A used filling or packaging line changes risk at every project stage. A machine that performs well during inspection can still fail to meet the objective if dismantling is undocumented, utilities are undersized or acceptance criteria are vague. This checklist keeps the project traceable from first review to production handover.
1. Desktop technical review
- Product, container, closure, label, pack and pallet specification.
- Target net output and planned shifts.
- Machine list, layout, serial numbers and year.
- Available manuals, drawings, software and format lists.
- Electrical standard, utilities and safety requirements.
2. On-site inspection
Photograph every machine and nameplate. Observe production start-up, steady running, stops and changeover where possible. Review the product path, wear points, leakage, noise, vibration, reject systems and operator alarms. Interview maintenance staff and document known faults without relying on memory.
3. Commercial scope
Mark what is included, excluded or available at extra cost. Clarify tanks, pumps, conveyors, coding equipment, inspection systems, tooling, platforms, guards, spare parts and documentation. State the machine condition and whether any overhaul is promised before shipment.
4. Dismantling and packing
Create a tag system for cables, pipes, sensors, conveyor sections and guards. Back up PLC, HMI, recipes and drive parameters before disconnection. Photograph every tagged connection. Packing must reflect weight, lifting points, moisture exposure and international transport.
5. Site readiness
Verify foundations, access doors, lifting capacity, drainage, power, compressed air, product, cleaning media, water, steam and cooling. Place connection points on the layout and confirm who supplies each interface. Delayed utilities can cost more than delayed machinery.
6. Installation and acceptance
Agree mechanical completion, electrical checks, dry test, wet test and performance test. The acceptance protocol should define product, format, speed, duration, quality, rejects, permitted stops and exclusions. Log unresolved items in a signed punch list with owners and dates.
SEO and documentation discipline
Technical clarity also improves how equipment is found online. Use accurate generic equipment terms—used filling line, used bottling machine, complete bottling line—while keeping manufacturer, model and person names unchanged. Avoid invented capacities or claims that are not supported by documentation.
Browse used filling machines, case packers and the full used bottling equipment catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Who should attend the inspection?
Ideally a process specialist, mechanical or maintenance representative and controls specialist, with purchasing involved in scope and terms.
When should software backups be made?
Before dismantling and again after any agreed modification, with version and machine reference recorded.