What recent changes have occurred in the market price of ABA blown film machines?

The ABA blown film machine, as the core equipment for producing three-layer co extruded plastic film, is widely used in fields such as food packaging, agricultural film, and industrial protective film. Since 2023, influenced by multiple factors such as raw material costs, downstream demand, technological upgrades, and policy environment, the market price has shown a trend of "stable but rising, structural differentiation". The specific changes and driving factors are as follows:

1、 Fluctuations in raw material costs: the core driving force behind price increases

The core cost components of ABA blown film machine include steel (accounting for about 30%), motor and electronic control system (25%), screw barrel (20%), and auxiliary components (25%). The recent fluctuations in raw material prices have directly driven up equipment manufacturing costs

Steel prices continue to rise: In the first half of 2023, the average price of domestic rebar increased by 8.2% year-on-year, and wear-resistant alloy steel for plastic machinery (such as 38CrMoAl) increased by 12%, mainly driven by the rising cost of iron ore imports and the recovery of downstream infrastructure demand.

The cost of motors and electronic control is under pressure: key components such as servo motors and PLC controllers have increased their procurement costs by 5% -7% year-on-year due to tight chip supply and rising copper prices. Some companies have reported that the delivery cycle of imported servo systems has been extended to 3-4 months, forcing them to adopt domestic alternatives, but the cost is still higher than expected.

The increase in raw material costs is directly transmitted to equipment terminal prices. The mainstream models (such as ABA blown film machines with a width of 1.5 meters and a production capacity of 150 kg/h) will see a 6% -8% increase in quotes in the second half of 2023 compared to the beginning of the year.

2、 Downstream demand recovery: worsening supply-demand imbalance and rising prices

The recovery of demand and structural upgrading in the downstream film industry further drives the procurement demand for ABA blown film machines

The demand in the packaging field is recovering: With the recovery of the consumer market, the demand for high barrier films (such as PA/PE composite films) in industries such as food and daily chemical has increased by 15% year-on-year, driving a surge in demand for ABA blown film machines with three-layer co extrusion function. The person in charge of a packaging company in East China stated that the equipment procurement volume in 2023 will increase by 20% compared to last year, but the supplier delivery cycle will be extended from one month to two months.

Agricultural film upgrade: The national "white pollution control" policy promotes the replacement of traditional PE film with biodegradable film. The production of biodegradable film requires higher precision ABA blown film machines (such as equipped with multi-layer co extrusion die heads and online thickness detection systems). The demand for such high-end equipment has increased by 25% year-on-year, with a significant supply-demand gap and a price increase of 10% -15%.

As of the third quarter of 2023, the utilization rate of ABA blown film machine production capacity in China has reached over 85%, and some top enterprises have saturated production capacity, further supporting price increases.

3、 Technological upgrades and environmental requirements: Increased added value drives up pricing

The increasing demand from customers for film quality and equipment energy efficiency has forced companies to undergo technological iteration, while the cost of environmental compliance has also increased, jointly pushing up equipment prices

Technological upgrades increase costs: Mainstream equipment is now widely equipped with servo drive systems (energy-saving rate of up to 20%), automatic roll changing devices (efficiency improvement of 30%), and online defect detection systems. The new ABA blown film machine of a certain enterprise has increased its cost by 12% and terminal selling price by 10% due to the addition of an AI thickness control system.

Environmental cost transfer: The new national VOCs emission regulations require equipment to be equipped with exhaust gas treatment devices, which increases the cost of a single device by about 5000-10000 yuan; At the same time, companies need to invest in environmental certification fees, which are all passed on to equipment prices.

High end models (such as those with a width of 3 meters and a production capacity of 500kg/h) have become the main driving force for market price increases due to their high technological intensity and higher price increases compared to mid to low end models.

4、 Regional and international markets: clear differentiation trend

Domestic regional differences: As production bases in East China (Zhejiang, Jiangsu), equipment prices are relatively low (such as 1.5-meter models costing around 180000 to 220000 yuan); Due to transportation costs and concentrated local demand, prices in the central and western regions have increased by 5% -8% (approximately 200000 to 240000 yuan).

International market impact: The transfer of manufacturing industry in Southeast Asia has driven the growth of local demand for blown film machines, and the export volume of domestic enterprises has increased by 18% year-on-year. In order to seize the international market, some companies offer a discount of about 5% on export models, but prices in the domestic market remain firm; At the same time, the depreciation of the Chinese yuan (about 3% against the US dollar in 2023) increases the cost of imported components, further supporting domestic prices.

Future trend prediction

In the short term, the high cost of raw materials, sustained recovery of downstream demand, and demand for technological upgrades will continue to drive up the price of ABA blown film machines, with an expected increase of 5% -7% in the first half of 2024. In the long run, with the gradual expansion of production capacity and the maturity of technology, the prices of mid to low end models may tend to stabilize, but high-end models will still maintain a high premium due to core technological barriers.

For procurement enterprises, it is recommended to plan the procurement cycle in advance and prioritize the selection of high-end models with energy-saving and environmentally friendly characteristics to reduce long-term operating costs; Meanwhile, prices can be locked in through bulk purchasing or signing long-term agreements with suppliers.

(Full text about 1100 words) # # # Analysis of recent changes in the market price of ABA blown film machines

The ABA blown film machine, as the core equipment for the production of three-layer co extruded plastic film, is widely used in fields such as food packaging, agricultural film, and industrial protective film. Since 2023, influenced by multiple factors such as raw material costs, downstream demand, technological upgrades, and policy environment, the market price has shown a trend of "stable but rising, structural differentiation". The specific changes and driving logic are as follows:

1、 Fluctuations in raw material costs: the core driving force behind price increases

In the cost composition of ABA blown film machine, steel (30%), motor and electronic control (25%), and screw barrel (20%) account for a large proportion. Recently, the fluctuation of raw material prices has directly pushed up the equipment manufacturing cost:

Steel prices continue to rise: In the first half of 2023, the average price of wear-resistant alloy steel for plastic machinery (such as 38CrMoAl) increased by 12% year-on-year, while the price of general steel such as rebar increased by 8.2%, mainly driven by the rise in import costs of iron ore (up 15% year-on-year) and the recovery of downstream infrastructure demand.

The cost of motor and electrical control is under pressure: due to tight chip supply and rising copper prices (up 6% year-on-year), the procurement cost of servo motors and PLC controllers has increased by 5% -7%. Some companies have reported that the delivery cycle for imported servo systems has been extended from one month to three months. Although domestic substitution has eased the gap, the cost is still higher than expected.

The cost of raw materials is transmitted to terminal prices, and the mainstream ABA blown film machine with a width of 1.5 meters and a production capacity of 150kg/h will see a price increase of 6% -8% in the second half of 2023 compared to the beginning of the year (from 180000 yuan to 195000 to 200000 yuan).

2、 Downstream demand recovery: worsening supply-demand imbalance and rising prices

The recovery of downstream film industry demand and structural upgrading have driven a surge in the procurement demand for ABA blown film machines

The packaging industry is recovering: With the recovery of the consumer market, the demand for high barrier film (PA/PE composite film) in the food and daily chemical industries has increased by 15% year-on-year, driving a 20% increase in demand for three-layer co extrusion ABA blown film machines. The person in charge of a packaging company in East China stated that the equipment procurement volume has doubled, but the supplier's delivery cycle has been extended to 2 months.

Agricultural film upgrade: The national "white pollution control" policy promotes the replacement of traditional PE film with biodegradable film. The production of biodegradable film requires high-precision ABA blown film machines (equipped with multi-layer molds and online detection systems). The demand for such high-end equipment has increased by 25% year-on-year, with a significant supply-demand gap and a price increase of 10% -15%.

As of Q3 2023, the utilization rate of ABA blown film machine production capacity in China has exceeded 85%, and top enterprises have saturated production capacity, further supporting price increases.

3、 Technological upgrades and environmental requirements: Increased added value drives up pricing

Customers' demands for film quality and equipment energy efficiency have increased, coupled with increased environmental compliance costs, collectively driving up equipment prices

Technological iteration increases costs: Mainstream equipment is equipped with servo drive (saving 20% energy), automatic roll changing (increasing efficiency by 30%), and AI thickness control system. A new ABA blown film machine from a certain enterprise has increased its cost by 12% and price by 10% due to the addition of an intelligent control system.

Environmental cost transfer: The new regulations on VOCs emissions require the installation of waste gas treatment devices, resulting in an additional cost of 5000-10000 yuan per device; Enterprises need to invest in environmental certification fees, which are all passed on to the terminal price.

High end models (3 meters wide, 500kg/h output) have a higher price increase (15%) than mid to low end models (5% -8%) due to their high technological intensity.

4、 Regional and international markets: clear differentiation trend

Domestic regional differences: The production bases in East China (Zhejiang, Jiangsu) have lower prices (180000 to 220000 yuan for 1.5-meter models); Due to transportation costs and concentrated demand, prices in the central and western regions have increased by 5% -8% (200000 to 240000 yuan).

International market impact: The transfer of Southeast Asian manufacturing industry has driven an 18% increase in demand for blown film machines, resulting in an increase in export volume for domestic enterprises. However, export models are given a 5% discount, while domestic prices remain firm; The depreciation of the Chinese yuan (3% against the US dollar) has increased the cost of imported components, further supporting domestic prices.