Yogurt Cup Market Demand in France
France is the second-largest yogurt consumer in Europe, with annual production exceeding 2.5 million tonnes. The French dairy sector demands thin-wall PP cups in 125 mL and 150 mL formats, requiring wall thicknesses of 0.45-0.6 mm for lightweight yet rigid packaging. Major retailers including Carrefour, Leclerc, and Auchan drive demand for cost-efficient, recyclable mono-material PP cups that comply with AGEC law requirements for reduced plastic waste. HWAMDA supplies turnkey yogurt cup production lines to French converters seeking to replace aging European machines with high-output, energy-efficient Chinese equipment. The growing organic and premium yogurt segments further increase demand for multi-cavity high-speed production to keep unit costs competitive. With EU single-use plastics regulations encouraging mono-material PP designs over PS, French manufacturers are actively investing in new thin-wall injection molding capacity. The French government's AGEC law further incentivizes recyclable mono-material PP packaging, pushing converters to upgrade equipment. France's strong position in premium dairy exports to Africa and the Middle East adds demand for branded yogurt cup production capacity.
Key Specs
- •The French dairy sector demands thin-wall PP cups in 125 mL and 150 mL formats, requiring wall thicknesses of 0.45-0.6 mm for lightweight yet rigid packaging.
Finished yogurt cups — high-speed thin-wall production
Recommended Machine: HMD 380M8-SPV (380-400T)
The HMD 380M8-SPV delivers 3800-4000 kN clamping force, purpose-built for high-speed yogurt cup production. Its servo-driven hydraulic system achieves injection speeds up to 450 mm/s, enabling complete fill of 16-cavity thin-wall molds within 0.3-0.5 seconds. The machine features a platen size of 860 x 860 mm with 610 x 560 mm tie-bar spacing, providing ample room for multi-cavity mold configurations. Energy consumption is rated at 4.5-5.5 kWh per kilogram of PP processed, representing 30-40% savings compared to conventional toggle machines. The accumulator-assisted injection unit generates the high pressures (180-220 MPa) required to fill 0.45 mm wall sections reliably. HWAMDA's proprietary SPV5 control system offers real-time cavity pressure monitoring, automatic shot-weight correction, and recipe storage for different cup formats. The machine ships CE-certified, meeting EU machinery safety directive 2006/42/EC requirements for the French market. The robust toggle clamping mechanism ensures consistent platen parallelism over millions of cycles, while the proportional valve-controlled hydraulic system provides smooth, repeatable movements essential for maintaining tight wall thickness tolerances across all 16 cavities during extended production runs.
Mold Configuration: 16-Cavity for France
HWAMDA recommends its 16-cavity yogurt cup mold for high-volume French dairy operations. The mold uses valve-gate hot runner systems with individual nozzle temperature control to ensure uniform filling across all 16 cavities. Each cavity features beryllium copper inserts for rapid heat extraction, reducing cooling time to under 1.8 seconds. The mold base is constructed from P20 pre-hardened steel with H13 cavity inserts hardened to 48-52 HRC for extended service life exceeding 5 million cycles. Stack-mold configurations are available for 8+8 cavity layouts when platen space permits. For French customers requiring 125 mL cups at 4-5 gram shot weights, the total shot weight per cycle is approximately 64-80 grams. Mold changeover between 125 mL and 150 mL formats takes approximately 2-3 hours with HWAMDA's quick-change system. All molds ship with EU food-contact compliance documentation and material certificates per EC 1935/2004 regulation. HWAMDA's mold engineering team provides comprehensive DFM (Design for Manufacturability) analysis before mold production begins, optimizing gate location, cooling channel layout, and ejection strategy for the specific yogurt cups geometry. All molds undergo full dimensional inspection and trial production at HWAMDA's factory before shipment.
Key Specs
- •The mold uses valve-gate hot runner systems with individual nozzle temperature control to ensure uniform filling across all 16 cavities.
- •The mold base is constructed from P20 pre-hardened steel with H13 cavity inserts hardened to 48-52 HRC for extended service life exceeding 5 million cycles.
- •Stack-mold configurations are available for 8+8 cavity layouts when platen space permits.
Multi-cavity yogurt cup mold with precision cooling channels
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Production Capacity and Output Planning
With a 16-cavity mold running at 3.5-4.5 second cycle times, the HMD 380M8-SPV produces 12,800-16,457 yogurt cups per hour. Operating 22 hours per day with standard maintenance windows, daily output reaches 281,600-362,054 cups. At 300 working days per year, annual capacity exceeds 84 million cups from a single machine. For a mid-size French dairy converter targeting 200 million cups annually, HWAMDA recommends a 2-machine cell with shared auxiliary equipment including central material drying, conveyor systems, and automated cup stacking with counting. The production planning accounts for 92-95% OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) typical for HWAMDA installations. Each machine requires approximately 85-100 kg/hour of PP resin throughput. Cup weight optimization from 5.0 g to 4.5 g through HWAMDA's thin-wall expertise can save 10% on material costs, representing significant savings at volumes exceeding 50 million units. HWAMDA provides detailed capacity modeling considering French labor regulations including 35-hour work weeks and scheduled maintenance during August factory shutdowns. The production planning spreadsheet accounts for seasonal demand fluctuations in French dairy consumption.
Investment Budget and ROI for This Market
A complete HWAMDA yogurt cup production line for the French market, including the HMD 380M8-SPV machine, 16-cavity mold, automated stacking system, and auxiliary equipment, requires an investment of approximately $180,000-220,000. This represents 40-50% cost savings compared to equivalent European-manufactured systems from Netstal or Engel. At a production rate of 84 million cups per year and a conversion margin of $8-12 per thousand cups, gross annual revenue from cup production reaches $672,000-1,008,000. Factoring in PP resin costs ($1,200-1,400/tonne), energy, labor, and maintenance, the net margin supports ROI within 14-20 months. HWAMDA offers flexible payment terms including 30% deposit with balance against B/L, and LC at sight through major French banks. Equipment warranty covers 24 months on mechanical components and 12 months on electrical systems. French converters can access BPI France equipment financing programs and regional development grants in areas like Bretagne and Normandie where dairy production is concentrated. Equipment depreciation over 7 years provides additional tax benefit under French fiscal regulations.
Key Specs
- •This represents 40-50% cost savings compared to equivalent European-manufactured systems from Netstal or Engel.
- •HWAMDA offers flexible payment terms including 30% deposit with balance against B/L, and LC at sight through major French banks.
Hot runner system for balanced melt flow distribution
Logistics and Local Support
HWAMDA ships to France via the ports of Le Havre and Marseille, with sea freight transit from Ningbo averaging 28-32 days. Each HMD 380M8-SPV machine is packed in a 40-foot high-cube container with the mold and auxiliary equipment in a separate 20-foot container. HWAMDA provides comprehensive installation support with 2 engineers on-site for 7-10 days covering machine leveling, mold fitting, parameter optimization, and operator training. All machines are pre-tested with the customer's specific mold at HWAMDA's factory before shipment, with video documentation of trial runs achieving target cycle times. For ongoing support, HWAMDA maintains a European spare parts depot in Germany with next-day delivery to France. Remote diagnostic support is available via secure VPN connection to the machine's PLC, enabling HWAMDA engineers to troubleshoot issues in real time across time zones. HWAMDA coordinates with French customs brokers familiar with Chinese machinery imports to ensure smooth clearance. All documentation is provided in both English and French, and the machine manual includes French translation of all safety warnings and operating procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every HWAMDA SPV5 Series machine ships with full CE certification complying with EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU. The electrical system uses Schneider or Siemens components standard in Europe. Molds include EC 1935/2004 food-contact compliance documentation. HWAMDA has exported over 150 machines to European customers across France, Germany, Poland, and Italy with full regulatory acceptance. HWAMDA's European service hub maintains a French-speaking technical coordinator for warranty claims and service scheduling. Pre-shipment inspection by Bureau Veritas or SGS is available upon request.
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