/Standard tier)

Payback

10-14 months at 8 hrs/day output, $0.30-0.50 per finished tray revenue

Annual Output

5-8M fruit trays/year (single-shift Standard tier)

Annual Revenue

USD 1.5M-3M (seasonal demand smoothed across 8-10 months/year)

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 + ROI calculation for your specific fruit varieties and seasonal volume.

Installation & Training

7-14 days on-site commissioning with operator training for mold-changeover between fruit varieties.

5-Year Warranty + 24/7 Support

Core machinery 5-year warranty; WhatsApp + video-call technical support with 24-hour response.

Custom Mold Design Service

Engineering team designs custom molds in 6-8 weeks from CAD or physical sample.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the cost range for a complete fruit packaging line?

Small-scale fruit line (2-5 t/day) starts at USD 70,000; mid-range (8-12 t/day) is USD 100,000-130,000. Custom multi-cavity fruit molds add USD 8,000-20,000 each.

Can the line handle different fruit sizes / cell counts?

Yes. SM-1200 supports molds with 12-72 cells per tray. Quick-change interface (≤45 min) lets one machine produce trays for apples, mangoes, grapes, and citrus in same shift.

Is your EPS food-contact certified?

Yes. Our raw material is FDA 21 CFR 177.1640 + EU 10/2011 compliant for direct food contact. We provide migration test reports and supplier declarations with every shipment.

What density should I use for delicate fruit like grapes?

14-16 kg/m³ for grapes / strawberries (light cushioning); 18-22 kg/m³ for apples / mangoes (medium); 22-26 kg/m³ for melons / pumpkins (heavy). Our engineers tune the recipe per your fruit type.

How fast can you ship a complete fruit packaging line?

30-45 days for standard line + 6-10 weeks for custom molds. We can ship machines first while molds finish if buyer needs urgent commissioning.

Can you build a soft fruit packing line for berries, grapes, and cherries?

Yes. A soft fruit packing line uses low-density EPS (14-16 kg/m³) molded trays with deep individual cells to cradle berries, grapes, cherries, and figs without bruising. The SM-1000 or SM-1200 shape molder runs multi-cavity tray molds (24-72 cells); cell geometry is tuned to your fruit diameter. The complete soft-fruit line — pre-expander + shape molder + tray molds — starts at USD 70,000.

Do you supply EPS molded fruit trays, or only the machines to make them?

ChinaEps is an equipment manufacturer — we supply the complete production line (pre-expander, shape molder, multi-cavity tray molds, raw beads) so you produce your own EPS molded trays in-house at 60-80% lower unit cost than buying finished trays. We do not sell finished trays directly, but we provide sample molds and tray specs so you can quote your own customers. Request a full line quote and we size the equipment to your target tray output.

Tell Us Your Production Goals

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

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