Buying a non-woven bag machine involves more than comparing a price quotation with a brochure. You need to know whether the proposed equipment can handle your material, produce the bags your customers order, and maintain acceptable quality during everyday production.
A machine demonstration is your opportunity to check those details before committing to a configuration. The most useful demonstration starts with your production requirements and ends with a written record of what was tested.
Whether you need to manufacture bags, print purchased bags, or manage both operations, use this checklist to prepare for a practical discussion with your machinery supplier.
1. Identify whether you need bag making, printing, or both
A non-woven bag making machine and a non-woven bag printing machine perform different jobs. Bag making equipment converts suitable material into a bag format. Printing equipment applies artwork to a compatible substrate, which may be a ready-made bag, a sheet, or roll material, depending on its design.
If you purchase plain bags and supply branded bags to retailers, your immediate requirement may be printing rather than manufacturing. If you produce plain bags for other businesses, making equipment may be the priority.
For a combined operation, ask the supplier to explain the complete production sequence. Printing does not always happen after bag making; the sequence depends on the equipment and product. Confirm where material moves between machines and which operations remain separate.
Fairprint’s non-woven bag making machines and non-woven bag printing machines provide separate starting points for discussing these requirements.
2. Prepare a clear sample specification
Bring representative samples of the bags you intend to sell. Include your regular product and a more demanding job, such as a different size or more detailed design. A demonstration based only on the supplier’s easiest sample may leave important questions unanswered.
Record the bag dimensions, handle style, gusset requirements, material specification and intended application. For printed bags, include the artwork, number of colours, printing sides and desired print position.
Provide material GSM where known. GSM describes mass per unit area; it does not, by itself, establish every property relevant to processing. Ask the supplier what additional information is needed about your particular material.
Agree on these details before the demonstration so the trial is relevant to your actual orders.
3. Confirm exactly which configuration is being demonstrated
Model names alone may not describe every attachment or production capability. Ask for the demonstrated machine’s configuration and compare it with the proposed quotation.
For bag making, establish which operations are included for your chosen bag format. Depending on the system, handle production, punching, attachment or other finishing operations may require additional equipment or handling.
For printing, confirm the compatible feed format, printable area, colour arrangement and whether printing both sides requires another pass or a different configuration.
Ask the supplier to identify optional equipment clearly. A useful demonstration should show what the quoted system can deliver, rather than leave you assuming that every visible accessory is included.
4. Measure usable output over an agreed trial
A displayed running speed is only one part of production capacity. Your business needs an estimate of acceptable finished output under stated conditions.
Agree on a trial period and record the material, bag size, artwork, machine settings and people involved. Count acceptable output separately from rejected or incomplete pieces. Also record stoppages and explain whether setup time was included.
If comparing suppliers, use comparable jobs and measurement methods. A short run of plain bags cannot be compared directly with a multicolour printing job that requires additional handling.
Ask how the demonstrated result might change with your other products. Treat the trial as evidence for the tested conditions, not a guarantee that every order will achieve the same output.
5. Inspect samples throughout the run
Look at samples taken near the beginning, middle and end of the trial. This gives you a better basis for discussion than inspecting one selected bag.
For making equipment, review dimensions, shape, alignment, seams and handle finish where applicable. Ask the supplier to explain an appropriate assessment method for the intended bag and application, including any agreed strength checks.
For printing equipment, inspect artwork position, readability, colour consistency and alignment between colours. Check the result on your actual bag surface rather than relying only on a digital artwork proof.
Ask how and when the print should be assessed after drying or curing, as applicable. Agree on the assessment method with the supplier rather than improvising a test that may not suit the ink and material.
6. Watch a changeover between two jobs
A production schedule rarely consists of one unchanged job. Ask to see a changeover that reflects your order mix, such as a bag-size adjustment or an artwork change.
Record the time taken, the materials used during setup and the steps requiring operator judgement. Check whether tools, replacement parts or additional preparation are needed.
This is particularly useful when evaluating automation. The relevant question is which tasks the machine performs and which tasks the operator still handles. Ask to see loading, adjustment, collection and inspection as part of the demonstration.
Discuss the training required for your team to repeat the process consistently. Do not assume that an experienced demonstrator’s changeover time will immediately match a new operator’s performance.
7. Review the space, utilities and supporting workflow
Ask for the installation layout and utility requirements for the exact quoted configuration. Include access for unloading, material storage, operator movement and maintenance, not just the machine’s footprint.
Confirm electrical requirements and whether the system needs compressed air, ventilation or other supporting services. Obtain the manufacturer’s installation and safety instructions rather than estimating these requirements from a photograph.
For a combined making and printing operation, map how unfinished material and completed bags move through the workshop. Ask where drying, inspection, stacking and packing fit into the process, where relevant.
The demonstration should also clarify operator responsibilities and safety arrangements. Only trained, authorised personnel should operate or adjust the equipment during the trial.
8. Compare the complete scope of supply
Use the trial findings to review the quotation line by line. Confirm the machine, attachments, supporting equipment, installation, training and initial consumables included in the offer. Ask which items are excluded.
Discuss maintenance intervals, commonly replaced parts, service arrangements and the process for obtaining technical assistance. Request written warranty terms and clarify any conditions that affect coverage.
Keep machine purchase costs separate from ongoing operating requirements. Material, consumables, staffing, utilities, maintenance and rejects all deserve consideration. Ask for assumptions to be stated clearly wherever the supplier provides an operating estimate.
Avoid relying on a promised payback period without checking it against your own orders, selling prices and operating conditions.
Leave with an agreed trial record
Before concluding the demonstration, collect the specification tested, the exact machine configuration, the measurement method and the observed results. Keep labelled samples and, with permission, photographs or video showing the trial conditions.
List unanswered questions and any further tests needed before ordering. If your required material or artwork was unavailable, record that limitation rather than treating a substitute trial as final approval.
For a discussion with Fairprint, prepare your bag samples, material details, artwork and expected order mix. Ask the team to recommend an appropriate configuration and confirm what can be demonstrated. A clear brief and a documented trial give both buyer and supplier a stronger basis for selecting equipment.
