How 5L to 20L HDPE containers are made - the machines, the money, the UN-rated rules, and the complete line layout.
Every litre of engine oil, cooking oil, paint, chemical and water-soluble fertiliser sold across Africa, the Middle East and Asia ships in an HDPE jerrycan or drum. Unlike the crowded water-bottle market, industrial packaging has fewer producers than demand - and buyers who reorder every month.
This guide covers the machines that make these containers, what they cost, the UN-rating rules for chemical drums, and how a full production line fits together. The machines behind it all are on our blow moulding machines page.
Single-station EBM with 3-5 kg die head output. Continuous extrusion, deflashing, leak test. The volume workhorse.
Larger die head and clamp. Often the same machine as 5L with a second mould set - check the size window first.
Single station with accumulator head for the heavy parison a 20L drum needs. Wall thickness control is critical here.
Two stations, one machine - double output for high-demand sizes. The upgrade path once orders outgrow a single station.
The core - sized to your largest container and target output.
Aluminium or steel, one set per container design. Budget $4,000-$15,000 per set at these sizes.
Trim waste is reground and reused - typically 10-15% of material, straight back into the batch.
Pressure or vacuum test on every drum - mandatory for chemical containers.
Compressor, chiller, granulator and conveyors - our services page lists what we include.
Drums sold for hazardous chemicals must pass UN certification: drop tests, stacking tests and leak tests at approved laboratories, per drum design - not per machine. If your market is chemicals, tell us at inquiry stage: the machine and mould must be specified for UN-capable production from day one, and the certification path adds weeks to launch. Our raw materials division supplies the certified UN compounds too.
Single station EBM, mould set, leak test, crusher. 300-600 jerrycans per shift.
Accumulator head, parison control, heavy clamp. 150-300 drums per shift.
Two stations in one machine - double output, shared operator.
Machine + moulds + testing support engineered for UN certification from day one.
Machine-only bands. Moulds, auxiliaries, freight, duties and installation additional - the price guide covers all hidden costs in detail.
In kg per hour - this caps your container weight and output. Compare this number, not the price.
Parison control saves 5-10% material on every drum - it pays for itself within a year at drum volumes.
"Machine price" usually means no moulds. Get the mould scope in writing.
Swapping between 5L and 20L should take hours, not days - ask how.
Your design, your material, video proof - the same 72-hour standard we apply to every machine.
Extrusion blow moulding machines (EBM) with large die heads - single or double station, from 5-litre jerrycans up to 20-litre drums and beyond.
Indicative ex-works India: $30,000-$60,000 for a 5L line, $50,000-$90,000 for a 20L drum single station and $80,000-$120,000+ for double station or accumulator machines.
Often yes - with different mould sets. The machine must be sized for the largest container: die head output, clamp force and daylight must cover the 20L drum.
HDPE - food-grade grades for edible oil and water, and UN-rated compounds with certification for chemical drums.
A single-station machine produces roughly 300-600 five-litre jerrycans or 150-300 twenty-litre drums per shift, depending on container weight and cycle time.
Send your container size and monthly volume - get a machine recommendation, line layout and itemized quote within 24 hours.