The Tetra Pak machine has been a revolution in dairy packaging since its inception in the 1940s, and today its packages are still indispensable in our daily lives. This has generated a market for new and used machinery that has continued to grow and evolve over time.
Unlike other companies, it is worth noting that Tetra Pak 90% of its revenue comes from cartons and not from machines sold. In 2021 alone they sold 192 billion packages, which is why the company is particularly keen not to lose the carton market.
With the end of the packaging patent, many companies started to market this type of multilayer carton which could be used in the original machines without any problem. However, to preserve this niche, the new technology of the Tetra Pak machines is designed so that it can only be used with paper manufactured by the company itself.
This makes the value of used machines higher as they can use carton not manufactured by Tetra Pak. This is undoubtedly an incentive to buy used machinery, as this factor can lead to significant cost reductions for companies.
TETRA PAK IN FIGURES
The market for used Tetra Pak machinery is very important globally, there is a high demand which is impossible to satisfy with the existing supply. This is mainly due to the high cost of a new machine which makes it unaffordable for SMEs.
There are currently 8870 Tetra Pak filling machines on the market worldwide. This is not an insignificant figure considering that 321 new machines were sold in 2021.
This data reflects two things, firstly, that Tetra Pak machines have an average lifetime of around 30 years and that investing in a used machine that is 15 to 20 years old is viable for companies.
MachinePoint is today a key player in the sale of used Tetra Pak machinery. Since 2020, it has accounted for around 21% of sales of used machines of this type, demonstrating its reliability, efficiency, and global positioning.
TETRA PAK MACHINES IN A GLOBALISED WORLD
The evolution of markets towards globalization that has taken place in recent decades has been a fundamental factor in giving a second life to used machinery. This has boosted emerging economies and generated new jobs thanks to companies like MachinePoint, which have been able to see this need and respond with the highest quality standards.
Europe continues to be the most important supplier of used machinery with a supply of 76.5% of the total. It is followed at a distance by Asia with 11.3%, Latin America with 8%, Africa with 7.5% and Oceania with 3.2%. This is undoubtedly a reflection of the markets, in which we can see that Europe sells used Tetra Pak to invest in new machinery.
Since 2020, the countries with the largest number of Tetra Pak machines on offer include Poland, followed by Italy and Russia. Among the Asian countries, Pakistan, and China account for most of the supply of used Tetra Pak machines for sale on the continent. Spain occupies seventh position in this ranking.
In terms of demand, India is the country with the most requests for Tetra Pak machines, followed by Turkey, China, and Pakistan. Three of the top four positions are occupied by Asian countries, and in recent years there has been a growing trend of requests from this continent for this type of machine.
TETRA PAK: LONG AND PROSPEROUS LIFE
Tetra Pak machines are characterized by an average lifetime of 30 years, although many of them are well over 30 years old. This makes the market for used Tetra Pak machinery different from that of other devices and makes it profitable to buy machines that are even more than 20 years old.
Given the limited supply that exists today, every time a used Tetra Pak machine comes on the market it is a great attraction for companies that want to start or expand a business while reducing costs.
As these are powerful, high-value machines, it is rare to see machines with less than 5 years of life on the market for sale. In the last three years, no machines were sold below this age, and only 11.3% were between 5 and 10 years old.
In contrast, 51% of the used Tetra machines sold were between 15 and 20 years old and 32% were between 10 and 15 years old. This indicates that many companies have decided to replace their machines in this range, and that there are companies willing to invest in equipment with this lifetime. These machines are perfectly prepared to last another 15 to 20 years without any problem.
Of relevance is that almost 21% of sales were of machines more than 20 years old. This is not very common in the used machinery market, but with Tetra Pak machines it has proven to be more than profitable.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A TETRA PAK MACHINE
When shopping for a Tetra Pak machine, there are several things to consider.
The first thing to look for is whether the machine is aseptic, most look for aseptic machines so that the product is sterile filled.
It is also important to consider the years of production and the model of the machine: Currently the most popular formats are Slim, Edge, Square and TBA8, A3 Flex, A3 Speed, A3 Compact Flex machines.
Another important factor is that it is a high-speed machine, as this saves a lot of energy as well as space.
The lifetime of a Tetra Pak is about 100,000 working hours, so ideally if you are buying a second-hand Tetra Pak machine it should have between 20,000 and 40,000 hours of use.
One of the advantages of choosing the Tetra Pak brand over other competitors is that it has a maintenance service that is unique worldwide. This aspect is very important when it comes to assembly, repairs, etc.
In addition, the fact that many of the patents on the paper used by Tetra Pak machines for Slim, or Square, have expired has created a new market for cheaper independent suppliers. There are now few formats for which only Tetra Pak can be a supplier, although the new machines have technology that only accepts paper produced by Tetra Pak.
