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With packaging machines that can cost up to 6 figures or more, buying pre-owned equipment has never looked more appealing. But how exactly does it work and how can Millennium Packaging help you?
Part 1: The Process
The first step in purchasing this type of equipment is finding the right machines. The procurement process usually starts at packaging auctions, where Millennium sends experienced technicians to search for machines in the right condition. Millennium also purchases used shrink wrappers, shrink tunnels, and shrink sealers from trusted manufacturers located in the US like; Shanklin, followed by Eastey, Arpac, Texwrap, and Conflex. Another approach that Millennium uses to acquire pre-owned equipment is to buy equipment back from our customers when they are in the process of equipment upgrades.
Regardless of the procurement method that’s utilized, the Millennium specialist always does a preliminary evaluation before buying the equipment. The assessment involves searching for certain visible indicators, such as worn out belts, rollers showing marks, razors that aren’t sharp etc. If the equipment passes the first appraisal, the machine is purchased and brought back in our service department.
Part 2: The Certification
The important thing to understand about purchasing Certified Pre-Owned equipment is that it is very different from buying used. All pre-owned machines sold by Millennium, from shrink wrappers, shrink tunnels, to stretch wrappers, and tape machines, are CPO certified. This means that all of them have been subjected to a rigorous, multi-part examination process, including motors, electronics including PLCs, and belts. This thorough inspection happens at our service department and it initiates the process of repairing any damaged or worn out parts before offering the machine for sale. Something to remember about packaging systems is that you never know if they run smoothly until they have operated a full daily cycle. With that in mind, Millennium ensures that the machine functions properly by running the equipment at its highest output threshold for an extended amount of time. The main factor to sell a certified pre-owned piece of equipment is that it must be in excellent condition and be mechanically and cosmetically sound.
You now might be wondering about who certifies the equipment? The certification depends on the equipment itself: some require formal certifications, some do not. To be certified, the equipment has to follow the manufacturer’s specifications and requirements.
An example of a formal certification is a system that’s has been acquired through one of our partners like, Shanklin, to Millennium Packaging. As mentioned earlier, Millennium is one of Shanklin’s largest distributors in the US. Why does Millennium choose Shanklin? Because Shanklin’s shrink wrappers, sealers, and shrink tunnels have been the number one machines in the packaging industry for several years. By partnering with Shanklin, Millennium also gains access to OEM parts as well as their certified technical staff. These manufacturer relationships ensure your equipment runs optimally and is supported after the purchase.
Any Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) equipment also comes with an extended warranty. Millennium offers an additional 60-day parts warranty on any used equipment sold.
So why is purchasing pre-owned equipment so advantageous?
Perhaps the main benefit that sounds obvious is the huge cost savings involved in buying used shrink wrappers, shrink sealers, and shrink tunnels. When purchasing CPO machinery, you can find yourself pocketing savings between 30% to 50% of the selling price for the same equipment in new condition. Now, who doesn’t love that? But there is another great advantage in buying pre-owned equipment through Millennium. You will have a distributor that can back you up with any assistance needed, as well as a warranty on the purchase.
To give you an idea of how the process described above works in real life, below are two customer success stories of how our technicians sought out quality machines, inspected and certified the machines and ultimately sold them to other customers who have been using these systems ever since.
The T-Rex bone
“A “big box” store’s bakery changed the way they packaged their baked goods, especially cakes. In the past they used Shanklin S-24B shrink sealers. When one of the store locations made the change, we were able to purchase 4 sets of shrink wrappers with matching T6H Shanklin Shrink Tunnels. We brought them all back to our service department and performed our careful inspection. They were in good shape but needed thorough cleaning and minor updates. Our technicians got right to work: changing the seals bars, knives and belts. Checking the operation of the machines and replacing a few broken handles. When they were done, all 4 sets of shrink sealers and shrink tunnels were fully running and looked brand new. One of our customers, a national supplier of natural dog bones, was looking to buy some used shrink wrappers. This customer produces everything, from bones no thicker than a stick, to bones that can weigh up to 5 pounds (renamed T-Rex Bones in the industry). Because of the variety of products that they handle, they needed equipment that was reliable and capable of shrink wrapping even the T-Rex bones. Thanks to the work done by our technicians, the customer ended up buying all 4 sets and they have been using them successfully for over a year”.
From paper, to food
“One of our customers in the paper industry had an Arpac L-18 Auto Bar Sealer. The customer was moving locations and changing operations and no longer had a need for that machine. As we represent Arpac, we decided to look at the equipment. The shrink sealer had been well taken care of by Millennium technicians and didn’t require much work. At our service department, our operators changed the seals bars and belts. With the changes implemented and the warranty offered, we were able to sell the machine to a company in the food packaging industry. They have been using this shrink sealer for the past 4 years…still going strong”.
After reading these two cases, you should have a clearer picture of how Millennium can help you find the right machine that is not only tailored to your needs, but that will allow you to save money while guaranteeing high-performance. If you’re interested in discovering more about the pre-owned shrink wrappers, shrink tunnels, and shrink sealers offered by Millennium, please contact our team of experts at (847) 717-3300 or send us a message.