Production Lines Equipment

Configuring a production line: four parameters that decide the architecture

A production line is not a shopping list of machines — it is a process route with a capacity, a product window and a set of site constraints, solved as one system. Four parameters decide the architecture, and they must be settled before any machine is specified.

1. Product family and formulation type. Water-based latex, solvent-based ink, high-viscosity putty, suspension concentrate and liquid fertilizer each demand a different route: solvent-based work needs explosion-protected electrics and closed transfer, agrochemical work needs corrosion-resistant materials throughout, and sealant work needs vacuum deaeration with moisture kept out. The product window — not a single product — sets the architecture.
2. Batch size and throughput. Specify capacity the way your plant actually runs: a putty line is sized per batch (500 L to 10,000 L per batch in our range), while a liquid fertilizer line is sized per day (12,000–24,000 L/day). Confusing the two is the most common sizing error we see in enquiries, and it changes the machine count, not just the nameplate.
3. Number of unit operations. Dosing, pre-mixing, wet grinding, dispersion, filtration, standardisation and filling — which of these the line must contain determines its length and its cost. A line that skips pre-dispersion starves the mill; a line without buffer agitation lets solids settle between steps. Map the route end to end before choosing equipment.
4. Site constraints and compliance. Floor plan and headroom, available utilities (power, water, compressed air, steam or thermal oil), explosion-protection class for solvent areas, and destination-market documentation all shape the layout. A line that fits the process but not the building is not a solution.

What this range covers

Seven configured production lines cover the main product families in coatings, inks, adhesives, construction materials and agrochemicals, from putty and paint through ink and pesticide formulation to liquid fertilizer.

• Paint/Coating Production Line — the water-based route for latex paint and general coatings, covering the main unit operations from raw material handling to filling, sized to the batch plant.
• Ink Production Line — a turnkey line for gravure, flexographic, offset and inkjet inks covering dosing, pre-dispersion, bead milling, standardisation, filtration and filling, engineered so pigment wetting, grinding and standardisation hold the ink within specification.
• Adhesive and Silicone Sealant Production Line — high-viscosity vacuum mixing with deaeration and cartridge or drum filling, engineered to keep moisture out and air out of moisture-cure and MS-polymer products.
• Wall Putty & Car Putty Production Line — 500 L to 10,000 L per batch, from small floor-type systems (500–1,000 kg) to large platform systems (5,000–10,000 kg), with high-viscosity twin or triple shaft mixing.
• Dyes & Pigments Production Line — the full route from raw material pre-mixing through high-energy wet grinding, dispersion, filtration and final packaging for pigment and dye manufacturers.
• Pesticide SC Formulation Production Line — a complete suspension concentrate line covering dosing, high-shear pre-mixing, wet bead milling, stabiliser addition and filling, engineered to reach a repeatable particle specification.
• Liquid Fertilizer Production Line — 12,000–24,000 L/day covering dissolution, chelation, mixing, reaction and precision filling of NPK solutions, foliar feeds and micronutrient suspensions, built with corrosion-resistant materials.

Typical process routes

1. Water-based paint and coating route. Water and additives dosed → pre-mix and pigment wetting → dispersion → bead milling to fineness → standardisation and tinting → filtration → filling. The buffer tank between milling and filling is agitated for a reason: pigment settling shows up at the fill head as shade and dose drift.
2. Ink route. Pre-dispersion → bead milling → standardisation → fine filtration → filling. Filtration sits as close to the fill head as practical, because a single oversize agglomerate rejects a whole drum of ink. Solvent-based inks additionally require explosion-protected electrics and closed transfer throughout.
3. High-viscosity putty and adhesive route. Powder charging under dust control → high-viscosity twin or triple shaft mixing → vacuum deaeration where air entrainment matters → cartridge, pail or drum filling. Throughput is stated per batch, and the mixer capacity — not the filler — sets the batch size.
4. Agrochemical and liquid fertilizer route. Dissolution and chelation → reaction → high-shear pre-mixing → wet milling for SC formulations → stabiliser addition → precision filling. Corrosion-resistant materials of construction apply across the whole route, because fertilizer solutions attack standard stainless grades.

Comparing the lines

Line	Core route	Capacity basis	Best fit
Paint/Coating Production Line	Pre-mix, disperse, mill, standardise, filter, fill	Per batch, sized to plant	Latex paint and water-based coatings
Ink Production Line	Dose, pre-disperse, mill, standardise, filter, fill	Per batch, sized to plant	Gravure, flexo, offset and inkjet inks
Adhesive & Sealant Line	High-viscosity vacuum mixing, deaerate, fill	Per batch, sized to plant	Silicone sealants, MS polymers, structural adhesives
Putty Production Line	Dust-controlled charging, high-viscosity mixing, fill	500–10,000 L per batch	Wall putty and car putty, floor or platform type
Dyes & Pigments Line	Pre-mix, wet grind, disperse, filter, pack	Per batch, sized to plant	Pigment and dye manufacturers
Pesticide SC Line	Dose, pre-mix, mill, stabilise, fill	Per batch, sized to plant	Suspension concentrate agrochemicals
Liquid Fertilizer Line	Dissolve, chelate, react, mix, fill	12,000–24,000 L/day	NPK solutions, foliar feeds, micronutrients

Capacities are the published ranges for each line, not guarantees. The correct configuration depends on your formulation, viscosity window, batch discipline and site — which is why every line we quote is configured against your process data rather than selected from a catalogue.

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a turnkey line or assemble machines myself?

A turnkey line makes sense when the process route is settled and the machines must work as one system — the interfaces between dosing, milling and filling are where self-assembled lines usually fail. Buying individual machines makes sense when you already run part of the route and are adding one unit operation. Our production-line guides walk through the layout decision either way.

How is line capacity specified?

Per batch for most coating, ink and adhesive lines — the mixer sets the batch size and everything else is matched to it — and per day for continuous-duty lines such as liquid fertilizer, where dissolution and reaction run as a flow process. Send us your batch size or daily volume and the shift pattern, and we will size the line accordingly.

What determines the line layout?

The process route, then the building. We lay out from the raw material side to the sealed container, matching each machine's rate to the one upstream, with buffer capacity where batch and continuous steps meet. Gravity flow is used where possible, and the floor plan is checked against your actual site before the layout is frozen.

Can lines be built explosion-proof for solvent-based products?

Yes. Solvent-based ink and coating lines are specified with explosion-protected electrics, closed transfer and appropriate ventilation, matched to the solvent classification of your formulation. Explosion protection is designed in from the start — retrofitting it onto a standard line is expensive and rarely satisfactory.

Can one line handle several products?

Within a family, usually yes — one paint line can run architectural and industrial coatings if the viscosity and fineness windows overlap. Across families, plan for changeover: filter changes, cleaning cycles and colour change discipline. Where product families diverge sharply, a dedicated line per family is the more economical answer.

How long does a production line project take?

Manufacturing lead time depends on line size and configuration; commissioning adds site work for installation, utility connection and trial runs. We give a project schedule with the quotation, including factory acceptance testing before shipment, so the timeline is visible before commitment.

What utilities and site work should we plan for?

Power for the full motor list, water for cooling and cleaning, compressed air for valves and actuators, and steam or thermal oil where jacketed heating is used. Site work covers foundations, drainage, explosion-rated rooms where applicable and material handling to the filling station. We issue a utilities list with the layout drawing.

How is the line verified before shipment?

Factory acceptance testing runs the configured route on your formulation where possible, or on a representative substitute, with the agreed test protocol and recorded results. Water-based routes can usually be trial-run wet; solvent-based routes are verified dry plus component testing unless your site permits otherwise.

Related technical guides

• How to Set Up a Paint Production Line — the step-by-step layout from raw material handling to the packing area.
• Paint Production Line Equipment and Sizing — matching machine capacity to the batch plant.
• Ink Production Line: From Pigment Grinding to Filling — the full ink route with filling as the final quality gate.
• Batch vs Continuous Production Equipment — how to decide which operating mode fits your volumes.
• Scale-Up from Laboratory to Production — what changes when a recipe becomes a line.